Counties with the most farmland in New York

Written by:
June 5, 2023
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Counties with the most farmland in New York

Farmland across the U.S. is disappearing by the millions of acres each decade by some estimates as sprawling urban development driven by rising housing costs pushes further into rural pastures.

The farmland that still exists in the U.S. is heavily dedicated to growing plants that Americans can't consume—grass. That grass, accounting for more than 300 million acres now, feeds our livestock, provides sod for new development, and serves as a cover crop to protect soil health between harvests.

Demand for major crops like corn and soybeans to feed Americans is only forecast by the USDA to grow in the coming decade, and demand for U.S. agricultural exports is expected to grow similarly.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way people purchased and consumed food, placing renewed attention on an increasingly consolidated agricultural industry where family farms have been swallowed up by large food corporations.

And after shifting behaviors caused massive economic swings in the U.S. and elsewhere, the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced food producers to once again account for yet another shock with so much of the world's grain capital taken offline by warfare.

War and corporate interests aside, farms have also had to reckon with a changing climate. Wheat fields were once commonplace across the country, but drought conditions of late have caused farmers to give up growing the crop entirely. Agitated by climate change, the shortage of water in parts of the country coupled with higher interest rates and the ongoing war in Ukraine are making agricultural businesses harder to run profitably.

To illustrate where American farms still persevere, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most farmland in New York using data from the Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency. Farmers reported the data as mandated by participation in USDA income support programs, including Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage as well as loan assistance. Counties are ranked by total acres of farmland.

In New York, there are 3,297,037 acres of farmland, with maple sap being the most common crop.

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#25. Allegany

- Farmland: 61,607 acres (1.9% of state total)
- Farms: 1,169
- Most common crop: Grass mix - < 25% alfalfa mixed forage (14,590 acres, 23.7% of county farmland)

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#24. Seneca

- Farmland: 66,946 acres (2.0% of state total)
- Farms: 603
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (24,612 acres, 36.8% of county farmland)

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#23. Monroe

- Farmland: 67,137 acres (2.0% of state total)
- Farms: 727
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (18,718 acres, 27.9% of county farmland)

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#22. Wayne

- Farmland: 69,088 acres (2.1% of state total)
- Farms: 1,089
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (23,638 acres, 34.2% of county farmland)

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#21. Cattaraugus

- Farmland: 70,003 acres (2.1% of state total)
- Farms: 1,228
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (19,923 acres, 28.5% of county farmland)

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#20. Lewis

- Farmland: 71,805 acres (2.2% of state total)
- Farms: 571
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (15,859 acres, 22.1% of county farmland)

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#19. Madison

- Farmland: 74,865 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 1,087
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (14,304 acres, 19.1% of county farmland)

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#18. Erie

- Farmland: 76,795 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 1,464
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (15,014 acres, 19.6% of county farmland)

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#17. Washington

- Farmland: 76,862 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 1,313
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (21,795 acres, 28.4% of county farmland)

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Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock

#16. Niagara

- Farmland: 77,447 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 1,312
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (23,737 acres, 30.6% of county farmland)

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#15. St. Lawrence

- Farmland: 78,236 acres (2.4% of state total)
- Farms: 945
- Most common crop: Native grass (23,978 acres, 30.6% of county farmland)

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#14. Oneida

- Farmland: 80,606 acres (2.4% of state total)
- Farms: 1,389
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (22,310 acres, 27.7% of county farmland)

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#13. Montgomery

- Farmland: 82,315 acres (2.5% of state total)
- Farms: 679
- Most common crop: Maple sap (20,683 acres, 25.1% of county farmland)

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#12. Chautauqua

- Farmland: 84,261 acres (2.6% of state total)
- Farms: 1,235
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (19,472 acres, 23.1% of county farmland)

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#11. Onondaga

- Farmland: 94,482 acres (2.9% of state total)
- Farms: 1,336
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (18,241 acres, 19.3% of county farmland)

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#10. Otsego

- Farmland: 104,937 acres (3.2% of state total)
- Farms: 965
- Most common crop: Maple sap (53,118 acres, 50.6% of county farmland)

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#9. Jefferson

- Farmland: 116,592 acres (3.5% of state total)
- Farms: 1,085
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (24,476 acres, 21.0% of county farmland)

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#8. Ontario

- Farmland: 118,163 acres (3.6% of state total)
- Farms: 1,111
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (27,676 acres, 23.4% of county farmland)

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#7. Orleans

- Farmland: 118,571 acres (3.6% of state total)
- Farms: 697
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (38,531 acres, 32.5% of county farmland)

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#6. Steuben

- Farmland: 133,427 acres (4.0% of state total)
- Farms: 2,012
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (28,667 acres, 21.5% of county farmland)

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#5. Clinton

- Farmland: 156,703 acres (4.8% of state total)
- Farms: 720
- Most common crop: Maple sap (100,842 acres, 64.4% of county farmland)

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#4. Genesee

- Farmland: 165,028 acres (5.0% of state total)
- Farms: 1,080
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (32,671 acres, 19.8% of county farmland)

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#3. Livingston

- Farmland: 166,422 acres (5.0% of state total)
- Farms: 1,183
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (44,835 acres, 26.9% of county farmland)

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#2. Cayuga

- Farmland: 178,595 acres (5.4% of state total)
- Farms: 1,951
- Most common crop: Yellow corn (34,676 acres, 19.4% of county farmland)

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#1. Wyoming

- Farmland: 244,659 acres (7.4% of state total)
- Farms: 1,293
- Most common crop: Maple sap (91,026 acres, 37.2% of county farmland)

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