RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A census shows that agriculture is growing by almost every measure in Virginia.
The final figures were released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service and are based on a 2012 census. In terms of land use, the state has more than 8 million acres devoted to farming. That is up 2.4 percent from 2007, when the last census was done.
The average value of agricultural products sold per farm was $81,540, up from $61,334 in 2007. The average size of a farm was 180 acres, while the average age of the principal farm operator was 59.5 years.
Virginia agriculture also saw a large increase in the market value of all farm products — up 29 percent to $3.75 billion. Livestock accounts for $2.4 billion, while crops account for the rest.
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