Jackson County Livestock

Agriculture is Jackson County's Number one Industry. The soils, climate and topography support a blend of cropland, pastureland, and woodland.. The landscape is characterized by moderately sloping to steep slopes with well drained soils underlain with limestone bedrock.

The major crops grown are corn, alfalfa hay, soybeans and oats. The sloping topography and diverse crops make livestock production very important. Jackson County leads Iowa in the number of beef cow/calf operations and there are significant numbers of dairy and hog farms as well.

Beautiful Sunsets

Agriculture in Jackson County supports a wide variety of business including: sale barns, equipment dealers, fertilizer and chemical dealers, a local seed corn company, veterinary services, and ag supply stores. In addition Jackson county agriculture includes diverse operations such as a vineyard and winery, fallow deer production, apple and strawberry production, and organically produced meats.