Farm Census

Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

617 farms25,752 acres in farms$87.9 million in farm sales

No other county in Massachusetts with a published figure sells more farm products than Middlesex County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, nursery and greenhouse crops, makes up 61.5% of farm sales, against 27.0% across Massachusetts.

Nursery and greenhouse: 61.5%Nursery and greenhouse61.5%Vegetables and melons: 16.2%Vegetables and melons16.2%Fruit and nuts: 6.3%6.3%Other animals: 5.8%Other animals5.8%Cattle and calves: 3.7%3.7%Hay and other crops: 1.6%1.6%Grains and oilseeds: 1.3%1.3%Horses and mules: 1.1%1.1%Withheld groups: 0.9%0.9%Poultry and eggs: 0.8%0.8%Christmas trees: 0.5%Sheep and goats: 0.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 61.5%Nursery and greenhouse61.5%Vegetables and melons: 16.2%16.2%Fruit and nuts: 6.3%6.3%Other animals: 5.8%5.8%Cattle and calves: 3.7%3.7%Hay and other crops: 1.6%1.6%Grains and oilseeds: 1.3%1.3%Horses and mules: 1.1%1.1%Withheld groups: 0.9%Poultry and eggs: 0.8%0.8%Christmas trees: 0.5%Sheep and goats: 0.3%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: milk and hogs and pigs.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$54.1 million1st of 12
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$14.2 million4th of 12
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$5.6 million6th of 12
Other animals and animal products$5.1 million1st of 12
Cattle and calves$3.3 million1st of 10
Hay and other crops$1.4 million5th of 10
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$1.1 million4th of 9
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$942,0001st of 9
Poultry and eggs$682,0006th of 12
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$462,0004th of 9
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$237,0006th of 12

What the fields held

Middlesex County harvested 9,662 acres of cropland in 2022, seventh of 14 counties in Massachusetts. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 55% of that, vegetables 14%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage5,352under 0.1%
Vegetables1,373under 0.1%
of which potatoes21under 0.1%
Orchard land684under 0.1%
of which grapes2under 0.1%
of which apples5330.13%
Corn for silage677under 0.1%
Corn for grain305under 0.1%
Berries90under 0.1%
Wheat3under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: soybeans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms4.9%

Middlesex County ranks tenth of 14 counties in Massachusetts on this measure.

  • 11,949 acres of cropland, 46% of farmland
  • 3,366 acres of pastureland, 13% of farmland
  • 7,519 acres of woodland, 29% of farmland
  • 1,530 acres irrigated

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies1,5140.06%
Sheep and lambs1,015under 0.1%
Goats433under 0.1%
Turkeys4,385under 0.1%
Cattle and calves2,513under 0.1%
Laying hens9,997under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs171under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 202213,498under 0.1%

Withheld: beef cows and milk cows.

Who farms here

Decisions on Middlesex County's 617 farms are made by 1,198 producers. Their average age is 58.9, 0.2 years above the Massachusetts average. Women are 42.7% of them.

Under 3510%35–4412%45–5411%55–6426%65–7426%75+15%
Middlesex County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms620−0.5%
Land in farms, acres27,332−5.8%
Average farm size, acres44−4.5%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$63.4 million+38.7%
Apples, acres340+56.8%
Horses and ponies, head1,169+29.5%
Vegetables, acres1,430−4.0%
Berries, acres81+11.1%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Middlesex County accounts for 14.5% of farm sales in Massachusetts and 8.7% of the farms in Massachusetts. Rank Massachusetts counties for apples.

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