Grown Where

Worcester County, Massachusetts · 2022 Census of Agriculture

What does Worcester County, Massachusetts grow?

Of the crops tracked here, Worcester County's biggest by acreage are hay (16,743 acres), apples (1,053 acres) and sweet corn (578 acres). Its farms sold $87.1 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 3rd of 14 counties in Massachusetts.

Farm sales, 2022
$87.1 million1513th of 3,050 US counties
Farms
1,62390,983 acres of farmland
Crops vs. livestock
72% cropsshare of farm sales
Items reported
5852 published, 6 withheld
Value of crops and livestock sold by county, 2022 Census of Agriculture
Under $180K$180K to $720K$720K to $2.7M$2.7M to $9M$9M to $27M$27M+
Worcester County
$87.1 million
14% of Massachusetts farm sales. No. 3 of 14 counties reporting.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.

What does Worcester County grow the most of?

Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.

  1. 1Hay1st in Massachusetts16,743 acres
  2. 2Apples1st in Massachusetts1,053 acres
  3. 3Sweet corn2nd in Massachusetts578 acres
  4. 4Corn3rd in Massachusetts*350 acres
  5. 5Pumpkins2nd in Massachusetts250 acres
  6. 6Peaches1st in Massachusetts216 acres
  7. 7Squash4th in Massachusetts190 acres
  8. 8Tomatoes1st in Massachusetts130 acres
  9. 9Blueberries1st in Massachusetts*118 acres
  10. 10Potatoes3rd in Massachusetts85 acres

How does Worcester County rank?

Each item's rank among counties in Massachusetts and in the US, by the 2022 Census of Agriculture measure shown. An asterisk means the rank is among counties with published figures; a county whose figure is withheld could rank higher.

Worcester County rankings, 2022 Census of Agriculture, top 15 by share of MA
ItemAmountState rankUS rankShare of MAMeasure
Eggs116,679 laying hens1230*64%head on farms
Brussels sprouts13 acres113*43%acres harvested
Peaches216 acres136*41%bearing acres
Popcorn15,000 pounds153*39%production
Turkeys4,927 turkeys1155*38%head on farms
Dry beans20,000 pounds2171*37%production
Goats2,442 goats1144*33%head on farms
Apples1,053 acres135*32%bearing acres
Hay26,201 tons11,223*32%production
Raspberries32 acres116*30%bearing acres
Nectarines3 acres1*34*27%bearing acres
Tomatoes130 acres161*25%acres harvested
Hogs1,655 hogs1635*23%head on farms
Sheep2,771 sheep1298*23%head on farms
Collard greens13 acres141*22%acres harvested
Show all 52 items
Worcester County rankings, items 16 to 52
ItemAmountState rankUS rankShare of MAMeasure
Cucumbers53 acres271*21%acres harvested
Blueberries118 acres1*61*21%bearing acres
Cauliflower19 acres328*20%acres harvested
Cattle6,309 cattle22,164*19%head on farms
Bell peppers50 acres259*19%acres harvested
Milk1,719 milk cows2493*17%head on farms
Blackberries5 acres1*183*17%bearing acres
Green beans56 acres2112*17%acres harvested
Cantaloupe11 acres2165*16%acres harvested
Pumpkins250 acres252*16%acres harvested
Sweet corn578 acres294*15%acres harvested
Strawberries39 acres2*49*15%bearing acres
Sweet potatoes8 acres383*15%acres harvested
Chile peppers42 acres2*38*14%acres harvested
Grapes24 acres1*316*14%bearing acres
Lettuce63 acres335*13%acres harvested
Onions16 acres364*13%acres harvested
Tart cherries1 acre1*71*13%bearing acres
Plums3 acres2*93*13%bearing acres
Honey57,096 pounds3270*12%production
Broccoli26 acres434*11%acres harvested
Garlic14 acres343*10%acres harvested
Cabbage13 acres484*10%acres harvested
Pears12 acres472*10%bearing acres
Kale15 acres440*9%acres harvested
Corn53,636 bushels3*2,004*9%production
Squash190 acres456*9%acres harvested
Green peas8 acres3114*9%acres harvested
Spinach12 acres439*9%acres harvested
Watermelon7 acres4410*9%acres harvested
Celery2 acres334*7%acres harvested
Carrots16 acres550*6%acres harvested
Wheat301 bushels2*1,902*6%production
Chickens10,806 broiler chickens5555*6%head sold
Asparagus9 acres661*4%acres harvested
Maple syrup2,705 gallons5127*4%production
Potatoes85 acres3109*2%acres harvested

Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: barley, honeydew, cranberries, sweet cherries, apricots and pecans.

What livestock does Worcester County raise?

Worcester County livestock and poultry, 2022 Census of Agriculture
AnimalHeadState rankMeasure
Laying hens116,6791head on farms
Broiler chickens10,8065head sold
Cattle6,3092head on farms
Turkeys4,9271head on farms
Sheep2,7711head on farms
Goats2,4421head on farms
Milk cows1,7192head on farms
Hogs1,6551head on farms

Other farm counties in Massachusetts

Top Massachusetts counties by farm sales, 2022
CountyFarm sales
Plymouth County$90.2 million
Middlesex County$87.9 million
Franklin County$76.4 million
Hampshire County$58.8 million
Bristol County$46.2 million
Barnstable County$40.1 million
Essex County$36.7 million
Berkshire County$36 million
Hampden County$26.6 million
Norfolk County$12.8 million

What does Massachusetts grow? State overview and county map →

About this data

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture, the only NASS source that covers every county. The Census is taken every five years; the next is for 2027. Values NASS withholds to avoid disclosing individual farms are shown as withheld, never as zero. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.