Massachusetts Agriculture

Agriculture is alive and well in Massachusetts. About 95% of the state’s 7,083 farms are family owned and operated. Greenhouses, nurseries, garden centers and cranberries dominate the commodity output in Massachusetts. Aquaculture accounts for a large part of state agriculture, as well, mostly from oyster and quahog production.

The Bay State’s climate varies greatly between the eastern seacoast and western mountains. The topography varies as well: in the central part of the state are rolling hills and lakes, while part of the Appalachian Mountains sits in the west and a coastal plain with marshes, beaches and ponds is located in the east. The state is one of the few areas where there isn’t a designated dry or rainy season. Instead, it has precipitation year round. Nearly half the state is forestland.