Santa Barbara County’s agricultural industry had a big year in 2019, with a more than 5% increase in the value of crops, according to the county's just-released annual crop report.
It shows the total valuation of the crops was $1.6 billion dollars in 2019, up $78 million dollars from 2018.
Strawberries remain Santa Barbara County’s top crop, at $571 million dollars. Wine grapes are second at $106 million, followed by nursery crops at $97 million.
County agricultural officials say strong rainfall helped crops in 2019. The area received 128% of average rainfall.
