Introducing Goshen County: Although one of Wyoming’s smaller counties, Goshen County is a powerhouse in ag production
The Wyoming Livestock Roundup is happy to highlight farms, ranches and agribusinesses of Goshen County in our 2025 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition.
Located on Wyoming’s eastern border with the sprawling grasslands of Nebraska to the east, Platte County to the west, Laramie County to the south and Niobrara County to the north, the long, rectangular county of Goshen spans 2,225.39 square miles with a population of 12,642.
Although Goshen County is Wyoming’s fourth smallest, the fertile soil, availability of water and favorable climate make it a powerhouse in agricultural production.
The area’s climate is semi-arid, characterized by more moderate temperatures than other parts of the state, with around 14 inches of annual rainfall and an average 34 inches of snow each winter.
The availability of water is the primary reason Goshen County is so productive.
The North Platte River is the lifeblood of the county, and with the help of extensive irrigation infrastructure, provides a consistent source of water for large-scale agricultural production.
Goshen County agriculture
As of 2022 Census of Agriculture data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Goshen County is home to 736 farms, and land in farms totals 1,256,152 acres.
Of the county’s agricultural land, 953,886 acres are classified as pastureland; 241,931 acres are classified as cropland and 19,037 acres are classified as woodland.
Six percent of land in farms – or 80,336 acres – are irrigated.
The county’s fertile soil has the ability to produce a plethora of crops.
According to NASS, all hay and haylage, at 60,428 acres, is the number one crop grown in the area, followed by corn for grain at 19,022 acres; wheat for grain at 12,183 acres; barley for grain at 4,435 acres and corn for silage at 3,142 acres.
Other important crops grown in the area include sugarbeets, sunflowers, potatoes and dry beans.
The area’s ability to grow ingredients needed in livestock feed, as well as the close proximity to the state’s largest cattle auction – Torrington Livestock Markets, LLC. – makes it no surprise Goshen County leads the state in cattle production. NASS reports Goshen County is home to 109,449 cattle and calves.
The rest of the county’s livestock inventory includes 6,869 sheep and lambs; 2,208 horses and ponies; 1,259 layers; 858 goats; 127 broilers and other meat-type chickens; 36 pullets and 16 hogs and pigs.
Additionally, NASS reports Goshen County accounts for 13 percent of the entire state’s agricultural sales, with the total market value of agriculture products sold topping $204,618,000.
The majority of these sales come from livestock, poultry and poultry products at $153,593,000 – with the sale of cattle and calves totaling $149,644,000 – while the remaining $51,024,000 comes from the sale of crops.
State rankings
With this, Goshen County leads the state in market value of agricultural products sold and is therefore ranked first in agricultural importance to Wyoming’s economy.
The county boasts numerous other top five rankings in the state and never falls below the top 18 across the board.
According to NASS, Goshen County ranks first in total livestock, poultry and poultry products, as well as first in the production of cattle and calves.
The county ranks second in horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys and total crops produced, as well as third in grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas and nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod.
Additionally, Goshen County ranks fourth in fruits, tree nuts and berries; eighth in poultry and eggs; 15th in sheep, goats, wool, mohair and milk and 18th in hogs and pigs.
Information in this article was compiled from Goshen County’s official website and USDA NASS.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
