About Ag at CCE

Seneca County is the heartland of the Finger Lakes region with 513 farms and a labor force of owners and employees of 1,000 people managing 128,000 acres. Farms range from less than 9 acres to several thousand acres. The county ranks high in NYS agriculture and the

Top 10 List shows the county to be 1st in hogs and feeder cattle, 2nd in soybeans, and 3rd in wineries. Farm businesses are well served by the agri‐business sector and the county is the site of Empire Farm Days,the biggest farm show in the northeastern U. S. A strong highway system and Finger Lakes Railroad connects harvested grain to feed mills, ethanol plants, and east coast seaports.

Tourists immerse themselves in the scenic beauty of the area as they visit wineries along Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. The Experience the Farms of Seneca County Map features the 27 wineries in the county and the 50 farms that direct market locally produced foods. Complementary to the Cayuga Wine Trail and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail is the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail.

The CCE Seneca Co. Agricultural Economic Development program works with the Seneca Co. Industrial Development Agency to provide information to businesses interested in value added production that create jobs. Top Quality Hay, Seneca BioEnergy, and Northeast Freight Transfer have located their businesses at the Seneca Army Depot,the largest industrial park in northeastern U. S. The Economic Development Program has also worked with the Seneca Co. Chamber of Commerce to promote the “terrior” of the region through Finger Lakes Cork and Fork, a celebration of the food and wine unique to the region. In addition the program works with area farmers in business planning, estate transfer, and regulatory compliance.

Seneca Co. is uniquely centered between Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Ithaca,NY and the NYS Agriculture Experiment Station,Geneva,NY. CCE also contracts with the NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team, Finger Lakes Grape Program, and Cornell Vegetable Team to bring the necessary research in production methods and best management practices to local farm operators and their employees.

Last updated June 7, 2015