4. Land and soil
Prime
farmland
20%
Farmland of
statewide
importance
26%
Prime
farmland if
drained
33%
Not prime
farmland
21%
Land resources
Source: National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2012
5. Land
Prime Farmland Uses Acres % of land
Residential 69,712 35%
Agricultural Land 54,921 28%
Vacant 30,219 15%
Commercial 5,811 3%
Wild, Forested, Conservation
Lands And Public Parks
3,740 2%
Other 32,335 16%
Total 196,739 100%
Source: National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2012,
NYS Tax Assessor Parcel File, 2012
6. Land
214,097 acres of
farm-quality soil is
currently
developed.
Source: National Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), 2012,
USDA Cropland Layer, 2012
8. Land
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
860,000
880,000
900,000
920,000
940,000
960,000
980,000
1,000,000
1,020,000
1,040,000
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
1978 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007
Thousands
Acres of Farmland
Erie-Niagara U.S.
Total land (acres)
1,002,240
Farmland (acres)
2002: 309,788 (31%)
2007: 291,992 (29%)
Change 2002-2007:
-17,796 acres
9. Land
47%
23%
20%
9%
1% 1%
1 to 49.9 50 to 99.9 100 to
259.9
260 to
999.9
1,000 to
1,999.9
2,000 or
more
Acres operated
Share of Farms by Size (acres operated)
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
10. Land
Source: USDA ARS, 2012
Average
extreme
temperatures
increased by
5 degrees
between
1986 and
2005
Temperature
1981-2010 Average (ºF)
Growing Degree
Days (base 50 ºF)
Erie County 48.5 2,667
Niagara
County
48.3 2,647
11. Land
• Temperature: could increase by 3F by 2020
and 8F by 2080.
• Precipitation: projected to increase by 15%
in spring and 10% in summer.
Source: NYSERDA ClimAID, 2011
12. Land
Urban Farming & Community Gardening
• No comprehensive inventory of urban
farming and community gardening in the
region
Grassroots Gardens
• 73 gardens on 135 lots
• 78 lots are vacant city-owned parcels
Greenprint Niagara
• Two gardens in Niagara Falls
Barriers
• Acquiring land and guaranteeing tenure
• Marketing goods
15. Farms & Farmers
• Over 2/3 of farmers are 45 and over
• 35 percent of farmers are women
• 96 percent of farmers are white
• 48 percent list farming as a secondary
occupation
0%
3%
14%
27%
28%
28%
Under 25
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Age
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
16. Farms & Farmers
• 98 percent of ag land is owner-occupied
• 2 percent is tenant occupied
• 10 percent farmed by corporations
• 25 percent farmed by partnerships
• 65 percent farmed by
families, individuals, or other
organizations
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
65%
10%
25%
Farm Type by Acres Operated
Families, indi
viduals, or
other
Corporations
Partnerships 85%
7%
8%
Farm Type by Number of Farms
17. Farms & Farmers
• Over 25 percent of ag land is treated
with herbicide
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
Ag land treated with… Acres
% of Ag
Land
Chemicals
Fungicide 9716 3.3
Herbicide 73553 25.2
Insecticide 40899 14
Other chemicals 4123 1.4
Fertilizer 119036 40.8
Manure 48509 16.6
• 4909 acres of organic ag land with 22
organic operations
18. Farms & Farmers
Energy & Emissions
Usage:
• Between 2000 and 2004, energy
use by ag producers in New York
State rose 2 percent, while the
average U.S. state saw a drop in
energy use by over 1 percent.
• Food system energy
consumption ranking (most to
least):
• Processing
• Household use
• Agriculture
• Packaging, transport, food
services
Emissions:
• Ag accounts for 8% of all
emissions in the U.S.
