Farm Census

Frederick County, Maryland

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

1,367 farms188,832 acres in farms$184 million in farm sales

No other county in Maryland with a published figure has more farms, land in farms, corn for silage or hay and haylage than Frederick County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, grains and oilseeds, makes up 38.7% of farm sales, against 26.6% across Maryland.

Grains and oilseeds: 38.7%Grains and oilseeds38.7%Milk: 28.1%Milk28.1%Cattle and calves: 9.0%Cattle and calves9.0%Poultry and eggs: 6.4%6.4%Hay and other crops: 6.0%6.0%Nursery and greenhouse: 5.3%5.3%Fruit and nuts: 2.1%2.1%Vegetables and melons: 1.3%1.3%Other animals: 1.0%1.0%Hogs and pigs: 0.8%0.8%Horses and mules: 0.8%0.8%Withheld groups: 0.6%Grains and oilseeds: 38.7%Grains and oilseeds38.7%Milk: 28.1%Milk28.1%Cattle and calves: 9.0%9.0%Poultry and eggs: 6.4%6.4%Hay and other crops: 6.0%6.0%Nursery and greenhouse: 5.3%5.3%Fruit and nuts: 2.1%Vegetables and melons: 1.3%1.3%Other animals: 1.0%1.0%Hogs and pigs: 0.8%0.8%Horses and mules: 0.8%0.8%Withheld groups: 0.6%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: tobacco, Christmas trees, sheep and goat products and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$71.4 million5th of 23
Milk from cows$51.8 million2nd of 13
Cattle and calves$16.5 million2nd of 19
Poultry and eggs$11.8 million9th of 19
Hay and other crops$11.0 million1st of 18
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$9.7 million10th of 19
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$3.8 million2nd of 17
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$2.4 million13th of 23
Other animals and animal products$1.9 million4th of 15
Hogs and pigs$1.5 million1st of 14
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$1.4 million4th of 18

What the fields held

Frederick County harvested 127,259 acres of cropland in 2022, first of 23 counties in Maryland. Soybeans covered acreage equal to 35% of that, hay and haylage 28%.

CropAcresShare of US
Soybeans43,9420.05%
Hay and haylage35,4240.07%
Corn for grain31,752under 0.1%
Wheat11,147under 0.1%
Corn for silage7,7480.13%
Barley1,7530.07%
Orchard land565under 0.1%
of which grapes343under 0.1%
of which apples104under 0.1%
Vegetables313under 0.1%
of which potatoes23under 0.1%
Berries48under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: grain sorghum, oats and tobacco.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms44.7%

Frederick County ranks sixth of 23 counties in Maryland on this measure.

  • 140,459 acres of cropland, 74% of farmland
  • 22,323 acres of pastureland, 12% of farmland
  • 20,600 acres of woodland, 11% of farmland
  • 956 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Frederick County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 39 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 138 acres, 12th-largest of 23 in Maryland. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 42.4% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 2.1% of the total.

1–913%10–4942%50–17927%180–49911%500–9994%1,000–1,9992%2,000+1%
Frederick County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies3,0040.12%
Milk cows10,2290.11%
Turkeys86,3700.09%
Goats1,7390.07%
Sheep and lambs2,7570.05%
Cattle and calves35,336under 0.1%
Beef cows7,685under 0.1%
Laying hens67,900under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs3,327under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 202214,933under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Frederick County's 1,367 farms are made by 2,683 producers. Their average age is 56.8, 1.0 years below the Maryland average. Women are 40.4% of them.

Under 3510%35–4412%45–5417%55–6426%65–7424%75+11%
Frederick County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms1,373−0.4%
Land in farms, acres188,576+0.1%
Average farm size, acres137+0.7%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$132 million+40.1%
Corn for silage, acres9,541−18.8%
Horses and ponies, head3,306−9.1%
Milk cows, head12,702−19.5%
Barley, acres2,242−21.8%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Frederick County accounts for 5.5% of farm sales in Maryland and 10.9% of the farms in Maryland. Rank Maryland counties for corn for silage.

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