Farm Census

Worcester County, Massachusetts

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

1,623 farms90,983 acres in farms$87.1 million in farm sales

No other county in Massachusetts with a published figure has more farms, land in farms, hay and haylage, orchard land or laying hens, or sells more farm products than Worcester County.

Its largest product group, nursery and greenhouse crops, makes up 23.9% of farm sales, against 27.0% across Massachusetts.

Nursery and greenhouse: 23.9%Nursery and greenhouse23.9%Vegetables and melons: 20.2%Vegetables and melons20.2%Fruit and nuts: 18.4%Fruit and nuts18.4%Poultry and eggs: 11.2%Poultry and eggs11.2%Milk: 9.8%Milk9.8%Hay and other crops: 7.3%Hay and other crops7.3%Cattle and calves: 3.7%Cattle and calves3.7%Grains and oilseeds: 1.3%1.3%Christmas trees: 1.3%1.3%Hogs and pigs: 0.8%0.8%Horses and mules: 0.8%0.8%Sheep and goats: 0.7%0.7%Other animals: 0.6%Aquaculture: under 0.1%Nursery and greenhouse: 23.9%23.9%Vegetables and melons: 20.2%20.2%Fruit and nuts: 18.4%Fruit and nuts18.4%Poultry and eggs: 11.2%Poultry and eggs11.2%Milk: 9.8%Milk9.8%Hay and other crops: 7.3%7.3%Cattle and calves: 3.7%3.7%Grains and oilseeds: 1.3%1.3%Christmas trees: 1.3%1.3%Hogs and pigs: 0.8%Horses and mules: 0.8%Sheep and goats: 0.7%Other animals: 0.6%Aquaculture: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$20.8 million3rd of 12
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$17.6 million3rd of 12
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$16.0 million2nd of 12
Poultry and eggs$9.8 million1st of 12
Milk from cows$8.5 million2nd of 7
Hay and other crops$6.3 million1st of 10
Cattle and calves$3.2 million2nd of 10
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$1.2 million2nd of 9
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$1.2 million1st of 9
Hogs and pigs$724,0001st of 9
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$700,0002nd of 9
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$649,0001st of 12
Other animals and animal products$481,0003rd of 12
Aquaculture$4,0006th of 6

What the fields held

Worcester County harvested 29,181 acres of cropland in 2022, first of 14 counties in Massachusetts. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 73% of that, vegetables 7%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage21,398under 0.1%
Vegetables1,976under 0.1%
of which potatoes85under 0.1%
Corn for silage1,760under 0.1%
Orchard land1,575under 0.1%
of which grapes77under 0.1%
of which apples1,1550.28%
Corn for grain350under 0.1%
Berries2860.08%
Wheat17under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: barley, dry edible beans and pecans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms9.4%

Worcester County ranks sixth of 14 counties in Massachusetts on this measure.

  • 34,018 acres of cropland, 37% of farmland
  • 14,475 acres of pastureland, 16% of farmland
  • 34,918 acres of woodland, 38% of farmland
  • 1,825 acres irrigated

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies3,0780.13%
Goats2,4420.10%
Sheep and lambs2,7710.05%
Laying hens116,679under 0.1%
Milk cows1,719under 0.1%
Beef cows2,162under 0.1%
Cattle and calves6,309under 0.1%
Turkeys4,927under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs1,655under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 202210,806under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Worcester County's 1,623 farms are made by 2,962 producers. Their average age is 58.6, 0.1 years below the Massachusetts average. Women are 45.5% of them.

Under 359%35–4412%45–5412%55–6428%65–7427%75+12%
Worcester County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms1,568+3.5%
Land in farms, acres95,308−4.5%
Average farm size, acres61−8.2%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$65.2 million+33.6%
Apples, acres1,758−34.3%
Horses and ponies, head2,677+15.0%
Goats, head2,964−17.6%
Berries, acres187+52.9%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Worcester County accounts for 14.3% of farm sales in Massachusetts and 22.9% of the farms in Massachusetts. Rank Massachusetts counties for apples.

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