Agriculture in and around Nongstoin is predominantly subsistence and cash-crop farming adapted to the hilly terrain. Farmers practice both terraced cultivation and traditional shifting cultivation (Jhum), though the latter is being discouraged for environmental reasons.
Major food crops include rice, maize, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The region is highly noted for its cash crops, which include broom grass (used to make traditional brooms sold across India), bay leaves (tejpatta), betel leaf (pan), areca nut (kwai), and ginger. Organic farming is common by default, as traditional methods rely heavily on natural compost rather than chemical fertilizers.