Plentiful water and fertile floodplain soils have made agriculture an intrinsic part of Routt County's heritage and a defining feature of its picturesque landscape for over a century. Our rich heritage was built in great part by ranchers, with their stewardship and strong connection to the land.
Yampa Valley agriculture ranges from its historic production of strawberries in the early 1900's to marketing and shipping produce such as potatoes, lettuce and spinach in the 1940's to current agricultural production of wheat and raising cattle and sheep.
Approximately 706,100 acres in Routt County are in agriculture production out of a total of 1,490,000 acres (47%). Of the total County acreage, one-third is Routt National Forest, leaving approximately one-fifth of the acreage for commercial, industrial and residential use.
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