What’s the State of Agriculture in Schoharie County in 2025?
Mixed.
Using data mined from the 2022 Census of Agriculture, County Agricultural Development Specialist Caroline Myran gave supervisors’ Ag Committee a look at the trends, both here and across the state.
Statewide, Ms. Myran said, the agricultural economy is growing; in 2022, farming contributed $2.7 billion to the economy, up from $2.4 billion in 2017.
Locally, farming was worth $6.3 million—2.3 percent of the state’s total ag sales.
It also means jobs: statewide, in 2019 farming and related businesses supported 163,148 jobs—a 12.5 percent increase over 2014.
Consistent with what’s happening elsewhere, there are fewer farms—but they’re getting bigger—with New York State losing 14 percent of its farms and nine percent of its farmland since 2012 and statewide, the average farm size increasing from 202 acres to 212.
The majority of the state’s farms are considered small with 75 percent of them 200 acres or less; 90 percent of farms grossed less than $350K in 2022.
Also statewide, agritourism is the fastest growing segment of the farm income category, up 78 percent since 2012, including income from hunting, fishing, farm, and winery tours.
Taking a look at county demographics, most farmers are men, a third are over 65, eight percent are “young”—under 35--and seven percent are veterans.
That last statistic is interesting, Ms. Myran said, and points to the importance of thinking outside the box when trying to reach those farmers at events like the upcoming Ag Solutions Expo.
Still staying local, 85 percent of farms have internet, 190 farmers have been farming less than 10 years, and 58 percent work off the farm.
Schoharie County’s lost 29 farms since 2012, Ms. Myran said, a five percent decrease.
At the same time, the amount of land in farming has increased by 10 percent and the average farm size, by 17 percent.
It’s important, though to pay attention to where that growth—and losses—are, she said:
The number of very small farms--less than 10 acres--has stayed about the same, while the number of farms of 500+ acres is up from one percent to four percent.
It’s the middle number—farms 50-500 acres—that’s shrinking with both net cash income and total farm sales declining—and going against statewide trends—even as per farm expenses are up 51 percent.
“This is the worst statistic,” Ms. Myran said.
“We’re doing worse than the state and our farms are struggling.”
That’s also important, she said, because “as we lose them, we lose our identity.”
What are we growing?
Hay, corn, soybeans, and vegetables, but dairy is still #1, representing $36 million in sales annually—though we’ve lost 37 dairy farms since 2012.
What’s up?
Orchards, flowers, honey, maple, and equine all report an increase in sales, changes that Ms. Myran said represent a “transition in agriculture.”
Farms with direct-to-consumer sales are down from 121 to 104, but the number of farms in agritourism has tripled, from four to 12; agritourism now represents $250,000 in annual receipts.
“That’s a big deal,” Ms. Myran said and something one of the breakout sessions at the February 18 Ag Solutions Expo (see related story) will also talk about.
“Agritourism is hard. It’s not for everyone. But we get a lot of questions about it and the potential is there.”