Editing Sonoma County, California (section)

==Economy==
{{More citations needed section|date=November 2023}}
[[File:Vineyardsonomamtn.jpg|thumb|Vineyard on northwest flank of [[Sonoma Mountain]]]]

Agriculture has long played a critical role in Sonoma County's economy, and it makes up a major component of California's [[Wine Country]]. Just over 2% of the population works in agriculture, nearly twice the state average. Similar to other regions of the state, the county's mild climate and fertile soil allow for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops, ornamentals, and for the raising of livestock. Beyond the production of grapes, the county's agricultural heartland is primarily located in the west and southwest, and near the cities of [[Petaluma, California|Petaluma]] and [[Sebastopol, California|Sebastopol]]. The renowned horticulturalist [[Luther Burbank]], who created hundreds of new varieties of plants and crops, lived and worked in Sonoma County for much of his life.

[[Sonoma County wine|Winemaking in the county]] is by far its most valuable industry and a major part of the economic and cultural life. First established in 1850 by a [[Franciscans|Franciscan]] priest named Fr. Jose Altimira of the [[Mission San Francisco Solano]], the production of wine has perhaps become Sonoma County's most well known feature. In 2004, growers harvested {{convert|165,783|short ton|t}}s) of wine grapes worth US$310 million. In 2006 the Sonoma County grape harvest amounted to over 185,000 tons, exceeding [[Napa County]]'s harvest by more than 30 percent.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Sonoma County Vintner |url=http://www.sonomawine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=335544383&Itemid=Year |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20170524230436/http://sonomawine.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=335544383&Itemid=Year |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 24, 2017 |title=2006 Sonoma County grape harvest statistics: Sonoma County Vintners association}}</ref> About 80 percent of non-pasture agricultural land in the county is for growing wine grapes—{{convert|58280.4|acre|km2|abbr=on}} in 2014 of [[vineyard]]s, with over 1100 growers. In 2019 Sonoma County's wine industry had produced over $654,000,000 worth of wine grapes. The most common varieties planted are [[Chardonnay]], [[Sauvignon blanc]], [[Cabernet Sauvignon]], and [[Pinot noir]], though the area is also known for its [[Merlot]] and [[Zinfandel]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sonoma County Crop Report 2014|url=http://www.sonoma-county.org/agcomm/pdf/crop_reports/2014_crop_report.pdf|website=www.sonoma-county.org/agcomm|access-date=August 11, 2015|archive-date=September 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904084955/http://www.sonoma-county.org/agcomm/pdf/crop_reports/2014_crop_report.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sonoma County is home to more than 425 wineries with sixteen distinct and two shared [[American Viticultural Area]]s, including the [[Sonoma Valley AVA]], [[Russian River Valley AVA]], [[Alexander Valley AVA]], [[Bennett Valley AVA]] and [[Dry Creek (Sonoma County, California)|Dry Creek Valley AVA]], the last of which is known for the production of high-quality [[Zinfandel]]s.

[[Dairy farming]] is another major agricultural sector, particularly prominent in the western reaches of the county and in the [[Petaluma Gap]]. Worth nearly $140,000,000 in 2019, Sonoma County is home to nearly 65 registered dairies, including the locally prominent [[Clover Sonoma]] and the [[Straus Family Creamery]]. In addition to milk, the county is home to producers of cheese and yogurt. It was reported that in 2018, just over half of all of the county's dairies were certified as organic.

[[Poultry farming]] and other livestock can be found throughout the county, but is particularly prominent near the city of [[Petaluma, California|Petaluma]]. The raising of chickens (for eggs and as broilers), cattle, sheep, and to a lesser extent hogs comprised a $250,000,000 industry in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Austin |date=November 9, 2023 |title=Bay Area Ranchers mobile slaughterhouse folds after less than 2 years, dealing blow to local livestock industry |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/bay-area-ranchers-mobile-slaughterhouse-folds-after-less-than-2-years-deal/ |access-date=November 10, 2023 |website=The Press Democrat}}</ref>

[[Fishing industry|Fishing]] and [[Crab fisheries|Crabbing]] was worth just over $9,300,000 in 2019 and is primarily concentrated on [[Bodega Bay]]. Although numerous species are fished and farmed, the most prominent include [[Dungeness crab]] and [[Chinook salmon]].

Behind grapes, apples are the second most common crop grown in Sonoma County, particularly near the city of [[Sebastopol, California|Sebastopol]], and is an industry worth nearly $2,000,000. Although several varieties are grown, the region is most well known for its renowned [[Gravenstein]] apples. The county is also home to farms producing olives, hay, rye, oats, and various vegetables (particularly tomatoes, carrots, green beans, and celery). There are also numerous nurseries producing flowers and other decorative [[Ornamental plant|ornamentals]].

The [[Wood industry|Timber Industry]] is not as prominent as it once was and is concentrated along the western and northwestern coastlines. The most common trees that are logged are [[Sequoia sempervirens|Redwoods]], as well as various Pines and Oaks.

Similar to other Bay Area communities, Sonoma County is also home to several prominent players in the Tech Industry, such as [[Keysight]] (formerly a part of [[Agilent Technologies]]) in Santa Rosa. Sonoma County is home to several notable brewing and beverage companies including: [[Bear Republic Brewing Company]], [[Guayakí (company)|Guayakí]], [[Lagunitas Brewing Company]], and the [[Russian River Brewing Company]]. The clothing manufacturer [[Marmot (company)|Marmot]] is based in [[Rohnert Park, California|Rohnert Park]].