Agriculture is the science, art, and business of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. Innovative agricultural and farming practices are needed to promote economic development while also protecting our environment.
Vision: Onondaga County will ensure that Agriculture remains a viable and integral part of the economy and a defining characteristic of the landscape.
Components of Agriculture:
Understanding the different components that make up Onondaga County’s agricultural system is an important first step toward County-wide recommendations and investments. The diagram below depicts the complexity of farms which undergo constant pressure to find and keep land in production, transport crops to market, and keep operations viable.
Resources & Links
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/aa7e3c875cc24e1e9c5698eb51214d31
Find data and maps relating to agricultural lands in Onondaga County.
https://onondagagrown.com/whats-fresh/agritourism/
Onondaga County Agritourism Grant Program has awarded over 50 farms with over $800,000. Click the link to see the farms that have won grants through innovative and engaging video interviews.
https://agriculture.ongov.net/toolbox/
To assist municipalities in implementing the Agriculture & Farmland Protection Plan recommendations, and to provide a place to find best practices in local regulation and planning support for agriculture. The toolbox is intended to help municipalities integrate and update their land use plans and regulations as they relate to supporting agricultural land uses, address new and changing dynamics in agriculture, and ensure consistency with NYS Agriculture & Markets laws.
https://agriculture.ongov.net/
This plan is intended to guide Onondaga County legislative policy and the work of its Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board (AFPB) and the County’s agricultural planning programs. It is also intended as a resource for the many towns and villages in Onondaga County, each with their own unique relationship with agriculture, for our important agricultural program partners, and of course, for the County’s 600+ agricultural businesses.
https://onondagagrown.com/onfarmfest/
The Onondaga Agricultural Council will hold the annual ON Farm Fest on September 20th, 2025. Visitors will enjoy a free day of family-friendly fun as local farms across Onondaga County open for tours from 10am-3pm. At ON Farm Fest you’ll learn about life on the farm and discover the latest advances in agriculture. Many farms have local products and food for sale, live music, and interactive exhibits.
