Commercial Vegetable Production

Dutchess County is home to over 50 vegetable farms which produce a wide variety of vegetables. These farms vary in size from one acre (about a football field in size) up to several hundred acres. The growing season for vegetables is April 20th to October 30th. Harvesting begins in May and continues through the end of October. Many vegetable farmers sell directly to the consumer through farm stands, community farmers markets and the Greenmarket system in New York City.  Below are some recommended resources: 

Marketing:

• Greenmarket (NYC) was founded in 1976 with a two-fold mission: to promote regional agriculture by providing small family farms the opportunity to sell their locally grown products directly to consumers, and to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, most nutritious locally grown food the region has to offer.

• NYS farm markets

• Pride of NY- Your guide to harvest times and availability for the incredible diversity of NYS produce.

• Search for farm products by region in NYS

Growing:

• Cornell Vegetables- Resources for commercial growers.  

• Integrated Pest Management for Vegetable Crops

• Network for Environment and Weather Applications- Weather data, pest forecasts, crop management and crop pages.