Green pastures and a temperate climate make Wyoming County #2 for dairy production and #1 in New York State for maple production with significant corn, bean, berry, apple, and potato crops too. In addition, our proximity to several universities specializing in agriculture and engineering has made Wyoming County a front-runner in the development of precision agriculture, helping farmers optimize production through sustainable and affordable methods. Significant companies already calling Wyoming County home are Morton Salt and Creative Food ingredients.
Wyoming County's food processing industry has grown by more than 50% since 2010, thanks to low costs of doing business, a highly skilled workforce and easy access to key ingredients. Our capacity for growth remains strong with excellent opportunities for companies expanding manufacturing capabilities and for private-label and contract terms.
New York State's Dairy Leader
Just how big is agribusiness in Wyoming County? We are the highest milk producing county in New York state - 1.02 billion pounds of milk is produced annually from a herd of over 53,000 cows. Wyoming County is also the 28th highest milk-producing county in the United States.
The county has 207,900 acres of land in farms that sell over $1.4 billion annually in crops and livestock. (USDA 2002) Within a 30-mile radius, you'll find 2,300 acres of potatoes, 6,000 acres of other vegetables and fruits (peas, beans, berries and apples), and bumper crops of maple syrup that are harvested every year and, like the milk, these commodities are processed outside of Wyoming County. (USDA 2002)
Production Cost Savings
Imagine the production cost savings for your food processing business, with such an abundance of raw food sources nearby. For anyone associated with the production of specialized cheese, dairy products, the processing of fruits, vegetables, or the production of specialty agricultural products, the opportunities in Wyoming County may be unparalleled anywhere else in the nation!
New York is the third largest milk producer among the 50 states and Wyoming County is New York State's top milk producer. The County is the location of the State's largest and most successful dairy farms. Its success directly relates to two factors; the ability to grow excellent forages in large quantities, and a progressive business approach to the industry. Wyoming County dairy farmers have been leading New York forward for several years now, establishing a model that has allowed the state to maintain a strong dairy industry.
Wyoming County is also well positioned to supply northeast metropolitan markets that are among the largest and wealthiest in the world.
Reliable Milk Supply
More importantly, Wyoming County's large dairies provide a reliable milk supply to meet the needs of today's vertically integrated consumer product distribution systems.
The County's dairy farms are capable of efficiently delivering large quantities of quality product to the ever larger processors who, in turn, supply the nations' largest retail distributors. The ability to deliver a regular supply of consistent quality milk is essential to the economics of these systems. Wyoming County farmers have risen to the challenge by applying good business management skills, growing the sizes of their operations and achieving the required economies of scale to stay competitive in a commodity industry.
"In Wyoming County there is a very diverse agricultural economy and with that comes a large network of supporting businesses and entities such as the Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency that creates great opportunity for expansion and growth. This network of resources has helped two of our agribusiness companies expand this year."
- Adam Marquart
T.J. Marquart & Sons
