Agriculture has always been an important industry on Long Island, providing fresh food, fiber and horticultural products for our residents as well as preserving wildlife habitats and aesthetic beauty.
Farmland also provides a buffer against urban sprawl and maintains the traditional rural character of the East End of Long Island. Long Island agriculture provides the landscape and scenic beauty that help make tourism
Long Island’s largest industry with over $1 billion in revenues annually. Agriculture provides the scenic vistas desired by visitors and proximity to farm markets where visitors and year-round residents enjoy the advantage of locally produced fruits, vegetables, ornamental horticulture products and wine.
Long Island’s agricultural industry is centered on, but not exclusive to, the eastern two-thirds of Long Island known as Suffolk County. Bounded on the north by Long Island Sound, between the forks by Peconic Bay and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, Suffolk County has a high water to land ratio that provides for moderate temperatures, mild winters, an average of 42 inches of rainfall annually and extended growing seasons. With excellent, well-drained soils, more sunshine than any other area in New York, abundant fresh water and nearness to wholesale and retail markets, it’s not surprising that Long Island is one of the most important agricultural regions in New York.
However, it does surprise many people to learn that Suffolk County is New York’s leading county in wholesale value of agricultural products. In 2002, Suffolk County was ranked 49th in the state for acres in farmland yet it was ranked 1st in market value with approximately $201 million of agricultural products sold. With over 100 different crops grown, Long Island is proud to offer an agricultural diversity that few other areas in the state can match with a commitment to produce an abundance of quality products in areas such as Vegetable and Potatoes, Fruits, Wine and Grapes, Poultry and Livestock, Nursery, Floriculture and Fishing.
Read about the History of Long Island Agriculture