Virginia Farms and Ranches: Agriculture History, How Farms Make Money and Strategy
Guide updated November 2026
Virginia farms are mostly small and family run: the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 38,995 farms on about 7.31 million acres, averaging 187 acres, with about $5.49 billion in sales. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says agriculture and forestry have more than an $82 billion economic impact and support over 381,800 jobs.
| Farms and land in farms | 38,995 farms on about 7.31 million acres, average 187 acres (2022 Census of Agriculture) |
|---|---|
| Top commodities | Broilers, cattle and calves, turkeys, dairy, soybeans, corn (2021 cash receipts, VDACS) |
| Market value of ag products sold | About $5.49 billion in total sales (2022 Census of Agriculture) |
| State agriculture department | Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) |
| Land-grant extension | Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech and Virginia State University) |
| Farm Bureau | Virginia Farm Bureau Federation |
Agriculture in Virginia: A Short History
Virginia's farming history reaches back to Jamestown, where tobacco became the first major cash crop and shaped land, labor and trade for generations. Tobacco remained important in Southside and the Piedmont into the twenty-first century. The federal tobacco buyout in 2004 pushed many growers to look at other crops, and families such as the Bass family of Campbell County moved into sod, soybeans and timber.
Virginia also has a long record of multi-generation farms. VDACS runs a Century Farm program for farms owned by one family for 100 years or more, and Virginia Cooperative Extension has nominated farmers for the Virginia Farmer of the Year since 1990. Today the Shenandoah Valley, the Piedmont, Southside and the Eastern Shore each support different mixes of poultry, cattle, orchards, grain, vegetables and nursery crops.
How Farms in Virginia Make Money
Poultry and livestock lead sales
VDACS reports the top 2021 farm cash receipts as broilers at $956.5 million, cattle and calves at $381.4 million, turkeys at $345.2 million, milk at $297.8 million, soybeans at $294.8 million and corn at $266.0 million. Poultry, especially in the Shenandoah Valley, is the single largest earner, and many growers raise birds under contract.
Row crops, hay and horticulture
Corn, soybeans, wheat and hay support the poultry and cattle industries. Floriculture and nursery crops reached $144.5 million in 2021, and Saunders Brothers in Nelson County is one example of a large nursery and orchard business. Tobacco, though smaller than before, still appears on Southside farms such as Briar View Farm.
Exports, direct sales and agritourism
VDACS reports agricultural and forestry exports of over $5 billion in 2022, led by soybeans and soybean meal, pork, poultry and tobacco. Closer to home, farm markets, pick-your-own orchards and direct-to-consumer meat sales such as Polyface Farm's let smaller farms capture retail margin.
Agriculture Strategy for Virginia Farms
Soils, water and climate
Virginia spans several regions. The Shenandoah Valley and Ridge supports pasture, orchards and poultry; the Piedmont has rolling rented and owned cropland and cattle; Southside has the tobacco and sod history; and the Coastal Plain favors grain, vegetables and poultry. Plan around the region: pasture rotation and frost-aware orchard siting in the mountains, erosion control and cover crops on the Piedmont, and drainage and nutrient planning on the coast. Virginia Cooperative Extension offices in each county are the best source for local soil and variety advice.
Production and risk
Mixed enterprises reduce risk. Briar View Farm combines tobacco, cattle, wheat and poultry, and Bass Sod Farm combines sod, soybeans, timber and sunflowers. Crop insurance, FSA disaster and conservation programs, and no-till and cover-crop practices like those used by Promise Land Farm can protect yield and soil. Check the FSA Virginia state office for current programs and deadlines, including ARC and PLC enrollment.
Technology and inputs
Precision tools such as GPS guidance and variable-rate application help farms of every size trim input waste. Rented ground can limit long-term investments, so many operators start with practices that pay back within a season or two, such as soil testing, scouting and better grain storage.
Farm Business Strategy in Virginia
Margins and markets
With 59 percent of Virginia farms selling under $10,000 a year and only 2,988 reaching $250,000 or more in 2022, most farms depend on off-farm income, direct sales or a niche. Larger commodity farms focus on cost control, storage and marketing. The Virginia Farm Bureau Grain Division buys corn, wheat, soybeans, barley, oats and milo from Virginia farmers, offering a local market option.
