Canva
1 / 25#25. Marion
- Farmland: 7,108 acres (1.3% of state total)
- Farms: 206
- Most common crop: Native grass (4,041 acres, 56.8% of county farmland)
Counties with the most farmland in West 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 West 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 West Virginia, there are 533,370 acres of farmland, with native grass being the most common crop.
You may also like: The 9 most affordable cities in West Virginia to buy a house
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
2 / 25#24. Raleigh
- Farmland: 7,332 acres (1.4% of state total)
- Farms: 274
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (3,085 acres, 42.1% of county farmland)
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
3 / 25#23. Taylor
- Farmland: 7,728 acres (1.4% of state total)
- Farms: 154
- Most common crop: Native grass (4,810 acres, 62.2% of county farmland)
Canva
4 / 25#22. Marshall
- Farmland: 8,390 acres (1.6% of state total)
- Farms: 216
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (5,211 acres, 62.1% of county farmland)
Canva
5 / 25#21. Lincoln
- Farmland: 8,611 acres (1.6% of state total)
- Farms: 214
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (6,852 acres, 79.6% of county farmland)
You may also like: Hottest Januarys in West Virginia since 1895
Canva
6 / 25#20. Monongalia
- Farmland: 9,057 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 190
- Most common crop: Native grass (5,421 acres, 59.9% of county farmland)
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
7 / 25#19. Nicholas
- Farmland: 9,259 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 244
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (4,669 acres, 50.4% of county farmland)
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
8 / 25#18. Braxton
- Farmland: 9,999 acres (1.9% of state total)
- Farms: 207
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (5,032 acres, 50.3% of county farmland)
Canva
9 / 25#17. Summers
- Farmland: 10,606 acres (2.0% of state total)
- Farms: 269
- Most common crop: Native grass interseeded mixed forage (4,745 acres, 44.7% of county farmland)
mzglass96 // Shutterstock
10 / 25#16. Grant
- Farmland: 11,405 acres (2.1% of state total)
- Farms: 139
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (5,479 acres, 48.0% of county farmland)
You may also like: Best private colleges in West Virginia
Angel Cochran // Shutterstock
11 / 25#15. Putnam
- Farmland: 12,248 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 324
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (7,595 acres, 62.0% of county farmland)
Canva
12 / 25#14. Roane
- Farmland: 13,299 acres (2.5% of state total)
- Farms: 286
- Most common crop: Legume/grass mixture mixed forage (5,857 acres, 44.0% of county farmland)
Canva
13 / 25#13. Randolph
- Farmland: 14,515 acres (2.7% of state total)
- Farms: 257
- Most common crop: Native grass interseeded mixed forage (8,068 acres, 55.6% of county farmland)
Bob Couperthwaite // Shutterstock
14 / 25#12. Hampshire
- Farmland: 18,729 acres (3.5% of state total)
- Farms: 523
- Most common crop: Native grass interseeded mixed forage (8,888 acres, 47.5% of county farmland)
Canva
15 / 25#11. Harrison
- Farmland: 19,823 acres (3.7% of state total)
- Farms: 248
- Most common crop: Native grass (16,328 acres, 82.4% of county farmland)
You may also like: Easy as pie: See the most uniquely popular pie in West Virginia
JNix // Shutterstock
16 / 25#10. Jackson
- Farmland: 20,071 acres (3.8% of state total)
- Farms: 499
- Most common crop: Native grass (4,672 acres, 23.3% of county farmland)
Canva
17 / 25#9. Preston
- Farmland: 20,847 acres (3.9% of state total)
- Farms: 563
- Most common crop: Native grass interseeded mixed forage (6,654 acres, 31.9% of county farmland)
The American Explorer // Shutterstock
18 / 25#8. Monroe
- Farmland: 21,626 acres (4.1% of state total)
- Farms: 660
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (11,446 acres, 52.9% of county farmland)
Nicole Glass Photography // Shutterstock
19 / 25#7. Hardy
- Farmland: 23,412 acres (4.4% of state total)
- Farms: 577
- Most common crop: Native grass (11,451 acres, 48.9% of county farmland)
Byron Key // Shutterstock
20 / 25#6. Berkeley
- Farmland: 25,668 acres (4.8% of state total)
- Farms: 372
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (8,508 acres, 33.1% of county farmland)
You may also like: Coldest Octobers in West Virginia since 1895
Rosemarie Mosteller // Shutterstock
21 / 25#5. Mason
- Farmland: 28,410 acres (5.3% of state total)
- Farms: 367
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (8,164 acres, 28.7% of county farmland)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
22 / 25#4. Greenbrier
- Farmland: 28,702 acres (5.4% of state total)
- Farms: 892
- Most common crop: 2+ interseeded grass mix mixed forage (9,709 acres, 33.8% of county farmland)
Canva
23 / 25#3. Pocahontas
- Farmland: 30,772 acres (5.8% of state total)
- Farms: 538
- Most common crop: Native grass (10,699 acres, 34.8% of county farmland)
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
24 / 25#2. Pendleton
- Farmland: 45,296 acres (8.5% of state total)
- Farms: 575
- Most common crop: Native grass (31,795 acres, 70.2% of county farmland)
Canva
25 / 25#1. Jefferson
- Farmland: 46,055 acres (8.6% of state total)
- Farms: 342
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (12,881 acres, 28.0% of county farmland)
You may also like: Coldest Decembers in West Virginia since 1895
