Agriculture Profile*
Land
- 456 farms (438 farms in 1997, up 4%)
- 84,691 acres of land in farms (78,446 acres in 1997, up 8%)
- 186 acres is average size of farm (179 acres in 1997, up 4%)
- Market Value of Production, average per farm: $16,590 ($15,691 in 1997, up 6%)
- Market Value of Production: $7,565,000 ($6,872,000 in 1997, up 10%)
- Crop sales accounted for $4,862,000 of the total value
- Livestock sales accounted for $2,703,000 of the total value
Government Payments
- $224,000 ($166,000 in 1997, up 35%)
- Government Payments, average per farm receiving payments: $2,761 ($3,210 in 1997 down 14%)
Major Crops
- Hay and forages
- Tree fruit – apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries
- Agronomic crops – corn, soybeans, small grains
- Vineyards
- Greenhouses – bedding plants, perennials
- Nurseries – ornamentals, fruit
- Vegetables – pumpkins, market produce
Fruit Industry
Nelson County ranks third in apple production, fifth in grape production in Virginia (2006)
- 12 orchards
- 14 vineyards: produced 400 tons on 110 bearing acres
- 10 wineries
- 3 breweries
- 1 single malt Scottish style whisky distillery
- 13,313 pounds of apples produced in 2006 -
Livestock (2006)
Successful Operations – cow/calf farms, purebred beef breeding, equine training and riding
- 19,700 cattle and calves and beef cattle
- 732 goats
- 520 layers - 20 weeks old and older
- 484 horses and ponies
- 1200 sheep and lambs
- 1400 hogs
Other Farm Enterprises
- Landscape Design and Installation
- Garden Centers
- Farm Markets
- Pick Your Own Berries
- Herbs and Herb Products
- Tree and Lawn Care
- Irrigation Services
- Tissue Culture and Plant Propagation
Forestry
Two-thirds of the county is forested: 233,613 acres
*Data: 2002 Census