Farm operations
471
Avg 153 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MA · FIPS 25003 471 farms Lower-middle (#9/14) 27% cropland HEAVY MIXED
Berkshire County, Massachusetts - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Berkshire County. Ranked #9 of 14 counties in Massachusetts.
72K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 27.4% 20K acres
- Other land
- 72.6% 52K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Berkshire County received $15.32 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the Massachusetts county median of $22.92.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $15.32
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $22.92
- Massachusetts county median per acre
- 0.67×
- Massachusetts median per acre
Payments per acre use the same NASS county table for receipts and acreage. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series.
471 farms · $36.0M sales
Berkshire County, Massachusetts reports 471 farms and $36.0M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1773 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #9 of 14 counties in Massachusetts; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #9 of 14
- National payments rank #1773 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 3.1%
Commodity sales
$36.0M
0.94× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$1.1M
3.1% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$6.8M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Berkshire County's net farm income sits at the 32th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Berkshire County Farm Data Shows
Berkshire County, Massachusetts reported 471 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $36.0M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.1M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($15.32/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $6.8M. In-state sales rank #9 of 14 in Massachusetts.
Of 71,860 acres agricultural land, cropland is 19,678 acres (27.4%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 153 acres. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Massachusetts.
Land Use
$15.32 per acre of agricultural land · the median Massachusetts county receives $22.92. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
71,860 acres
Cropland
19,678 acres
Avg Farm Size
153 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 27.4%
19,678 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 71,860 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 19,678 | 27.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 52,182 | 72.6% |
| Average farm size | 153 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Berkshire County, Massachusetts?
Berkshire County, Massachusetts has 471 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 153 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Berkshire County?
Berkshire County's total commodity sales are $36.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #9 among 14 counties in Massachusetts.
How much federal farm assistance does Berkshire County receive?
Berkshire County received $1.1M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($15.32/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Berkshire County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Berkshire County is $6.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Berkshire County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Berkshire (HEAVY · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY MIXED
LA Crosse County, WI · MID
$1.1M federal receipts is higher by - than Berkshire; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Butte County, ID · MID
$1.1M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Berkshire; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Arenac County, MI · HEAVY
$1.1M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Berkshire; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Mecosta County, MI · MID
$1.1M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Berkshire; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Lexington County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Lexington sits near Berkshire on payments-per-acre ($15.14) while total receipts differ.
Erie County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Erie sits near Berkshire on payments-per-acre ($15.53) while total receipts differ.
Massachusetts ERS state roll-up
Berkshire stamps HEAVY · MIXED inside Massachusetts's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1773)
Berkshire ranks #1773 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Berkshire County, Massachusetts stamps HEAVY · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1773 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Massachusetts compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Massachusetts state page
- Browse the full county table to compare payment intensity across the country. All counties
- Understand what actually drives county-level farm payments. Read the guide
County figures (2022 NASS Census of Agriculture) are a separate population from USDA ERS state and national payment series and must not be summed together.
County farm figures on this page are rendered from the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, no number is typed in by an editor. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.