8%
34%
30%
27%
1%
U.S. GHG Emissions
Agriculture
Commercial & Residential
Industry
Transportation
Other
Source: USDA ERS, 2012
19. Farms & Farmers
• 281 of 2,080 farms are irrigated
• 1.09 billion gallons of public water drawn/day for all
uses
• 0.47%, or 5.09 million gallons/day, drawn for
agriculture
• Irrigation: 4.01 mg/d
• Livestock: 1.04 mg/d
• Aquaculture: 0.04 mg/d
Source: USGS, 2005, USDA Census of Ag, 2007
Source: Erie County Water Authority
20.3%
0.5%
0.4%
0.1%
0.0%
2.7%
0.1%
75.8%
Public Water Use
Public Supply
Domestic (Self-supplied)
Irrigation
Livestock
Aqua-culture
Industrial
Mining
Thermoelectric
20. Farms & Farmers
Revenues
(top 5)
($1,000) %
Expenditures
(top 5)
($1,000) %
Total 239,856 100 Total 176,366 100
Animal sales 118,297 49.3 Hired labor 33,615 19.06
Crop sales 102,379 42.7 Animal feed 25,211 14.29
Farm sources 9,974 4.2
Supplies and
repairs
19,207 10.89
Government
& insurance
payments
4,779 2 Depreciation 17,676 10.02
Patronage and
co-ops
1,809 0.8 Seeds and plants 10,358 5.87
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
22. Products
Land Acres %
Total 1,002,240 100
Cropland 212,211 21
Harvested Cropland 173,217 100%
Hay 58,627 34%
Corn grain 31,233 18%
Haylage 24,378 14%
Corn silage 23,338 13%
Soybeans 13,165 8%
Oats 4,744 3%
Wheat 3,579 2%
Apple 3,187 2%
Grape 2,945 2%
Sweet corn 2,408 1%
Other 5,613 3%Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
23. Products
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
1,164
17,888
53,929
100,236
Not for human
consumption
Solely for human
consumption
For both human and
animal consumption
Solely for animal
consumption
Acres of harvested cropland grown…
24. Products
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007
Farm products
Sales
($1,000)
%
Total sales 220,675 100%
Livestock & poultry 118,297 54%
Milk and dairy 88,569 40%
Cattle and calves 11,108 5%
Hogs and pigs 307 0%
Other animals and products 1,461 1%
Crops 83,678 38%
Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 28,776 13%
Vegetables (including soybeans) 27,262 12%
Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture,
and sod
19,293 9%
Grain, oilseeds, dry beans, dry peas 18,701 8%
25. Policies
Agricultural
districts
The Agricultural
Districts Law creates
a favorable operating
environment for
producers and helps
large tracts of land
stay in active
production.
Source: New York State Agricultural Districts
Mapping Program, Cornell University
Geospatial Information Repository, 2012
27. Policies
• Local, state, and federal
economic development
opportunities
• Farmer education and
workforce development
• New-farmer programs
• Incentives for
sustainable growing
practices
• Land acquisition for
urban growing
• Permitting and licensing
Hinweis der Redaktion
Introduce the topic and its relevance to deepening our understanding of the goals, strategies, and actions.
Source: National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2012Map by Travis NortonPrime farmland: 196,739 acres Definition:It has the combination of soil properties, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce sustained high yields of crops in an economic manner if it is treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods.Farmland of statewide importance: 255, 919 acresDefinition: Generally, additional farmlands of statewide importance include those that are nearly prime farmland and that economically produce high yields of crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods. Some may produce as high a yield as prime farmlands if conditions are favorable. In some states, additional farmlands of statewide importance may include tracts of land that have been designated for agriculture by state law.Prime farmland if drained: 333,306 acresDefinition: Soils considered feasible for improvement by draining, by irrigating, by removing stones, by removing salts or exchangeable sodium, or by protecting from overflow are classified according to their continuing limitations in use, or the risks of soil damage, or both, after the improvements have been installed.Not prime farmland: 207,019 acresDefinition: Land that, for a combination of environmental and land use reasons, is not suitable for farming.
