These 10 States Produce the Most Food in the U.S.

Ever wonder where your groceries come from? The U.S. is a food-growing giant, and a few states do the heavy lifting. Using the latest USDA numbers, we’ve ranked the top 10 food producers based on 2023 cash receipts — cash income the farm sector receives from commodity sales — the most recent state-level data out there. 

These places grow everything from beef to berries, almonds, and dairy, feeding millions here and abroad. In 2023, they racked up billions, with California alone hitting nearly $60 billion. 

Check out the champs behind your plate, complete with fun facts and what makes each one special.

2023 Cash Receipts: $15.4 billion
Key Commodities: Dairy, corn, soybeans, cranberries, snap beans

They make 27% of U.S. cheese — 3.5 billion pounds in 2023! Wisconsin’s not just about cheese (though 117 plants and 1,200 cheesemakers keep it rolling). It grows corn, soybeans, cranberries, plus 4.28 million cwt of snap beans and 67,500 acres of potatoes. Big brands like Klondike Cheese Factory, Sargento’s Cheese, and Johnsonville Brats call it home. Dairy’s the star, but this Midwest gem keeps variety on the table.

2023 Cash Receipts: $15.6 billion
Key Commodities: Hogs, broilers, turkeys, sweet potatoes

Over 8 million acres of farmland feed the nation from this state. Rich soil and water make North Carolina a food-growing champ. Hogs, poultry, and sweet potatoes thrive here, with brands like Smithfield Foods and Mount Olive Pickles rooted in its 190-acre average-sized farms. It’s a Southern powerhouse keeping your weekly shop stocked.

2023 Cash Receipts: $16.6 billion  

Key Commodities: Corn, soybeans, duck, popcorn, eggs, dairy

Indiana planted over 91,000 acres of popcorn in 2023 — there’s a bill designating Indiana popcorn as the official state snack! Corn and soybeans dominate Indiana’s 50,000+ farms, but it’s also big on duck, eggs, and dairy. Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn legacy started here in 1952, and with 272-acre farms on average, this Hoosier State keeps popping out food for all.

2023 Cash Receipts: $23.9 billion
Key Commodities: Cattle, wheat, corn, soybeans

Kansas grew enough wheat — 282 million bushels in 2023 — for 36 loaves per person on earth! The “Wheat State” shines, with livestock outpacing crops by nearly 50 percent. Cattle roam its plains while corn, soybeans, and wheat fill the fields. There’s even a growing specialty livestock market where farmers are experimenting with unique livestock from alpacas and rabbits to Japanese cattle. Another growing industry? Bees: 10,000 colonies made 845,894 pounds of honey in 2022. 

Cash Receipts:$24.8 billion
Key Commodities: Corn, soybeans, hogs, dairy

There’s more to Minnesota than the Mall of America; fertile soil and reliable rainfall patterns make it a gold mine for growing crops and livestock. It’s one of the largest pork producers, with hog farms concentrated throughout the state. They’re also big on dairy pumping out over 10 billion pounds of milk yearly. Love Land O’Lakes butter? It started in St. Paul in 1921. Food festivals — like Hopkins Raspberry and Minnesota Garlic — show that this state loves its harvests.

2023 Cash Receipts: $26.4 billion 

Key Commodities: Corn, soybeans, hogs

Illinois’ dark, rich soil makes it a crop king with more than 121,000 agricultural producers. Over 89 percent of the land is considered prime farmland. It’s neck-and-neck with Iowa, harvesting tons of corn (they averaged 206 bushels per acre in 2023, worth $12.5 billion) and soybeans across 71,123 farms. Specialty crops like horseradish, ostriches, fish, and Christmas trees add flair to this Midwest food hub.

2023 Cash Receipts:$29 billion
Key Commodities: Cattle, cotton, dairy, poultry

Everything’s bigger in Texas — including its 220,662 farms across 125 million acres. It's a food and fiber giant leading in cattle and cotton (it produces 40 percent of the U.S. total supply). Dairy and poultry keep this state’s plates full too, and it has the biggest population of cows across 50 states – 4,475,000 and counting.

2023 Cash Receipts: $31.2 billion
Key Commodities: Cattle, corn, soybeans, hogs

Nebraska’s wide-open spaces mean big food hauls. Did you know cattle outnumber people in Nebraska by 3 to 1? Nebraska is a beef and corn paradise with 6.8 million cattle roaming its plains. Watered by the Ogallala Aquifer, it’s second only to Texas in beef, and it grows field peas, too — 100,000 acres — perfect for plant-based diets.

2023 Cash Receipts: $38.7 billion
Key Commodities: Corn, hogs, soybeans, eggs

With 90 percent of its land used for agriculture, Iowa’s the king of corn and pork, growing over 2.5 billion bushels of corn and raising millions of hogs in 2023. In fact, Iowa’s 24 million hogs could give each resident eight pigs. It’s also topped in eggs, making it a breakfast superstar.

2023 Cash Receipts: $59.3 billion
Key Commodities: Dairy, almonds, grapes, cattle, strawberries

Hands down, California is the country’s food-producing king. It grows 99% of U.S. almonds (enough for 300 Olympic-sized pools!), with 63,100 farms and $23.6 billion in global exports. Dairy, almonds (worth $3.8 billion alone), grapes, and more thrive in its year-round climate. From steaks to strawberries, this state’s got it all.