Land, credit and succession
Land access is the chief obstacle for new farms. Glenn Dye of Promise Land Farm built to about 1,500 acres by renting from landowners who offered him ground, and Robert Mills of Briar View Farm rents most of his land from 29 owners. FSA loans, Farm Credit lenders and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation conservation easement program can all be part of a land plan. Succession needs written agreements, a family meeting and legal advice well before retirement.
Marketing and diversification
Branding and direct relationships pay off. Saunders Brothers sells wholesale and through its farm market, and Bass Sod Farm sells straight to landscapers and homeowners. VDACS and the Farm Bureau both support value-added and agritourism businesses, and VA FAIRS offers help with value-added ventures.
Farm Insight: Virginia Trends to Watch
Virginia's farm count is shifting. VDACS cites 41,500 farms and 97 percent family ownership, while the 2022 Census counted 38,995 farms, so check which source and year a statistic uses. VDACS also says Virginia leads in controlled environment agriculture, a sector to watch.
Awards show what works. Recent Virginia Farmer of the Year winners have included large diversified operations, and the contrast between a 1,500-acre grain farm and a nursery with more than 1,100 products suggests there is no single model, only well-run ones.
Virginia gives farm satire plenty of material, from broiler houses that outproduce every other crop to tobacco barns that now hold hay and nostalgia. At farm.FM we file the Commonwealth's mix of orchards, nurseries and monster-truck sod advertising under farm humor. The ranch humor shelf is stocked with Blue Ridge cattle and fence-line weather reports, and our farm jokes about who is doing the chores in a century-old family always end with a thank-you.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
Elite Farms and Ranches in Virginia
These 5 operations are profiled in full, with history, how each makes money, lessons for other farms and published contact details.
Elite operations in Virginia
- Bass Sod FarmElite operation. Gladys, Virginia. Bass Sod Farm of Gladys, Virginia: a Century Farm that moved from tobacco to sod, 2024 Virginia Farmer of the Year. History, revenue, lessons.
- Briar View FarmElite operation. Callands, Virginia. Briar View Farm of Callands, Virginia: Robert Mills's 2,200-acre tobacco, beef and poultry farm, 2017 Southeastern Farmer of the Year. History, contact.
- Polyface FarmElite operation. Swoope, Virginia. Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia: the Salatin family's grass-based livestock farm, with history, revenue streams, lessons and contact details.
- Promise Land FarmElite operation. Appomattox, Virginia. Promise Land Farm in Virginia: Glenn Dye's 1,500-acre no-till corn and soybean farm, 2026 Virginia Farmer of the Year. History, revenue, lessons.
- Saunders BrothersElite operation. Piney River, Virginia. Saunders Brothers of Piney River, Virginia: 1915 family nursery and orchard, 2022 Southeastern Farmer of the Year. History, revenue, lessons, contact.
Who to Contact in Virginia: Agriculture Offices and Associations
- VDACS agriculture facts - State statistics on farms, receipts and exports
- Virginia Cooperative Extension - Land-grant extension for Virginia farmers
- NASS 2022 Census, Virginia - Farm counts, acres and sales by legal status
- Virginia Farm Bureau Federation - Grain marketing, value-added help and policy
- FSA Virginia state office - Loans, conservation, disaster and income support
- Virginia Farmer of the Year - Award program and past winners
- USDA Census of Agriculture - National farm statistics
Virginia Farming FAQ
How many farms are in Virginia?
The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 38,995 farms on about 7.31 million acres. VDACS cites about 41,500 farms for 2023-2024.
What are Virginia's top agricultural commodities?
VDACS lists broilers, cattle and calves, turkeys, milk, soybeans and corn among the top 2021 cash receipts.
Who can help a Virginia farmer with loans?
The FSA Virginia state office in Richmond offers farm loans, conservation, disaster and income support programs.
Where can I contact Virginia's elite farms?
See the profiled operations below, each with the contact details that are publicly available.
These Virginia farms show that no single model wins: a grass-based livestock farm, a nursery and orchard, a sod business, a tobacco and cattle operation and a no-till grain farm all earned recognition. Read the profiled operations below for more detail.