Farm Census

Kennebec County, Maine

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

569 farms69,638 acres in farms$64.3 million in farm sales

No other county in Maine with a published figure has more corn for silage or milk cows, or sells more farm products than Kennebec County.

Its largest product group, milk, makes up 65.5% of farm sales, against 16.9% across Maine.

Milk: 65.5%Milk65.5%Fruit and nuts: 8.1%Fruit and nuts8.1%Nursery and greenhouse: 6.9%6.9%Vegetables and melons: 5.9%Vegetables and melons5.9%Hay and other crops: 5.8%Hay and other crops5.8%Cattle and calves: 4.6%4.6%Grains and oilseeds: 0.6%0.6%Other animals: 0.6%0.6%Christmas trees: 0.6%0.6%Poultry and eggs: 0.5%Sheep and goats: 0.4%Hogs and pigs: 0.3%Aquaculture: 0.2%Horses and mules: under 0.1%Milk: 65.5%Milk65.5%Fruit and nuts: 8.1%8.1%Nursery and greenhouse: 6.9%6.9%Vegetables and melons: 5.9%5.9%Hay and other crops: 5.8%5.8%Cattle and calves: 4.6%4.6%Grains and oilseeds: 0.6%Other animals: 0.6%Christmas trees: 0.6%Poultry and eggs: 0.5%Sheep and goats: 0.4%Hogs and pigs: 0.3%Aquaculture: 0.2%Horses and mules: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Milk from cows$42.1 million1st of 10
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$5.2 million3rd of 16
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$4.5 million4th of 13
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$3.8 million6th of 13
Hay and other crops$3.7 million3rd of 14
Cattle and calves$2.9 million4th of 16
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$391,0007th of 11
Other animals and animal products$376,0003rd of 9
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$357,0003rd of 12
Poultry and eggs$313,0009th of 11
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$241,0003rd of 16
Hogs and pigs$184,0003rd of 16
Aquaculture$138,0004th of 4
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$27,0009th of 11

What the fields held

Kennebec County harvested 29,957 acres of cropland in 2022, fourth of 16 counties in Maine. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 77% of that, corn for silage 18%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage23,002under 0.1%
Corn for silage5,3480.09%
Berries3900.11%
Vegetables347under 0.1%
of which potatoes20under 0.1%
Orchard land304under 0.1%
of which almonds3under 0.1%
of which grapes3under 0.1%
of which apples2390.06%
Corn for grain147under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: soybeans, wheat, barley and oats.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms12.5%

Kennebec County ranks second of 16 counties in Maine on this measure.

  • 33,245 acres of cropland, 48% of farmland
  • 4,934 acres of pastureland, 7% of farmland
  • 27,050 acres of woodland, 39% of farmland
  • 669 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Kennebec County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 42 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 122 acres, ninth-largest of 16 in Maine. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 36.0% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 1.4% of the total.

1–918%10–4936%50–17928%180–49914%500–9993%1,000–1,9991%2,000+1%
Kennebec County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Milk cows6,8460.07%
Goats737under 0.1%
Horses and ponies679under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs827under 0.1%
Cattle and calves14,140under 0.1%
Beef cows1,125under 0.1%
Laying hens3,792under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs600under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 202220,085under 0.1%
Turkeys118under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Kennebec County's 569 farms are made by 1,036 producers. Their average age is 58.1, 0.6 years above the Maine average. Women are 39.6% of them.

Under 3512%35–4410%45–5414%55–6424%65–7425%75+14%
Kennebec County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms642−11.4%
Land in farms, acres82,132−15.2%
Average farm size, acres128−4.7%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$49.0 million+31.1%
Berries, acres123+100%
Corn for silage, acres5,257+1.7%
Milk cows, head6,682+2.5%
Apples, acres139+71.9%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Kennebec County accounts for 7.4% of farm sales in Maine and 8.1% of the farms in Maine. Rank Maine counties for berries.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.