Talk about how soil quality only tells part of the story – we’re really concerned with how that soil is being currently used.Also note that farming takes place on many different land use types, especially on residential land. Remember also to talk about vacant land as an opportunity for expanding farmland.
This map shows Prime Farmland, Prime Farmland if Drained, and Farmland of Statewide Importance that is currently developed in some manner other than for farming and is hence ‘lost’ for farming.
This map shows the location of ag land in 2012 identified from satellite imagery. This would be something good to look at while you
Source: USDA Census of Ag, 2007Map source: National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), USDA Cropland Data Layer, 2012Map by Travis Norton
Source: National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2011Map by Travis NortonPrime farmland: 196,739 acres Definition:It has the combination of soil properties, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce sustained high yields of crops in an economic manner if it is treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods.Farmland of statewide importance: 255, 919 acresDefinition: Generally, additional farmlands of statewide importance include those that are nearly prime farmland and that economically produce high yields of crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods. Some may produce as high a yield as prime farmlands if conditions are favorable. In some states, additional farmlands of statewide importance may include tracts of land that have been designated for agriculture by state law.Prime farmland if drained: 333,306 acresDefinition: Soils considered feasible for improvement by draining, by irrigating, by removing stones, by removing salts or exchangeable sodium, or by protecting from overflow are classified according to their continuing limitations in use, or the risks of soil damage, or both, after the improvements have been installed.Not prime farmland: 207,019 acresDefinition: Land that, for a combination of environmental and land use reasons, is not suitable for farming.
Source: USDA ERS, 2012. Emissions data from 2010. Total carbon emissions: 6,822 million metric tons CO2
Source: USDA ERS, 2012. Emissions data from 2010. Total carbon emissions: 6,822 million metric tons CO2
Source: National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2011Map by Travis NortonPrime farmland: 196,739 acres Definition:It has the combination of soil properties, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce sustained high yields of crops in an economic manner if it is treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods.Farmland of statewide importance: 255, 919 acresDefinition: Generally, additional farmlands of statewide importance include those that are nearly prime farmland and that economically produce high yields of crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods. Some may produce as high a yield as prime farmlands if conditions are favorable. In some states, additional farmlands of statewide importance may include tracts of land that have been designated for agriculture by state law.Prime farmland if drained: 333,306 acresDefinition: Soils considered feasible for improvement by draining, by irrigating, by removing stones, by removing salts or exchangeable sodium, or by protecting from overflow are classified according to their continuing limitations in use, or the risks of soil damage, or both, after the improvements have been installed.Not prime farmland: 207,019 acresDefinition: Land that, for a combination of environmental and land use reasons, is not suitable for farming.
Population: US Census 2010Income & Poverty: 2010 ACS 5-year estimatesChange 2000 – 2010: - 3% (decline by 34,602) People 1,135,509
Source: US Census of Agriculture, 2007 DEFINE AGRICULTUAL OPERATIONS
Source: US Census of Agriculture, 2007
Source: US Census of Agriculture, 2007
Source: US Census of Agriculture, 2007
Source: USDA ERS, 2012. Emissions data from 2010. Total carbon emissions: 6,822 million metric tons CO2Regional ag production increased between 2005 and 2010, but employment declined – greater mechanization, energy use by farms
Source: USDA ERS, 2012. Emissions data from 2010. Water Use data is from the USGS Water Use report 20051.09 billion gallons equivalent to using water from 1,655 Olympic sized swimming pools per dayTotal carbon emissions: 6,822 million metric tons CO2
Source: US Census of Agriculture, 2007
Source: US Census of Ag 2007
Source: US Census of Ag 2007
Source: US Census of Ag 2007
Source: US Census of Ag 2007
Source: New York State Agricultural Districts Mapping Program, Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository, 2012
Farmland protection plans address loss of farmland.
Farmland protection plans address loss of farmland.