Avian flu wiped out more than $100 million in poultry production last year, fueling a steep decline in Stanislaus County's overall agriculture value, according to the county's 2024 crop report.

The virus left a major mark on local dairies after jumping from poultry into cattle for the first time. More than 110 of the county's 132 dairies, over 80 percent, were placed under quarantine. While cows didn't die from the illness, the impact on milk production was significant.

Agricultural Commissioner Linda Pinfold says poultry alone dropped from nearly $400 million in 2023 to just under $292 million in 2024. Milk, valued at $754.5 million, remained the county's second-highest commodity despite the setbacks.

"A major contributor of that was in relation to avian influenza," Pinfold said.

Almonds once again topped the list, bringing in $825 million and accounting for more than a quarter of all production, but Pinfold cautioned that those totals represent sales and don't account for rising costs faced by growers.

"The almonds that you buy at the grocery store are not, you know, what the growers get paid for their almonds," Pinfold said.

Almond farmer Christine Gemperle, who manages about 145 acres, said those costs have doubled and even tripled in recent years. 

"It used to support two families, and it doesn't even support one family now," Gemperle said. 

Gemperle added that even with strong yields, many growers are operating in the red.

"Whether it's your labor or your fertilizer, or anything you can think of ... [costs have] doubled and tripled," Gemperle said. 

Other crops saw wide swings in value. Walnuts rebounded to nearly $88 million, up almost 60 percent from the year before, while tomatoes crashed 45 percent to just over $60 million, according to the report.

Pinfold expects challenges from avian flu to continue as wild bird migration brings risks to both poultry and dairy operations. Gemperle, meanwhile, said farmers will keep pushing through. 

"We just keep eating it because, you know, we're farmers. It's always going to be better the next year, right?" Pinfold said.

Overall, Stanislaus County agriculture generated $3.15 billion in 2024, down $216 million from the previous year.