Specialty crops are fruits and tree nuts, vegetables, herbs and spices, nursery, floriculture, and horticulture crops. They’re commodities that are not considered staple foods. California produces more than 400 different commodities, many of which are specialty crops.
Examples of specialty crops: almonds, grapes, peaches, asparagus, mushrooms, basil, cilantro, Christmas trees, apples, tulips, and roses.
Examples of products that are not specialty crops: wheat, beef cattle, rice, hay, barley, field corn, soy beans, eggs and dairy.
See more examples and a complete definition here.
Project Funding
Funding for Knowin’ What’s Growin’ was made possible by a grant/cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
Please note that only specialty crops are highlighted as the top three crops in each county. For information on additional agricultural products, you can access the “top ten crops” section on each county’s homepage.
Learn More
For more educational resources about California Specialty Crops, click here.
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