The Economics of Everyday Things 24. Pistachios
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Mar 23, 2026 Sawyer Clark, pistachio farmer and asset manager at Gold Leaf Farming, shares life on large orchards and the economics of growing nuts. He talks about planting costs and the long wait for returns. He describes the intense six-week harvest and the processing race to preserve quality. He also covers how payments, market power, marketing, and water use shape the industry.
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Grandpa's Bowl Sparked A Pistachio Career
- Sawyer Clark first encountered pistachios watching his grandpa crack shells and wondered why anyone ate them with shells on.
- That childhood curiosity turned into a career as Clark now runs a pistachio farm and manages yields and soil nitrogen levels.
How U.S. Pistachio Production Surged
- U.S. pistachio production exploded from ~250 million pounds in the 1990s to an estimated 1.5 billion pounds this year.
- Growth came after Iran's exports fell post-revolution and immigrants introduced commercial farming in California's Central Valley.
Central Valley Is The Pistachio Heartland
- Nearly all U.S. pistachios come from a 175-mile stretch of California's Central Valley, where climate, soil, and water infrastructure suit the crop.
- The region's Mediterranean climate plus irrigation networks make it a pistachio hub.