Agriculture - The value of Kern County’s agricultural production exceeds $3 billion dollars annually --- ranking its farmers third overall in the state of California. The top crops annually, by dollar value and traditionally almonds, grapes, milk and dairy products, citrus and pistachios. The top livestock product is cattle, although lambs and sheep continue to be plentiful as well.

This area is also home to two of the world’s largest growers, processors and shippers of baby carrots. The City of Wasco is often referred to as the unoffical rose capital of the nation. The surrounding area produces 20 million rose plants per year --- approximately half of the rose plants grown in the United States.

Oil & Refining - Kern County remains California’s top oil-producing county. In 1866, Kern's first refinery was built near McKittrick tar pits to process kerosene and asphalt. Today, Kern has five of California’s 22 refineries and a 150 of the state’s 1,200 gas-producing wells. With 2,000 new wells drilled annually, refinery operations range from large scale processers to smaller specialty facilities. Since 1895, Kern County’s oil production has been a crucial component of its local economy.

Kern produces over 75 percent of California’s crude oil. On average, it produces 545,000 barrels of oil per day and represents 82 percent of the state’s onshore production. In all, Kern County produces 211 million barrels of oil per year. It accounts for 10 percent of the total oil production in the United States, and about one percent of the oil produced worldwide.  Kern County is also home to approximately 72 percent of California’s oil reserves.  Kern County’s cogeneration facilities play a vital role in oil producing operations. Steam generated by these plants is injectd into the ground, allowing Kern’s heavy oil to flow. Electricity created from this same process is sold to outside utilities, which offsets the cost of running the plant.

Wind Energy - Tehachapi and Mojave’s unique geography --- and some pioneering entrepreneurs --- make the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area one of the world’s leading wind energy centers. California was the first state to develop large wind farms.  Prevailing winds blow through a gap in the Tehachapi Mountains that connects the San Joaquin Valley with the Mojave Desert --- making the Tehachapi pass a reliable source for wind energy.

Improvements in turbine technology have radically increased power output and reduced the cost per kilowatt hour generated --- with newer turbines being much taller and more efficient. Wind energy is less expensive than coal, oil, nuclear and most natural gas generation. Turbines substantially reduce environmental pollution.  Each year, Tehachapi’s roughly 3,500 turbines offset millions of pounds of air pollutants and over a billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

Aerospace - Kern County continues to produce leading edge air and space technology. Venture into East Kern County and you will discover two of the world’s most renowned military bases, Edwards Air Force Base near Mojave and China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center at Ridgecrest.

Edwards is the premiere center for military flight research and testing while NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, also located at Edwards, is the primary facility for atmospheric flight research and operations both for space and aeronautical missions. China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center is the leader in the development of air warfare systems, simulations of threat weapon systems and electronic-warfare systems. The nation’s first inland civilian spaceport is Mojave Spaceport.  It’s also America’s foremost civilian testing and development center.

Manufacturing & Distribution - Centrally located, Kern County serves as a base of operations for some to the nation’s top manufacturing and distribution centers. Kern is conveniently located for access to ports in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. Highway 99 and Interstate 5 provide easy truck transportation up and down the west coast while Highway 58 is the Central Valley’s only year-round eastbound access.

International capabilities at Meadows Field Airport expand air transportation opportunities to the world even as Kern’s rail quarter allows freight to move in all directions --- north, south, east and west. Kern County is a natural area for agribusiness to locate. It's home to the world-famous baby carrot as well as juice processors, which utilize locally grown carrots.