New York

New York has a reputation for being very urban and developed, but outside of the city a fair majority of the state is actually rural, sprawling countryside. There are 6.9 million agricultural acres and 33,400 active farms. Most of the farmland is designated for crops, primarily hay, alfalfa, haylage, and corn, but 580,000 acres make up luscious, green pasture for the 1.42 million cattle the state produces each year.

Pasture and rangeland has declined by around 135,000 acres over the last 15 years, with the total number of farms falling by about 3,000 farms in the same period. It would appear that the number of cattle far outweigh the acreage to support them, however 620,000 of the cattle in the state are dairy cows which are typically housed in much tighter quarters than would be expected of free-range beef cattle. Beef cattle account for only 100,000 of the total headcount in the state, with goats and sheep utilizing some of the pasture as well.

The state's primary agricultural production value comes from the over 15.5 billion pounds of milk produced every year, generating the state nearly $3 billion annually and ranking them in the top 5 milk producers in the country.

With farmland making up nearly 23% of the state's total land area, New York is serious about its farms. Most farmers in the state live on their farms, a whopping 96% of which are family-owned. Women also represent a growing share, now up to over 37% of farm producers. Supporting these regenerative, responsible family farms has become more important than ever if we wish to retain our nutritional, agricultural, and market independence. This is how we thrive!