Prime Farmland List, Norfolk and Suffolk Counties Massachusetts

NOTE: Only the soils considered prime farmland are listed. Urban or built-up areas of the soils listed are not considered prime farmland.

MAP Unit State Legend	MAP Unit Published Soil Survey	Map Unit Name	Acres
223B	ScB	SCIO VERY FINE SANDY LOAM, 2 TO 5 PERCENT SLOPES	920
251A	HaA	HAVEN SILT LOAM, 0 TO 3 PERCENT SLOPES	340
251B	HaB	HAVEN SILT LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	485
254A	MmA	MERRIMAC FINE SANDY LOAM, 0 TO 3 PERCENT SLOPES	3,420
254B	MmB	MERRIMAC FINE SANDY LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	13,115
256A	DeA	DEERFIELD LOAMY SAND, 0 TO 3 PERCENT SLOPES	245
256B	DeB	DEERFIELD LOAMY SAND, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	470
260B	SuB	SUDBURY FINE SANDY LOAM, 2 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	5,925
300B	MoB	MONTAUK FINE SANDY LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	2,745
305B	PaB	PAXTON FINE SANDY LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	5,936
310A	WrA	WOODBRIDGE FINE SANDY LOAM, 0 TO 3 PERCENT SLOPES	1,095
310B	WrB	WOODBRIDGE FINE SANDY LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	7,905
315B	ScB	SCITUATE FINE SANDY LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	920
325B	NpB	NEWPORT SILT LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	610
345B	PtB	PITTSTOWN SILT LOAM, 2 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	325
420B	CaB	CANTON FINE SANDY LOAM, 3 TO 8 PERCENT SLOPES	6,600

PRIME FARMLAND NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS
(From the Published Soil Survey)

Prime farmland is one of several kinds of important farmlands defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Identification of prime farmland is a major step in meeting the Nation's needs for food and fiber.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines prime farmland as the land that is best suited to producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops. It has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce a sustained high yield of crops while using acceptable farming methods. Prime farmland produces the highest yields and requires minimal amounts of energy and economic resources, and farming it results in the least damage to the environment.

An area identified as prime farmland must be used for producing food or fiber or must be available for those uses. Thus, urban and built-up land and water areas are not classified as prime farmland.

The general criteria for prime farmland are as follows: a generally adequate and dependable supply of moisture from precipitation or irrigation, favorable temperature and growing-season length, acceptable levels of acidity or alkalinity, few or no rocks, and permeability to air and water. Prime farmland is not excessively erodible, is not saturated with water for long periods, and is not flooded during the growing season, The slope range is mainly from 0 to 6 percent. For more detailed information on the criteria for prime farmland, consult the local staff of the Soil Conservation Service.

The survey area contains about 72,300 acres of prime farmland. That acreage makes up about 25 percent of the total acreage in the survey area and is mainly in the central and western parts of the survey area.

The soil map units that make up prime farmland in the survey area are listed in table 5. This list does not constitute a recommendation for a particular land use. The extent of each listed map unit is shown in table 4, and the location of each unit is shown on the detailed soil maps at the back of this publication. The soil properties and characteristics that affect use and management of the units are described in the section "Detailed Soil Map Units."

Some soils in table 5 are classified as prime farmland if certain limitations of the soil are overcome. The measures needed to overcome the limitations of such soils are given in parentheses after the name of the map unit.