Farm Census

Salem County, New Jersey

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

779 farms97,465 acres in farms$138 million in farm sales

No other county in New Jersey with a published figure has more land in farms, corn for grain, soybeans, wheat or vegetables than Salem County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, vegetables and melons, makes up 45.3% of farm sales, against 19.8% across New Jersey.

Vegetables and melons: 45.3%Vegetables and melons45.3%Grains and oilseeds: 21.8%Grains and oilseeds21.8%Nursery and greenhouse: 16.9%Nursery and greenhouse16.9%Milk: 4.9%Milk4.9%Poultry and eggs: 4.5%4.5%Fruit and nuts: 2.6%Fruit and nuts2.6%Cattle and calves: 1.4%1.4%Hay and other crops: 1.2%1.2%Withheld groups: 0.7%0.7%Aquaculture: 0.2%Horses and mules: 0.2%Sheep and goats: 0.2%Christmas trees: under 0.1%Vegetables and melons: 45.3%Vegetables and melons45.3%Grains and oilseeds: 21.8%21.8%Nursery and greenhouse: 16.9%Nursery and greenhouse16.9%Milk: 4.9%4.9%Poultry and eggs: 4.5%4.5%Fruit and nuts: 2.6%2.6%Cattle and calves: 1.4%1.4%Hay and other crops: 1.2%1.2%Withheld groups: 0.7%Aquaculture: 0.2%Horses and mules: 0.2%Sheep and goats: 0.2%Christmas trees: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: hogs and pigs and other animal products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$62.6 million2nd of 17
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$30.1 million1st of 16
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$23.4 million9th of 17
Milk from cows$6.8 million1st of 6
Poultry and eggs$6.2 million1st of 14
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$3.6 million8th of 17
Cattle and calves$2.0 million2nd of 15
Hay and other crops$1.7 million6th of 16
Aquaculture$271,0004th of 6
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$253,00011th of 15
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$215,0004th of 16
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$27,00016th of 16

What the fields held

Salem County harvested 74,793 acres of cropland in 2022, first of 19 counties in New Jersey. Soybeans covered acreage equal to 42% of that, corn for grain 22%.

CropAcresShare of US
Soybeans31,495under 0.1%
Corn for grain16,141under 0.1%
Vegetables13,2030.31%
of which potatoes1,3440.12%
Wheat9,465under 0.1%
Hay and haylage8,548under 0.1%
Corn for silage647under 0.1%
Orchard land621under 0.1%
of which grapes90under 0.1%
of which apples86under 0.1%
Barley204under 0.1%
Berries31under 0.1%

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms45.9%

Salem County ranks first of 19 counties in New Jersey on this measure.

  • 79,218 acres of cropland, 81% of farmland
  • 6,860 acres of pastureland, 7% of farmland
  • 9,204 acres of woodland, 9% of farmland
  • 19,008 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Salem County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 23 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 125 acres, second-largest of 16 in New Jersey. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 42.9% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 2.3% of the total.

1–923%10–4943%50–17919%180–4998%500–9994%1,000–1,9992%2,000+1%
Salem County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies1,186under 0.1%
Goats892under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs1,128under 0.1%
Milk cows1,193under 0.1%
Beef cows2,152under 0.1%
Cattle and calves6,125under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs289under 0.1%
Turkeys163under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 20221,121under 0.1%

Withheld: laying hens.

Who farms here

Decisions on Salem County's 779 farms are made by 1,321 producers. Their average age is 58.7, the same as the New Jersey average. Women are 35.2% of them.

Under 356%35–4413%45–5417%55–6428%65–7426%75+11%
Salem County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms781−0.3%
Land in farms, acres98,239−0.8%
Average farm size, acres126−0.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$102 million+34.9%
Vegetables, acres12,379+6.7%
Potatoes, acres1,277+5.2%
Horses and ponies, head1,444−17.9%
Soybeans, acres28,844+9.2%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Salem County accounts for 9.3% of farm sales in New Jersey and 7.8% of the farms in New Jersey. Rank New Jersey counties for vegetables.

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