FYI: http://www.lifb.com/agriculture_on_li.0.html
Notice the copyright date...2004
The article mentions 5,000 acres, but I wonder if that included horse "farms", a growing part of the industry.
I remember when there were 27,000 acres being farmed, then I heard it was down to 7,000. The figure mentioned, 5,000 acres, is out of date, and today's figure is probably considerably less, but I've heard that the slowing home building market has taken some of the pressure off.
Ditter, you answered a question for me with your remark about the way the Amish have sold off the edges of their farms in Pa. There are many Amish buying farms in upstate NY and I wondered where they got the money, since I never heard that they were abandoning Pa.
Many farmers on LI were able to continue farming, long after rising property taxes would have forced them out, by selling off building lots on the edges of their farms.
Alot of the agricultural output is flowers and plants, raised in greenhouses. Growing sod is also a factor. There is also a remnant of the once huge duck farming industry.
Serving agricultural customers was, for quite a few years, an important part of my business.
Then maybe you shoud stop advocating these takings.