Originally a desert, the land of Benton and Franklin Counties produces bountiful harvests with a rich variety of crops. Water, sunshine, know-how and sophisticated technology all contribute to this outcome. They are among the most important production centers for tree fruit, wine grapes, sweet corn, potatoes and hay in the state.
The trends in this category all relate the primary production of agricultural products; processing, an important industry, is taken up in the Economic Vitality section. In the 2012 Agricultural Census, Benton County ranked 38th among all U.S. counties and 5th in the state by value of agricultural production. Franklin County placed 48th in the U.S.
A full definition of each indicator, as well as its relevance to the two counties, can be found in the More Information section. The data are available in a spreadsheet via the Download Data tab.
