Nevada Agriculture
Agriculture is one of Nevada’s most important industries. Most of the state’s agriculture is aimed toward range livestock production, where cattle and calves dominate. Other important livestock commodities include dairy, sheep, lambs and hogs. Although small in number, the state’s ranches rank third in the U.S. for size at an average of 3,500 acres each. Agricultural crops mostly consist of alfalfa hay, alfalfa seed, potatoes, barley, wheat, rye, oats, vegetables, mint, garlic and onions, and some fruits.
The Silver State, home to more than 2,900 farms and around 5.8 million acres of farmland, has mostly mountainous and desert terrain. It’s also the driest state in the nation, receiving just an average of 7 inches in rainfall each year – the wettest part of the state gets about 40 inches of precipitation, while the driest receives less than 4. Much of Nevada is largely uninhabited desert.