Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut and Sometimes a Fruit?

According the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, the industry that produces and sells nuts and fruits make up a large part of the diet for many people here in the United States and accounts for a sizable portion of the economy.

A recent report indicated the United States of America is consistently among the top producers in the world of fruit and nut baring trees. Which is a good thing, because people in the United States also rank as top consumers of those same goods. This decade has shown an increase in consumption over the previous decade by more than three percent.

When asked people respond with “corn” as top crop produced by American farmers, followed by many other popular vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes (botanically is a fruit), egg plant and many others. But what many people fail to realize is that fruits and nuts account for 13 percent of cash crops for the U.S. farmer. This accounts for over fifteen billion dollars in revenue.

One third of all fruits and nuts grown in America are destined to be consumed while a tenth of the production is actually exported to other countries.

According to the report, a typical adult American will consume roughly two hundred eighty pounds of fruit and nuts in a given year. That includes both fresh and processed. The most popular fruits in America are oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas (with most of those coming from South America). America’s favorite nuts (politicians excluded) consist of almonds, pecans and walnuts.

With technological advances fruit and nut farmers can grow more crops with less land. According to a 2007 study by the Department of Agriculture the output of production increased steadily from 2002 to 2007 while the amount of acreage to produce those crops decreased slightly.

The top producing state for fruits and nuts in America is California who accounts for 51% of the total production in the country followed by a distant second place of Florida at 19%.

In 1970 the United States produced over 306 million pounds of nuts grown on trees, today that number exceeds two billion pounds accounting for a total retail value of nearly four billion dollars.

The study shows that the increase in demand for fruits and nuts accounts for the rising number in population as well as trending towards more healthier lifestyles. The U.S. Tree nut industry along with fruit farmers actively promote their products geared toward that healthier lifestyle.

These industries are exploring even more scientific avenues to increase their production as demand continues to rise. There seems to be no slowing down of the industry which is always a good thing for the American farmer.

Bruce is the co-author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person. It is a practical easy to follow book that teaches gardeners everything from composting techniques, aeration and frost conditions, to choosing the right tools and picking the right seeds. You can follow him on Twitter.