Counties with the most farmland in Virginia
Farmland across the U.S. is disappearing by the millions of acres each decade by some estimates as sprawling urban development driven by rising housing costs pushes further into rural pastures.
The farmland that still exists in the U.S. is heavily dedicated to growing plants that Americans can't consume—grass. That grass, accounting for more than 300 million acres now, feeds our livestock, provides sod for new development, and serves as a cover crop to protect soil health between harvests.
Demand for major crops like corn and soybeans to feed Americans is only forecast by the USDA to grow in the coming decade, and demand for U.S. agricultural exports is expected to grow similarly.
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way people purchased and consumed food, placing renewed attention on an increasingly consolidated agricultural industry where family farms have been swallowed up by large food corporations.
And after shifting behaviors caused massive economic swings in the U.S. and elsewhere, the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced food producers to once again account for yet another shock with so much of the world's grain capital taken offline by warfare.
War and corporate interests aside, farms have also had to reckon with a changing climate. Wheat fields were once commonplace across the country, but drought conditions of late have caused farmers to give up growing the crop entirely. Agitated by climate change, the shortage of water in parts of the country coupled with higher interest rates and the ongoing war in Ukraine are making agricultural businesses harder to run profitably.
To illustrate where American farms still persevere, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most farmland in Virginia using data from the Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency. Farmers reported the data as mandated by participation in USDA income support programs, including Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage as well as loan assistance. Counties are ranked by total acres of farmland.
In Virginia, there are 3,074,491 acres of farmland, with cereals and other grasses cover crop being the most common crop.
#25. Surry
- Farmland: 45,111 acres (1.5% of state total)
- Farms: 442
- Most common crop: Cereals and other grasses cover crop (14,866 acres, 33.0% of county farmland)
#24. Orange
- Farmland: 45,724 acres (1.5% of state total)
- Farms: 322
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (18,619 acres, 40.7% of county farmland)
#23. Amelia
- Farmland: 45,951 acres (1.5% of state total)
- Farms: 547
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (11,098 acres, 24.2% of county farmland)
#22. Dinwiddie, Petersburg City
- Farmland: 47,186 acres (1.5% of state total)
- Farms: 750
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (15,660 acres, 33.2% of county farmland)
#21. Northumberland
- Farmland: 47,845 acres (1.6% of state total)
- Farms: 765
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (16,764 acres, 35.0% of county farmland)
#20. Culpeper
- Farmland: 48,584 acres (1.6% of state total)
- Farms: 309
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (12,607 acres, 25.9% of county farmland)
#19. Northampton
- Farmland: 50,863 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 605
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (22,058 acres, 43.4% of county farmland)
#18. Fauquier
- Farmland: 52,094 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 479
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (13,695 acres, 26.3% of county farmland)
#17. Caroline
- Farmland: 52,311 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 611
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (15,956 acres, 30.5% of county farmland)
#16. Russell
- Farmland: 53,548 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 653
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (39,770 acres, 74.3% of county farmland)
#15. Franklin
- Farmland: 60,488 acres (2.0% of state total)
- Farms: 944
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (16,112 acres, 26.6% of county farmland)
#14. Bedford
- Farmland: 60,859 acres (2.0% of state total)
- Farms: 1,245
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (30,243 acres, 49.7% of county farmland)
#13. Hanover
- Farmland: 61,192 acres (2.0% of state total)
- Farms: 805
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (19,841 acres, 32.4% of county farmland)
#12. Mecklenburg
- Farmland: 67,406 acres (2.2% of state total)
- Farms: 843
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (21,707 acres, 32.2% of county farmland)
#11. Sussex
- Farmland: 68,448 acres (2.2% of state total)
- Farms: 651
- Most common crop: Cereals and other grasses cover crop (21,016 acres, 30.7% of county farmland)
#10. Wythe
- Farmland: 71,725 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 1,058
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (43,892 acres, 61.2% of county farmland)
#9. Suffolk
- Farmland: 71,925 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 926
- Most common crop: Cereals and other grasses cover crop (19,364 acres, 26.9% of county farmland)
#8. Essex
- Farmland: 72,180 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 629
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (23,410 acres, 32.4% of county farmland)
#7. Pittsylvania
- Farmland: 74,519 acres (2.4% of state total)
- Farms: 1,399
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (23,650 acres, 31.7% of county farmland)
#6. Isle of Wight
- Farmland: 78,714 acres (2.6% of state total)
- Farms: 727
- Most common crop: Cereals and other grasses cover crop (27,569 acres, 35.0% of county farmland)
#5. Halifax
- Farmland: 80,581 acres (2.6% of state total)
- Farms: 1,167
- Most common crop: Idle (15,877 acres, 19.7% of county farmland)
#4. Rockingham, Harrisonburg City
- Farmland: 87,800 acres (2.9% of state total)
- Farms: 1,030
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (24,414 acres, 27.8% of county farmland)
#3. Accomack
- Farmland: 88,337 acres (2.9% of state total)
- Farms: 1,206
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (32,842 acres, 37.2% of county farmland)
#2. Augusta
- Farmland: 99,129 acres (3.2% of state total)
- Farms: 1,041
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (39,325 acres, 39.7% of county farmland)
#1. Southampton, Franklin City
- Farmland: 164,764 acres (5.4% of state total)
- Farms: 1,269
- Most common crop: Cereals and other grasses cover crop (64,535 acres, 39.2% of county farmland)
