|
Niagara County, New York
The Census of Agriculture for 2002 recorded 801 farms in Niagara County utilizing 148,041 acres of land and averaging 185 acres per
farm. This average includes Census definition farms as small as $1000 in sales.
The 2004-05 New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets 'New York Agricultural Statistics' estimates receipts
from Niagara County farms for 2004 to be $68,089,000.
The county was 5th in the State in value of production of fruits and berries (1st in acreage of peaches, 1st in pears, 1st in sweet cherries, 2nd in tart cherries, 4th
in apples and 6th in grapes).
Niagara County ranked 9th in the State in the value of production of grains, oilseeds and dry beans.
Individually, the County was 4th in grain corn, 6th in wheat and 6th in soybeans.
The County was 8th in value of vegetables and 18th in nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod.
Among the 61 counties
with agriculture, Niagara ranks 19th in sale of all agricultural products; 8th in crops (including nursery and greenhouse).
The 2002 Census of Agriculture shows Niagara to be 4th in the state for "Value of agricultural
products sold directly to individuals for human consumption.
Types of Farming in Niagara County
Dairy
While Niagara is 30th in the State in milk production, the less than 50 herds and 3000 cows in the County have one of
the highest averages in production per cow per year. 21,300 pounds per cow per year translates to over 9900 quarts!
Herds range in size from 25 to over 1000 cows. Milk is shipped to the Niagara Milk Cooperative in Niagara Falls, to Dairylea and Upstate Milk Cooperatives.
Horse
Niagara ranks 20th among 58
counties in New York with some 3000 equine counted in a 2000 survey. These animals were valued at $12,000,000 (25th in the State).
Farms featuring western, English, dressage, draft, rodeo, and trail riding can be found. For youth, a trip to the county fair, the first week in August, will give a good cross-section of interest in horses in Niagara County and some good contacts.
Farm Raised Meats
Though production practices vary, some farms are meeting customer demand for hormone-free, locally-grown, pasture-raised meats.
In addition to retail meat producers listed at this site (natural or conventional), information about wholesalers and local meat markets selling naturally-raised meat can be found at: http://www.500farms.com
Poultry
Other than some large backyard flocks there are few of the many poultry farms that once existed in Niagara
County still here although one wholesale producer still contracts egg sales with a larger operation in Western New York.
This web site does list an operation in Porter with chicken and a fresh turkey raiser in Hartland. If you find other retail/roadside sellers of locally-produced poultry or eggs, invite them to be listed at our site!
Fiber
On these farms you’ll find llama, alpaca, and sheep raised for their wool. Contact them individually if you are interested in tours.
Field Crops
As indicated above, Niagara
ranks high in grain and hay production. Although we do not list sellers of hay or straw as a retail product, Cooperative Extension can identify a number of retailers for persons looking for large amounts or
just a few bales of these products. A significant quantity of hay is sold in the Southern Tier and a few cash crop growers have markets in other states.
Horticulture
In Niagara County, it’s
possible to find locally grown trees and shrubs, bedding plants and other ornamentals.
But the term “horticulture” also includes our many and diverse fruit and vegetable producers found in the city markets as well as with roadside stands. Niagara County is 6th in the State in vegetable production and since most of our acreage is for fresh market sale rather than processing, this is significant. In fact, Niagara County ranks 4th in New York State for the value of ag products sold directly to individuals for human consumption (Census of Agriculture, 2002) Sometimes it takes searching but one can find in this website a grower who specializes in garlic and another who has over 20 kinds of basil!
Orchard & Small Fruit
New York State ranks 2nd among states in apple
production and Niagara County is 4th among New York counties in this crop. A uniqueness of New York apples is the many choices consumers have
from bountiful orchards specializing in flavorful varieties for eating or baking.
Get out at blossom time or in the fall. In the fall, experience the joy of picking a crispy juicy apple right from the tree. Don’t forget the other tree fruits, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries earlier in the summer. During a hot summer, nothing tastes better than a Niagara County free-stone peach from a roadside stand! Agri-tourism opportunities tie together well for some of these farms.
Woodlot, Christmas Trees
Not every Christmas tree grower in Niagara County has chosen to be listed but a few are.
Start a new tradition or revive an old one for your family by visiting a cut-your-own or dug tree farm. You can’t get a fresher tree than that! Beyond some of the Tuscarora Nation maple sugar-making activity and a BOCES demonstration site, Niagara County has a newly listed maple producer in the Town of Royalton. Maple production requires a period of freeze-thaw cycles in the spring – something we don’t have as much as in the true maple-producing regions of New York. In time, if there is demand, we could list firewood producers and woodland products.
Wineries
Farm and estate wineries have come on like barnstormers in the last 6 years with 5 wineries in Niagara County up and running and more in the works.
Each has its uniqueness and collectively make for a nice day trip out into the country.
Specialties and Agri-tourism
Lest we leave anyone out we provide this category to recognize honey producers
and others.
A typical beehive produces 80 pounds of honey. Bees are responsible for pollinating one out of three foods we eat and yet they are under threat from parasites and sometimes pesticides. One beekeeper does educational presentations on bees and honey. This group of businesses may have some of the products above but they offer wide-ranging goods and services such as cornstalks, llama rides, pumpkin villages, tours, talks and value-added foods and decorations. It’s all part of the farm experience.
|
