AGRICULTURE

Farmers in the Matanuska Valley grow cabbages weighing more than 90 pounds, and turnips weighing over 30 pounds have been shown at local fairs.

About 15-18 million acres of soil in Alaska are suitable for farming. Land in farms covers less than .1% of the land in the state. In 1999 there were 910,000 acres of agricultural land used in farms. The number of farms in Alaska has increased from 290 in 1978 to 570 in 1999.

Alaska 's cash receipts from farm markets were approximately $57.0 million for 2007. Livestock and specialty products totaled $32.3 million. The value of crops was $24.7 million. The top five Alaskan commodities in terms of cash receipts are aquaculture, greenhouse and nursery production, milk production, hay production, and other livestock (equine, goats, honey, musk ox reindeer, poultry and eggs and other livestock). In recent years, cash receipts from aquaculture at $22.0 million have overtaken greenhouse and nursery production ($14.6 million in 2004) as the state's leading commodity.