Agriculture

Agriculture in Richmond has changed a lot in 400 years of western cultivation techniques, and even more drastically since the farming of the early Native Americans. Today agriculture is still a huge part of the Richmond region and a crucial part of Virginia’s economy as a whole.

Numerous farmers markets and community gardens can be found throughout the area.
A variety of agriculture themed festivals are highly popular, drawing tens of thousands each year.
Vertical farming, and modern agribusiness companies are starting to invest heavily in the area.
Vineyards and wineries have always been a big part of the area, and that remains true today.
Hay farming is a surprisingly important crop.

Agricultural Economy of Virginia

The economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia is still largely built on agriculture, even hundreds of years since western cultivation techniques were introduced to this land. It is the state’s largest private industry, and contributes nearly 400,000 jobs to our economy. From cattle and turkeys to corn and peanuts, a variety of livestock and crops are raised at large scale here in Virginia. The history of the Richmond area and the state as a whole is largely one of agricultural production.

Virginia is a state dominated by agricultural production, with agriculture remaining the Commonwealth’s largest industry. Today over a third of Virginia’s land is devoted to agricultural production. The diversity of Virginia’s crop production enables the Commonwealth to rank within the Top 10 in national production in a variety of commodities including tobacco, apples, pumpkins, turkeys, peanuts, and more.