b'E C O N O M YAgriculture, including forestry and raising of livestock, provides the nancial mainstay for the majority of rural residents in Nez Perce County. Manufacturing also plays a vital role in Nez Perce County, providing relatively high-paying jobs with good benets. The Snake and Clearwater Rivers provide extensive opportunities for boating, shing, and hiking. Hunters can nd elk, deer, pheasants, and other game 13 birds. In addition to their contribution to the quality of life and tourism potential, outdoor recreational opportunities also have fostered the regions manufacture of guns, ammunition, and jet boats. The Port of Lewiston makes agriculture and several other industries that rely on it for shipping more protable. The port supports a few hundred jobs in transportation, warehousing, and agricultural storage. In addition, the Port of Lewiston plays an active role in economic developmentproviding developed space for industrial companies, a business incubator, economic and transportation planning, and improved Internet access. In the last 10 years, several businesses have worked to revive what was once a major industry in the Clearwater Valleygrowing grapes and making wine. Additionally, Lewiston is a regional hub for transportation, retail, health care, entertainment, media, federal and state government, wholesale, and professional services including accounting, engineering, architectural, and information technology. One of the countys economic challenges is providing the skilled workforce that businesses need. The countys workforce has a good reputation for its work ethic and high productivity, but its labor force is not growing. The aging of the countys population has resulted in a large increase in people reaching retirement age while its youth population has declined. Young people who grow up in the county or come to the county for an education tend to move away after graduation, because job opportunities are limited.11AgricultureTotal and Per Farm Overview, 2017 and change since 20122017 % change since 2012Number of farms 446 +4Land in farms (acres) 381,587 +18Average size of farm (acres) 856 +14Percent of county land in farms 69.7%FIGURE 6. Nez Perce County Total Farm Overview 132017 Market Value of Agricultural Products SoldCounties Sales ($1,000) Rank in State Producing ItemTotal74,318 21 44Crops60,493 16 44Grains, oilseeds, dry beans, dry peas53,585 5 42Tobacco- - -Cotton and cottonseed- - -Vegetables, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes45 32 41Fruits, tree nuts, berries315 6 37Nursery, greenhouse, \x1boriculture, sod2,326 12 43Cultivated Christmas trees, short rotation woody crops(Z) 13 14Other crops and hay4,221 38 44Livestock, poultry, and products13,825 27 44536 I D A H O I N F R A S T R U C T U R E G U I D E B O O K'