An overview of agriculture in Bedford County.
Agriculture and Forestry are by far the largest land use in the County. It is also a powerful economic engine, with $29,262,000 annually in farm sales alone.
| Commodity | Value (2022) |
| Cattle and Calves | $14,309,000 |
| Milk | N/A |
| Other crops and Hay | $5,446,000 |
| Fruits/Berries | $1,206,000 |
| Nursery/Greenhouse | $2,819,000 |
| Grains (Corn, Wheat, Soybeans) | $2,401,000 |
| Vegetables | $122,000 |
| Horses/Ponies | $844,000 |
| Christmas Trees | $38,000 |
| Sheep and lambs | $38,000 |
| Goats | $77,000 |
| **Bedford ranks 49th among Virginia counties in cash receipts from agricultural product sales. | |
| Value of agricultural products sold direct to individuals for human consumption | |
| 2007 | $565,000 |
| 2012 | $453,000 |
| 2017 | $1,210,000 |
| 2022 | $1,178,000 |
| Total Land Area | Land in Farms | % Land Area in Farms |
| 486,329 acres | 183,200 acres | 37.7 |
| Average farm Size | 155 acres | |
| Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2022 | ||
| State Rankings of Bedford Agriculture (among Virginia Counties) | |
| All Cattle and Calves (38,626 head) | #7 |
| Beef Cows (20,984 head) | #3 |
| Milk Cows (230 head) | N/A |
| Hay (41,060 acres) | #1 |
| Horses (1,342 head) | #6 |
| Goats (1,037 head) | #9 |
| Orchards (243 acres) | #15 |
| Grapes (70 acres) | #8 |
| Sources: U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2022 | |
Forestry
The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry produced $14.1M in GDP for Bedford County in 2022.
Virginia is estimated to make $43.4M in annual purchases from suppliers in the US with about 17% or $7.2M of these purchases being made from businesses in Bedford County.
Source: JobsEQ Chmura Economics & Analytics
| Bedford Businesses dependent on agriculture: |
|---|
| Farm Bureau |
| Bedford Cooperative |
| Bedford-Augusta Cooperative |
| Moneta Farm and Home Center |
| Tractor Supply Company |
| Royal Oak Farm |
| Boone Tractor |
| Powers Tractor and Equipment |
| Robertson Equipment |
| New London Tractor and Implement |
| Springlake Livestock Market |
| Farm Credit of the Virginias |
| First Bank and Trust Company |
| George’s Seed, Feed, and Grow Store |
| Eco-Friendly Foods – meat processing facility |
| Farm Building/Fencing Contractors |
| Bedford Animal Hospital |
| Lil Doc’s Veterinary Service |
| Equine Veterinarians |
| Estimated Market Value of Land and Buildings, Dollars/Acre, Bedford | |
|---|---|
| 1987 | $1,007.00 |
| 1992 | $1,206.00 |
| 1997 | $1,943.00 |
| 2002 | $2,920.00 |
| 2007 | $4,727.00 |
| 2012 | $4,430.00 |
| 2017 | $4,399.00 |
| 2022 | $5,339.00 |
| Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture | |
Farmer Characteristics
| 2007 | 2012 | 2017 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # Farms, total | 1,428 | 1,369 | 1,418 | |
| Farmer age group | ||||
| Under 25 years | 10 | 3 | 40 | 25 |
| 25-34 years | 34 | 35 | 165 | 91 |
| 35-44 | 166 | 102 | 193 | 186 |
| 45-54 | 352 | 304 | 373 | 280 |
| 55-54 | 352 | 385 | 679 | 555 |
| 65+ | 515 | 540 | 809 | 870 |
| Average Age | 59 | 59 | N/A | 61 |
| Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture | ||||
