MERCED COUNTY MARKET

Merced County, California Farmers Market — Buy & Sell Local Crops Near You

🌽 From Atwater to El Nido, Merced County gardeners, small farms and home cooks post their extra harvest here for people nearby. Watch for local apples when it comes into season in California. Listing is free and you keep 100% of every local sale.

Farming in Merced County by the Numbers

Merced County has 2,047 farms on 872,326 acres (about 426 acres each). Together they sold $4 billion of farm products in 2022, led by dairy (milk), fruit & nuts and vegetables.

Orchards and vineyards here grow almonds, pistachios and grapes, and local fields produce tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes and onions. Beekeepers tend about 82,832 honey bee colonies.

46 farms in Merced County already sell straight to the public, about $6.3 million a year in direct sales. Crop Market gives them, and every backyard grower, a free way to reach more neighbors.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.

Farm Life in Merced County

Out in the pastures and barnyards, Merced County counts 3,410,713 egg-laying hens, 593,108 head of cattle and 18,316 sheep. Fresh farm eggs are one of the easiest things to buy and sell locally.

About 3,855 people run or help run farms in Merced County, with an average age of 59. 33% of them are women. 276 are under 35 - the next generation of local growers. 4 farms earn money from agritourism - things like u-pick fields, pumpkin patches, farm stays and corn mazes.

Where Merced County stands out: it ranks #1 of 50 CA counties for egg-laying hens and #1 of 50 CA counties for goats.