New York Agriculture
Agriculture is an important industry in New York State. There are 35,500 farms throughout the state. About 25 percent of the State’s land area, or 7.6 million acres, is used to produce a wide variety of food products. Over $5.4 billion agricultural products are sold annually in New York. Here are some other state statistics: •
Population: More than 18 million (3rd in size)
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State Capital: Albany
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State Fruit: Apple
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State Beverage: Milk
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State Tree: Sugar Maple
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Nickname: The Empire State
Touching Our Lives Every Day!
New York Agriculture,
New York is blessed with a tremendous diversity of agricultural products. The following are but a few of the many commodities from New York.
Livestock Fun Facts There are over 90,000 horses in New York State and they live between 25-30 years on average. A foal is a baby horse. A newborn foal can stand up within an hour of being born. There are over 350 different breeds of horses and ponies. A pig’s snout is an important tool for finding food in the ground and sensing the world around them. A sow is a mother pig and has sow has piglets usually two times a year. The average weight of a piglet is 3.5 pounds. A group of sheep is called a “flock”. People who care for sheep are called shepherds. Sheep are shorn,which means having all thier wool clipped off, once a year in the spring. One sheep can produce up to 8 pounds of wool in a single year.
Did you know there are more than 300 agricultural related careers for you to explore and learn about! Special Thanks Our thanks to the NYS Dept. of Agriculture & Markets, NASS, and the many commodity groups and organizations for the information about New York commodities and agricultural facts. Please remember, the products mentioned are but a sampling of New York’s diverse agricultural sector.