“This plan’s purpose is to recommend goals and actions that promote the maintenance and expansion of lands in active agricultural use in Schenectady County. It was developed through a broad public participation process.
Brief Profile of Schenectady County Agriculture
Farms in Schenectady County are very diverse, with annual gross sales ranging from less than $2,500 to over $500,000. However, most can be characterized as small part-time farms with 73 percent reporting annual sales of less than $10,000 and 61 percent reporting a principal occupation other than farming (part-time farms). These farms produce over $6 million each year in sales, spend an additional $4.8 million on production expenses, and are responsible for creating many full or part- time jobs. Perhaps most significantly, as an industry farms still represent the largest land use in the County utilizing over 15,000 acres (approximately 11 percent) of the land base within the County.
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Schenectady County Department of Planning September 2002.