USDA report on farms finds slight growth in New York’s smallest farms

New York state had an estimated 33,400 farms, covering 6.9 milion acres, in 2019. That’s unchanged from a year earlier, according to a new report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The average farm size was 207 acres.

The number of farms with sales between $1,000 and $9,999 ticked up to 15,500 farms last year from 15,400 in 2018. Land in farms for this class was unchanged at 1.1 million acres, NASS said. The average farm size was 71 acres.

The number of farms in New York with sales between $10,000 and $99,999 edged up to 11,500 farms in 2019 from 11,400 a year prior. Land in farms for this class was unchanged at 1.8 million acres, NASS said. Average farm size was 157 acres.

New York had 2,850 farms with annual sales between $100,000 and $249,999 last year, down from 3,000 in 2018, while land operated by these farms was unchanged at 880,000 acres, according to NASS. The average farm size increased to 309 acres from 293.

The number of farms in the Empire State generating sales from $250,000 to $499,999 ticked down to 1,700 farms in 2019 from 1,750 a year earlier. Land in farms for this class was unchanged at 780,000 acres. The average farm size was 459 acres, up from 446.

The state had 930 farms, encompassing 640,000 acres, with annual sales between $500,000 and $999,999 last year, unchanged from 2018. The average farm size was 688 acres.

Lastly, New York had 920 farms, covering 1.7 million acres, with annual sales exceeding $1 million. Average farm size was 1,848 acres.