Farming is Deep in our Roots

The beginnings of the Town of Ballston go back to a group of people following Eliphalet Ball north to an area they perceived to be excellent in farming and home to many large animals. This group purchased land through the Kayaderosseras Patent. Many of the farms and large plots of land in the town of Ballston deed’s are derived directly from this.

Historically the town has always been much of a farming community as evidenced in the land deeds preserved over the years. In 1874, Ballston was number one in the country for the production of winter wheat and barely and third in the production of hay. The number of milking cows was second only to the neighboring Moreau. There were over 253 farms in that year and more than one quarter of them were 100 acres or more. Certainly, no study of Ballston’s agriculture is complete without mention of hops whose planting promoted the name Hop City Road. Even as the years have passed by and the continuing influx of new people, farming continues to be a mainstay of the Town of Ballston.

If you want to help or be involved, we welcome you. Please see our Contact info. We welcome you to know the over 40 farms in Ballston and know that the mission they carry is the same: Supporting local hometown farms in the pursuit of preserving the rural character of the town we love.