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Corn acres are down in most states, but wheat acreage is up along with hay acres — except in Pennsylvania.

Chris Torres, Editor, American Agriculturist

April 5, 2021

2 Min Read
man loading soybean seats into planter
BETTING ON BEANS: Like most areas of the country, farmers in the Northeast, Michigan and Ohio are increasing acres in soybeans. Wheat and hay acreage also is up, except in Pennsylvania. fotokostic/Getty Images

If you’re a cash crop producer, 2021 is shaping up to be a great year. If you’re a livestock producer, challenges await.

That’s the general sentiment from analysts based on USDA’s Prospective Planting Report for 2021. Farmers are expected to plant 91.1 million acres of corn, up less than 1% from last year; 87.6 million acres of soybeans, up 5% from last year; and 46.4 million acres of wheat, also up 5% — but the fourth-lowest since records began in 1919.

So, what are farmers in the Northeast, Michigan and Ohio thinking? More soybeans are going into the ground this spring, as well as higher wheat production in most places, too, largely mirroring the national trend of more soybean and wheat acres, and a smaller increase in corn acres. The actual planted acreage will be adjusted as the season moves forward.

Take a look at the graphic below to see projected acreage of corn, soybeans and wheat across the highest production states in the region.

Prospective plantings for Northeast, Michigan and Ohio

Other states in alphabetical order:

Corn

Connecticut. 26,000 acres, up 8.3%

Maine. 27,000 acres, down 10%

Massachusetts. 14,000 acres, unchanged

New Hampshire. 13,000 acres, unchanged

New Jersey. 85,000 acres, down 2.2%

Vermont. 81,000 acres, down 4.7%

West Virginia. 53,000 acres, up 3.9%

Soybeans

New Jersey. 105,000 acres, up 11%

Hay

Pennsylvania has the most hay acres at 1.35 million acres, down slightly from last year.

New York’s hay acreage is 1.08 million acres, up 1.8%. Ohio hay acreage is 880,000 acres, up 2.3%. Michigan hay acreage is 820,000 acres, up 5.12%.

Other states:

Connecticut. 45,000 acres, down 2.2%

Delaware. 14,000 acres, no change

Maine. 104,000 acres, no change

Maryland. 210,000 acres, up 5%

Massachusetts. 68,000 acres, up 13%

New Hampshire. 50,000 acres, up 19%

New Jersey. 110,000 acres, up 3.77%

Vermont. 165,000 acres, down 1.19%

West Virginia. 575,000 acres, up 6.4%

Barley

Delaware. 21,000 acres, no change

Maine. 15,000 acres, no change

Maryland. 35,000 acres, up 2.9%

Michigan. 15,000 acres, up 36%

New York. 9,000 acres, no change

Pennsylvania. 39,000 acres, down 13.3%

Oats

Maine. 23,000 acres, down 11%

Michigan. 75,000 acres, up 7.42%

New York. 47,000 acres, down 9.61%

Ohio. 65,000 acres, up 18%

Pennsylvania. 65,000 acres, down 24%

Winter wheat

New Jersey. 23,000 acres, down 8%

About the Author(s)

Chris Torres

Editor, American Agriculturist

Chris Torres, editor of American Agriculturist, previously worked at Lancaster Farming, where he started in 2006 as a staff writer and later became regional editor. Torres is a seven-time winner of the Keystone Press Awards, handed out by the Pennsylvania Press Association, and he is a Pennsylvania State University graduate.

Torres says he wants American Agriculturist to be farmers' "go-to product, continuing the legacy and high standard (former American Agriculturist editor) John Vogel has set." Torres succeeds Vogel, who retired after 47 years with Farm Progress and its related publications.

"The news business is a challenging job," Torres says. "It makes you think outside your small box, and you have to formulate what the reader wants to see from the overall product. It's rewarding to see a nice product in the end."

Torres' family is based in Lebanon County, Pa. His wife grew up on a small farm in Berks County, Pa., where they raised corn, soybeans, feeder cattle and more. Torres and his wife are parents to three young boys.

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