This website consolidates and provides information on the grazing of different livestock species (including cattle, goats, sheep, and mixed species) in the northeastern United States with a focus on New York State. In 2017, 6,866,171 acres of New York State were used as farmland. Of this total, 16% was used for pasture—that is 429,136 acres. However, this number does not take into account the over 30 million acres of idle land in New York State that could be grazed by livestock in the future.
Sources
- Baker DM, Benson F, Blood C, Dennis M, Green J, Griffen F, Grace J, Harmon C, Hoffman K, Jaffe K, et al. Increasing Livestock Production on Underutilized Grasslands in New York State. :37. https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/GreenGrassGreenJobs_7.22.11-272pxhr.pdf
- DiNAPOLI TP. A Profile of Agriculture in New York State. :12. https://www.osc.state.ny.us/sites/default/files/reports/documents/pdf/2020-02/agriculture-report-2019.pdf
- USDA/NASS Census of Agriculture Chapter 1, Table 8. [accessed 2020 Jun 24]. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/CDQT/chapter/1/table/8/state/NY/year/2017