Nelson County, Virginia · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Nelson County, Virginia grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Nelson County's biggest by acreage are hay (12,531 acres), corn (1,247 acres) and apples (554 acres). Its farms sold $34.5 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 40th of 98 counties in Virginia.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $34.5 million2175th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 39968,566 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 87% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 4822 published, 26 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Nelson County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Nelson County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in Virginia and in the US, by the 2022 Census of Agriculture measure shown. An asterisk means the rank is among counties with published figures; a county whose figure is withheld could rank higher.
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of VA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet cherries | 12 acres | 2* | 75* | 13% | bearing acres |
| Peaches | 129 acres | 3* | 47* | 12% | bearing acres |
| Grapes | 404 acres | 4* | 68* | 7% | bearing acres |
| Apples | 554 acres | 2* | 49* | 6% | bearing acres |
| Chile peppers | 3 acres | 4* | 249* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Raspberries | 2 acres | 5* | 223* | 3% | bearing acres |
| Blueberries | 7 acres | 7* | 357* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Spinach | 1 acre | 6* | 211* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Hay | 20,436 tons | 40 | 1,475* | 1% | production |
| Cattle | 10,825 cattle | 42 | 1,784* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Goats | 317 goats | 50 | 1,741* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Sheep | 605 sheep | 33* | 1,319* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Corn | 178,220 bushels | 58* | 1,773* | under 1% | production |
| Watermelon | 1 acre | 15* | 824* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 1 acre | 28* | 916* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 22 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of VA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | 2 acres | 40* | 1,159* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Soybeans | 21,495 bushels | 63* | 1,728* | under 1% | production |
| Eggs | 1,461 laying hens | 45* | 1,416* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Potatoes | 1 acre | 44* | 889* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Milk | 11 milk cows | 41* | 1,283* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hogs | 14 hogs | 74* | 2,290* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 38 turkeys | 37* | 1,150* | under 1% | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: sweet potatoes, lettuce, onions, broccoli, sweet corn, green beans, green peas, pumpkins, cucumbers, bell peppers, cabbage, kale, collard greens, garlic, cantaloupe, strawberries, blackberries, tart cherries, nectarines, pears, plums, figs, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and honey.
What livestock does Nelson County raise?
Other farm counties in Virginia
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Rockingham County | $1.2 billion |
| Augusta County | $448 million |
| Accomack County | $326 million |
| Shenandoah County | $225 million |
| Page County | $205 million |
| Orange County | $142 million |
| Southampton County | $124 million |
| Northampton County | $109 million |
| Pittsylvania County | $99.8 million |
| Washington County | $94.5 million |
| Amelia County | $81 million |
| Franklin County | $78.6 million |
About this data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture, the only NASS source that covers every county. The Census is taken every five years; the next is for 2027. Values NASS withholds to avoid disclosing individual farms are shown as withheld, never as zero. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.