San Juan County, New Mexico
Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture
2,877 farms2,417,870 acres in farms$127 million in farm sales
No other county in New Mexico with a published figure has more farms, land in farms or vegetables than San Juan County.
Its largest product group with a published figure, vegetables and melons, makes up 41.0% of farm sales, against 6.7% across New Mexico.
Sales by product group
| Product group | Sales | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables, melons and potatoes | $52.2 million | 2nd of 20 |
| Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas | $33.5 million | 2nd of 16 |
| Hay and other crops | $33.4 million | 1st of 25 |
| Cattle and calves | $4.0 million | 24th of 25 |
| Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk | $1.7 million | 1st of 22 |
| Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops | $957,000 | 8th of 15 |
| Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys | $564,000 | 6th of 28 |
| Poultry and eggs | $171,000 | 1st of 16 |
What the fields held
San Juan County harvested 72,049 acres of cropland in 2022, first of 22 counties in New Mexico. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 44% of that, vegetables 10%.
| Crop | Acres | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Hay and haylage | 31,627 | 0.06% |
| Vegetables | 7,254 | 0.17% |
| Corn for silage | 840 | under 0.1% |
| Orchard land | 92 | under 0.1% |
| of which almonds | 1 | under 0.1% |
| of which grapes | 23 | under 0.1% |
| of which apples | 38 | under 0.1% |
| Oats | 7 | under 0.1% |
| Berries | 5 | under 0.1% |
Withheld to protect individual farms: corn for grain, wheat, grain sorghum, peanuts, dry edible beans and potatoes.
How much of the county is farmland
Share of the county land in farms68.5%
San Juan County ranks seventh of 30 counties in New Mexico on this measure.
- 102,544 acres of cropland, 4% of farmland
- 2,300,620 acres of pastureland, 95% of farmland
- 35,504 acres of woodland, 1% of farmland
- 77,025 acres irrigated
Farm sizes
The typical farm in San Juan County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 11 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 840 acres, 26th-largest of 30 in New Mexico. The most common size class is 1–9 acres, with 41.5% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 10.7% of the total.
Barns, pens and pastures
| Animals | Head | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Sheep and lambs | 18,020 | 0.35% |
| Goats | 4,678 | 0.18% |
| Horses and ponies | 3,679 | 0.15% |
| Beef cows | 10,110 | under 0.1% |
| Cattle and calves | 14,934 | under 0.1% |
| Laying hens | 5,421 | under 0.1% |
| Turkeys | 327 | under 0.1% |
| Milk cows | 24 | under 0.1% |
| Hogs and pigs | 132 | under 0.1% |
| Broilers sold in 2022 | 115 | under 0.1% |
Who farms here
Decisions on San Juan County's 2,877 farms are made by 4,990 producers. Their average age is 60.2, 0.4 years below the New Mexico average. Women are 44.8% of them.
Five years earlier
| Measure | 2017 | Change to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Farms | 2,965 | −3.0% |
| Land in farms, acres | 2,551,470 | −5.2% |
| Average farm size, acres | 861 | −2.4% |
| Farm products sold (current dollars) | $74.1 million | +71.7% |
| Sheep and lambs, head | 21,190 | −15.0% |
| Goats, head | 7,067 | −33.8% |
| Vegetables, acres | 6,972 | +4.0% |
| Horses and ponies, head | 4,167 | −11.7% |
Nearest rivals
- Sheep and lambs between Merced County, CA and Carter County, MT
- Goats between Todd County, MN and Hays County, TX
- Vegetables between Monroe County, NY and Payette County, ID
- Horses and ponies between Orange County, NY and San Joaquin County, CA
Counties with a similar sales mix
- Bingham County, Idaho largest group: vegetables and melons; mix match 97%
- Teton County, Idaho largest group: vegetables and melons; mix match 95%
- Broadwater County, Montana largest group: hay and other crops; mix match 95%
San Juan County accounts for 4.3% of farm sales in New Mexico and 13.7% of the farms in New Mexico. Rank New Mexico counties for sheep and lambs.
Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.