Approximate number of active farms in New York State in 1960: 88,000

Number of active farms in New York State today: roughly 36,000

Number of New York State farms in 2007 that had commodity sales below $1,000 during the previous year: about 10,000 (27% of all NYS farms)

The number of farms that sell directly to the consumers in the six Northern New York counties in 2007: 619

Percentage of the economy driven by consumer spending according to a CBS news report: 70%

Percentage of money from a purchase at a locally owned independent store that remains in the community: 68%

Percentage of money that remains locally from a chain store purchase: $43

Amount of money per square foot a locally owned business generates into the local economy: $179

The amount of money per square foot a nationally owned business generates into the local economy: $105

Percentage of New York State residents who say they will “go out of their way” to buy local foods: 37.4%

Source: www.the350project.net, SUNY Plattsburgh Small Business Center. Reprinted from the first Adirondack North Country Association e-newsletter [pdf]; The Plowline Project; 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture; Adirondack Harvest.

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