The top four crops are statistically tied, with only one percentage point different between ranks. That said, there were some shake-ups this year. Take the No. 1 crop, summer squash/zucchini. Last year, only 57% of operations produced the crop, and it was the No. 4 crop grown. That’s an eight-point jump.

Compare that to fresh tomatoes, which held steady between the two years, with 64% of growers reporting they produced the crop both years.

Onions also saw a major change between years, dropping to only 45% of southeastern farms producing crops, when 54% did so the previous year.

Another difference between the two years is the way the top four crops were at least 11 points higher than No. 5 and below. In the 2022 American Vegetable Grower State of the Vegetable Industry survey, the shift down from crop to crop was gradual, with no more than a four-point shift at any point. We’ll need to watch to see if these four crops continue to pull away from the rest, or if this is a
one-year quirk.