Agriculture and Food Processing
Vernon County has a long history of agriculture production and ranks 9th in the state for total agricultural sales. Consistently producing some of the best livestock and produce in Missouri, Vernon County is ready to be your food distribution hub.
Importantly, the County is also an Agri-Ready Community, a status designating willingness to protect the agricultural industry and jobs. The program encourages local leaders, farmers, agri-businesses to strategically assess needs and opportunities to make sustainable, long-term decisions about investing and expanding farms, ranches and agricultural processing.
Vernon County ranks among the top 10 counties in Missouri for the following agricultural products:
- Vegetables, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes (#5)
- Fruits, tree nuts, berries (#3)
- Milk from cows (#5)
- Hogs and pigs (#2)
- Horses, ponies, mules, burros, donkeys (#3)
Source: USDA, 2017, Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold
The County has a high concentration (location quotient) of the following agriculture subsectors. Location quotient (LQ) is a way of quantifying how concentrated a particular sector is in a region as compared to the nation. For example, the animal production subsector in Vernon County LQ is 3.26, which means that this industry is 3.26 more concentrated in the county than the typical region.
Industry | Vernon County LQ | Kaysinger Basin Region LQ |
Crop Production (NAICS 111000) | 0.55 | 1.55 |
Animal Production (NAICS 112000) | 3.26 | 4.65 |
Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (NAICS 115112) | 2.34 | 3.16 |
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine (NAICS 115113) | 2.08 | 1.47 |
Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) (NAICS 115114) | 10.39 | 6.76 |
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders (NAICS 115115) | 4.56 | 2.72 |
Farm Management Services (NAICS 115116) | 272.62 | 66.43 |
Support Activities for Animal Production (NAICS 115210) | 3.14 | 8.13 |
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311111) | 183.94 | 44.53 |
Other Animal Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311119) | 12.56 | 5.15 |
Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (NAICS 311224) | 54.92 | 13.30 |
Source: Emsi, 2020
Companies in the agribusiness industry benefit from a strong, dedicated workforce. The industry currently employs more than 3,500 people in the County. Several educational institutions in the region offer programs unique to agribusiness, such as agriculture, biological sciences, environmental water technologies, farm and ranch management, etc.
Operators in this industry will also find competitive wages with the state and national averages.
Occupations | Vernon County | Kaysinger Basin | Missouri | U.S. |
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $12.70 | $13.29 | $13.64 | $12.22 |
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | $19.58 | $16.61 | $16.18 | $21.44 |
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | $14.36 | $13.96 | $13.23 | $13.18 |
Agricultural Workers, All Other | $13.36 | $13.62 | $14.55 | $14.16 |
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $17.30 | $16.69 | $17.09 | $14.90 |
Agricultural Equipment Operators | $14.57 | $14.31 | $15.27 | $15.34 |
Food Batch makers | $13.33 | $14.60 | $15.95 | $14.78 |
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | $18.45 | $18.92 | $22.01 | $22.95 |
Packers and Packagers, Hand | $14.40 | $13.25 | $12.75 | $12.45 |
Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | $11.51 | $11.92 | $13.77 | $12.34 |
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $19.71 | $19.79 | $21.97 | $21.66 |
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $12.85 | $12.27 | $14.23 | $14.18 |
Source: Emsi, 2020, Median Hourly Earnings
Contact Us
To discover the opportunities waiting for your business in Vernon County, Missouri, call us at (417) 296-3267 or email bvickers@kaysinger.com.
