Rensselaer County, New York · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Rensselaer County, New York grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Rensselaer County, New York (55% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 9,862 cattle and 4,128 milk cows. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are hay (14,110 acres), corn (3,340 acres) and soybeans (1,598 acres). Its farms sold $61.9 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 42nd of 60 counties in New York.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $61.9 million1797th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 48372,542 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 45% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 5844 published, 14 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Rensselaer County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Rensselaer County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in New York 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.
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NY | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cauliflower | 26 acres | 2 | 21* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 77 acres | 4 | 42* | 9% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 306 acres | 4 | 39* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Popcorn | 2,400 pounds | 2* | 67* | 5% | production |
| Tomatoes | 73 acres | 8 | 84* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Sweet potatoes | 4 acres | 4* | 119* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Collard greens | 5 acres | 3* | 88* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 132 acres | 7* | 68* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 839 goats | 9 | 730* | 3% | head on farms |
| Sweet corn | 557 acres | 11* | 96* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Cantaloupe | 6 acres | 9* | 249* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Spinach | 7 acres | 5 | 53* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 22 acres | 5* | 38* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 7 acres | 14 | 124* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Hazelnuts | 2 acres | 3* | 28* | 2% | bearing acres |
Show all 44 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NY | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kale | 8 acres | 5* | 70* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Sheep | 1,248 sheep | 22 | 718* | 2% | head on farms |
| Lettuce | 16 acres | 6* | 75* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Hogs | 619 hogs | 10* | 808* | 1% | head on farms |
| Hay | 23,477 tons | 34 | 1,327* | 1% | production |
| Raspberries | 5 acres | 21* | 130* | 1% | bearing acres |
| Watermelon | 3 acres | 17* | 595* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Garlic | 4 acres | 35* | 169* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chickens | 12,587 broiler chickens | 11* | 548* | under 1% | head sold |
| Cucumbers | 14 acres | 10* | 151* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 9,862 cattle | 38 | 1,847* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Milk | 4,128 milk cows | 38 | 340* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Carrots | 12 acres | 8* | 63* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Soybeans | 78,641 bushels | 33 | 1,523* | under 1% | production |
| Corn | 419,913 bushels | 40 | 1,556* | under 1% | production |
| Brussels sprouts | 1 acre | 13* | 97* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 9,951 pounds | 41* | 795* | under 1% | production |
| Maple syrup | 2,134 gallons | 39* | 145* | under 1% | production |
| Hops | 120 pounds | 15* | 83* | under 1% | production |
| Eggs | 10,635 laying hens | 10* | 434* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Pears | 1 acre | 17* | 342* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Cabbage | 9 acres | 13* | 111* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Apples | 69 acres | 26* | 234* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Tart cherries | 1 acre | 9* | 71* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Potatoes | 12 acres | 31* | 273* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 13 acres | 17* | 214* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Green peas | 2 acres | 16* | 210* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 1 acre | 38* | 440* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Turkeys | 380 turkeys | 12* | 279* | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: wheat, barley, oats, sunflowers, celery, asparagus, honeydew, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, plums and pecans.
What livestock does Rensselaer County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens | 12,587 | 11* | head sold |
| Laying hens | 10,635 | 10* | head on farms |
| Cattle | 9,862 | 38 | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 4,128 | 38 | head on farms |
| Sheep | 1,248 | 22 | head on farms |
| Goats | 839 | 9 | head on farms |
| Hogs | 619 | 10* | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 380 | 12* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in New York
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Cayuga County | $462 million |
| Wyoming County | $421 million |
| Wayne County | $381 million |
| Suffolk County | $364 million |
| Genesee County | $360 million |
| Clinton County | $326 million |
| Ontario County | $294 million |
| Livingston County | $288 million |
| Onondaga County | $271 million |
| St. Lawrence County | $270 million |
| Washington County | $263 million |
| Steuben County | $252 million |
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.