Acres – Average Land in Counties

Massachusetts Agricultural Census 2017

Only one county gained farmland between 2012 and 2017. Most counties lost farmland, and more than half of the counties saw a decrease in their average farm size, while half of farms saw an increase in average farm size. Between 2012 and 2017, farms over 1,000 acres decreased by 25%, while farms between 500 and 99 acres increased 13.6%.  Overall, farms in Barnstable (46.1 percent); Berkshire (5.5 percent); Essex (15 percent); Hampden (2.7 percent); Hampshire (7.6 percent); Middlesex (16 percent); Essex (17.3 percent); Hampden (8.2 percent); Hampshire (8.1 percent); Middlesex (20.8 percent); Suffolk (100 percent); and Plymouth (1.5 percent) Counties saw increases in average farm sizes. Counties whose average farm size declined included: Bristol (5 percent); Franklin (7.5 percent); Nantucket (40.9 percent); Hampden (2.7 percent); Hampshire (7.6 percent); Norfolk (0.7 percent); and Worcester (6.5 percent).