Farm Census

Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

809 farms54,093 acres in farms$90.2 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Plymouth County ranks seventh for berries.

Within Massachusetts, no other county with a published figure sells more farm products.

Fruit and nuts: 76.0%Fruit and nuts76.0%Aquaculture: 11.4%Aquaculture11.4%Vegetables and melons: 5.2%5.2%Milk: 2.3%Milk2.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 2.2%2.2%Horses and mules: 0.7%0.7%Hay and other crops: 0.5%0.5%Other animals: 0.4%Poultry and eggs: 0.3%Christmas trees: 0.3%Cattle and calves: 0.3%Grains and oilseeds: 0.2%Hogs and pigs: 0.2%Sheep and goats: 0.1%Fruit and nuts: 76.0%Fruit and nuts76.0%Aquaculture: 11.4%Aquaculture11.4%Vegetables and melons: 5.2%5.2%Milk: 2.3%2.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 2.2%2.2%Horses and mules: 0.7%Hay and other crops: 0.5%Other animals: 0.4%Poultry and eggs: 0.3%Christmas trees: 0.3%Cattle and calves: 0.3%Grains and oilseeds: 0.2%Hogs and pigs: 0.2%Sheep and goats: 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$68.6 million1st of 12
Aquaculture$10.3 million2nd of 6
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$4.7 million9th of 12
Milk from cows$2.1 million7th of 7
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$2.0 million10th of 12
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$606,0003rd of 9
Hay and other crops$461,0009th of 10
Other animals and animal products$368,0004th of 12
Poultry and eggs$277,0008th of 12
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$228,0006th of 9
Cattle and calves$226,0009th of 10
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$223,0008th of 9
Hogs and pigs$187,0004th of 9
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$105,0008th of 12

What the fields held

Plymouth County harvested 15,386 acres of cropland in 2022, fifth of 14 counties in Massachusetts. Berries covered acreage equal to 72% of that, hay and haylage 17%.

CropAcresShare of US
Berries11,0313.1%
Hay and haylage2,667under 0.1%
Vegetables687under 0.1%
of which potatoes9under 0.1%
Orchard land336under 0.1%
of which grapes33under 0.1%
of which apples2490.06%
Corn for grain266under 0.1%
Corn for silage148under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: sunflower and dry edible beans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms12.8%

Plymouth County ranks third of 14 counties in Massachusetts on this measure.

  • 18,127 acres of cropland, 34% of farmland
  • 3,474 acres of pastureland, 6% of farmland
  • 17,981 acres of woodland, 33% of farmland
  • 11,766 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Plymouth County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 17 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 67 acres, fourth-largest of 11 in Massachusetts. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 44.3% of farms. Fewer than 1% of farms have 1,000 acres or more.

1–930%10–4944%50–17920%180–4994%500–9991%1,000–1,9991%2,000+0%
Plymouth County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies2,4440.10%
Goats435under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs646under 0.1%
Milk cows218under 0.1%
Laying hens4,126under 0.1%
Cattle and calves773under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs573under 0.1%
Beef cows217under 0.1%
Turkeys374under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 20222,150under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Plymouth County's 809 farms are made by 1,580 producers. Their average age is 59.7, 1.0 years above the Massachusetts average. Women are 38.0% of them.

Under 359%35–447%45–5415%55–6426%65–7428%75+15%
Plymouth County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms758+6.7%
Land in farms, acres60,036−9.9%
Average farm size, acres79−15.2%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$71.9 million+25.4%
Berries, acres11,438−3.6%
Horses and ponies, head2,371+3.1%
Apples, acres145+71.7%
Goats, head418+4.1%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Plymouth County accounts for 14.9% of farm sales in Massachusetts and 11.4% of the farms in Massachusetts. Rank Massachusetts counties for berries.

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