St. Lawrence County has the second highest number of farms in the state and ranks fifth in total agricultural sales.

A just-released report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says St. Lawrence County’s 1,303 farmers made sales totaling $186,431,000, according to the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture.

Only four counties ranked higher in agricultural sales -- Wyoming with $318,414,000, Cayuga with $289,235, Suffolk with $239,818,000 and Genessee with $234,292,000.

St. Lawrence County also ranked second in total number of farms. Only Steuben County ranked higher at 1,667. The next closest was Cayuga with 891 farms.

Across the state, agriculture contributed $37.6 billion to New York’s economy in 2012, an increase of more than 22 percent from 2007, according to a report from the office of state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. New York ranks third nationwide for milk and other dairy production, and is in the top 10 for wine, apples, maple syrup and other products.

“New York’s economy is still fueled by agricultural activity and the production of food,” DiNapoli said. “Farms in New York are 98 percent family-owned, yet compete on a national level, diversifying our economy and keeping our local communities strong. It makes economic sense for the state to retain and promote our farms to feed our residents and preserve our land.”

The North Country region includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties. The region ranks second in the State for total agricultural sales and third in farm acreage. Along with the Finger Lakes region, the North Country is one of the top producers of milk and dairy products as well as cattle and calves, and is the top producer for hay and grass silage for feed

Milk is the state’s largest commodity, with $2.4 billion in sales, followed by grains, peas and beans at $856 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 census. New York also ranked first nationwide in the production of yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream, and was the second-largest wine producer in 2013, with 34 million gallons. The state also ranked second nationally in maple syrup production.

As of 2012, roughly 56,000 New Yorkers operated farms, with an additional 61,000 people hired as farm laborers. Both the total value of agricultural commodity sales and farm acreage increased from 2007 to 2012, while the number of New York farms and farmers declined modestly. With an average farmer’s age of 55 years old – reflecting the national average – fewer younger adults are entering the farming profession. In 2012, more than half of New York farms had sales below $10,000.