100 Years of Dairy Farming: town of Dryden, tompkins County, New York

Abstract

A history and analysis of farm management surveys for the previous year, conducted on every dairy farm in the Town of Dryden each decade save one, from 1908 through 2008 is presented. Five times as much milk was sold in 2007 from dairy farms based in Dryden as was sold in 1917. Labor productivity in terms of milk sold per worker has increased 35 times in the century reflecting the great gains made from advances in agricultural technology. Dairy farm numbers have decreased from 206 in 1907 to 8 in 2007. Dryden’s dairy farms continue as an important contributor to the economy of the Town.