Farming in the Western United States

The Western United States is a very large area considered to cover over half of the United States. It includes the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, the Gulf Coast, and the Mojave, Great Basin and Chihuahuan Deserts. Because of the many states that are included in this area, crops and seasons are diversified.

The arid areas do well for raising livestock, mostly a lot of cattle for beef. Texas is a major area for these, as well as sheep farms and cotton farms. The wheat belt of the country goes from the state of Texas all the way through to the Dakotas. The southwest states, such as California, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, grow large quantities of fruits and vegetables. They are also mass producers of nuts, flowers, grain and hay.

Washington is famous for the apples it grows. California and Arizona are two of the major citrus growers in the nation. Organic farming is becoming more popular in the Western US in states such as Colorado, Utah, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming.

California is so diversified in what it raises that there are actually festivals held in different areas for apples, corn, peaches, and pumpkins. Some of their other farm products include raspberries and figs. A lot of the farms there have changed over to organic, also.

Idaho is famous for their potato farms, but their organic and Christmas tree farms are also very popular. Desert farming is done in the most southern parts, such as the Mohave Desert, and depends a lot on irrigation and collection of rain and winter snowfall.