Agriculture Grows in N.Y. County

Yates County in the Finger Lakes bucks trends with more vineyards and agri-tourism
 
 
Yates County has the most vineyard acreage in the Finger Lakes region, including American, hybrid and vinifera varieties.
 
Yates County, N.Y. -- In New York, as in many other states especially in the Northeast, agriculture is declining. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of farms went down 2.3%, and the acreage devoted to farming decreased by 6.3%. But in Yates County in the Finger Lakes, the trend is up, not down, and by significant numbers. In that time frame, 142 new farms were created and 11,000 new acres added. What's happening in Yates County that makes it different?

Part of the answer lies in the growth of the horse-and-buggy Mennonite farming community. According to Sarah Purdy, Yates County administrator, these farmers and their families started to buy farms in the 1970s and now represent 10% of the county's population. They restored rundown farmhouses and barns, and simultaneously bolstered the property tax base of the area, in addition to supporting ancillary industries such as agricultural equipment and tool suppliers.

REGION: NORTHEAST
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But a major factor is the renaissance of the grape and wine industry in this area that lies west of Seneca Lake, includes the north end of Keuka Lake and the southeastern shore of Canandaigua Lake. Vineyards increased by 883 acres or more than 16%, and the value of the fruit (primarily grapes) sold in the county increased from $7.7 million to more than $17 million. There are now 26 wineries that contribute significantly to the agri-tourism sector, which currently employs 750 people in the county.

Hans Walter-Peterson, area extension viticulture specialist in the county, told Wines & Vines that prices have been going up for juice grapes, and that the juice market is doing much better than it has in the past. Some new small vineyards are being planted for wine grapes and overall, wineries are positive about their long-term prospects.

According to Walter-Peterson, the most significant trend is that grape growers see the value of keeping their land in agriculture--they are starting to look for agricultural preservation funding, and are putting their land into agricultural trusts.

More information on agricultural statistics nationwide is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the website agcensus.usda.gov/index.asp.