 Farm
Fresh Guide*
Farms are categorized by their major commodity. See the "All"
list to browse though the farms alphabetically.
Also see:
Key to Map and Commodity Descriptions
Farm Guide Map
List of Regional Farmers' Markets
Washington County Agricultural Facts
- From 1940 to 2001, the number of farms in Washington County shrank
from 2,934 to 738; yet Washington County is still the
6th in the state with the amount of land devoted to agriculture, averaging
264 acres per farm.
- Approximately 208,000 acres of land in Washington County is devoted
to agriculture; roughly 39 percent of the total land mass, with about
130,000 acres in cropland, 46,700 in woodland and 16,500 in pasture.
- Washington County Farmers produce an annual $94 million worth of agricultural
products.
- Farms in Washington County are family owned and operated, providing
a livelihood for 1,356 people, with 1,101 men and 255
women employed in agriculture.
Statistical Information from the New York Agricultural Statistics
Service, April 2001 and Data from the 2000 Census.
Why buy locally grown?
Local foods taste better. That is because they are fresh. And fresh means
delicious, crisp and nutritious. You know where your food came from and
who produced
it. Buying locally means you can get to know the farmer who raised your
meats, grew your vegetables and picked your fruit.
You are promoting local agriculture. Local residents and visitors to
our area who buy locally encourage our farmers to continue producing,
and start up new greenhouses, farms, orchards and livestock operations.
You help preserve not just open spaces, but productive use of open space.
The patchwork of fields dotted with cows is a unigue working landscape,
and without
Washington County's farm heritage, the scenery wouldn't look the same.
Your family can enjoy a farm experience that many people no longer have
in their lives. Take a farm tour. Find your way through a corn maze. Pick
your own strawberries. Take a wagon ride. Meet the folks at a farmers
market.
Shopping locally can be fun! Buy Fresh! Buy Local!
This publication was produced by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Washington
County. Developed and printed with the generous support of the Northeast
Region Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program Partnership
Grant awarded to the Agricultural Economic Development Program of Washington
and Saratoga Counties. For more information on this program, visit www.aedpws.org.
Artwork designed and painted by Folk Artist Will Moses, Mt. Nebo Gallery
of Eagle Bridge. Visit www.willmoses.com.
A special thank you to Cathy Hamlin from Washington County Department
of Planning and Community Development for her preparation of the map.Photos
by Jim Newton, Annette Nielsen, Colleen Converse, Peter Gregg and Diane
Deppe.
*This area is under construction and will become easier to naviagate
over the next month. I just did not want to wait to make the information
available. Thanks for your patience!
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