While many of those concerned with the loss of manaufacturing jobs have turned their focus to tourism and the hospitality industry, agriculture remains a bedrock of the Geneva economy. In many instances – such as wineries, cheese makers, maple syrup and honey stands, even barns transformed into wedding venues – the two sectors have melded into a flourishing new enterprise called agritourism.

The 2017 Census of Agriculture lists 833 farms in Ontario County, nearly all of them family owned. (New data is scheduled to be released by the USDA in 2024.)

More than 12,000 acres within the Geneva City School District are zoned agricultural. Countywide, farms brought in more than $205 million in 2017, through the sale of dairy, grain, cattle, vegetables, fruits and other crops.

Ontario farms also pump money into the economy as recipients of government subsidies. The total received by dairy farms in the county between 1995 and 2021 exceeded $10 million, according to the Environmental Working Group farm subsidy database. Click here for a list of farms in the Geneva area receiving the most in subsidies.

The following figures, prepared by the USDA, detail finances of farms throughout Ontario County in 2017.