Celebrating Northeast Agriculture

This year’s National Ag Day is Tuesday, March 18. And this year, we celebrate the important role Northeast agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products plays in our everyday lives.

There’s no doubt that agriculture, commercial fishing, forest products and food manufacturing are significant contributors to the Northeast economy. Farm Credit East’s Northeast Economic Engine (2024) indicated that direct ag activity on the farm, in the woods, at the dock or food manufacturing, generated $225 billion in economic activity and supported more than 818,000 jobs across the region.

The following chart from the Northeast Economic Engine shares the significant impacts of agriculture, commercial fishing, forestry and food related businesses throughout the Northeast states.

New England, New York and New Jersey are home to a diverse range of natural resource-based industries in addition to a large food manufacturing industry. The Northeast Economic Engine found that dairy farming and processing had a $43.3 billion impact while supporting 114,482 jobs. The report noted forest products had a $23.2 billion impact, supporting 70,087 jobs. Additionally, commercial fishing, aquaculture and related processing had a $7.6 billion impact, supporting 41,556 jobs in the eight Northeast states.

But agriculture’s impact expands well beyond the farm, forests and waterways. According to USDA’s Economic Research Service, nationally, approximately 22 million people work in agriculture-related fields, which is about 10% of total U.S. employment.   This includes those working in support, processing and marketing activities. These support jobs are important to rural communities near farms, forests and fishing ports. Here in the Northeast, the more than 818,000 people employed in agriculture and related fields work hard every day to provide safe and abundant agricultural products for us all to enjoy.

There is more to agriculture and fishing than the fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, and other food products, or the forest products that we use in our homes. Here in the Northeast, our region’s more than 71,000 farms operate nearly 13 million acres. These farms, waterways and forests provide critical ecosystem services and preserve open space.

Farm Credit East is proud to support and celebrate Northeast agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products on National Ag Day, and every day. 

Click here to review the full Northeast Economic Engine report. 

Read the Northeast Economic Engine report