WHEREAS, agriculture, the Commonwealth’s largest private industry, has an economic impact of $82.3 billion in total industry output, generates more than 381,000 jobs, and has a value-added impact of $43.8 billion; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s 2023 agricultural and forestry exports totaled over $3.6 billion with the state’s top exports consisting of soybeans, wood products, tobacco, poultry, and pork; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is home to 38,995 farms on more than 7.3 million acres of farmland with an average farm size of 187 acres; and

WHEREAS, ninety-five percent of Virginia farms are owned and operated by individuals or families with about 37% of primary farm operators being female; and

WHEREAS, broiler chickens top the Commonwealth’s 2023 list of commodities ranked by cash receipts of more than $1.6 billion followed by cattle and calves, turkeys, milk and dairy products, and soybeans; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is the third largest producer of seafood products in the United States and the state’s commodities rank among the top ten in the nation by production for several other commodities to include third for tobacco; sixth for apples and turkeys; and eighth for peanuts and broilers; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth’s wine industry continues to grow and gain international prominence as the Charlottesville and Monticello American Viticultural Area was named the 2023 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is the destination of choice for Controlled Environment Agriculture businesses to locate and expand due to the state’s strategic access to domestic consumer markets, plentiful natural resources, competitively priced utilities, a skilled talent pipeline, and exceptional public and private partners; and

WHEREAS, the success of the Commonwealth’s agriculture industry is showcased in the innovative technologies and management practices that Virginia farmers utilize to increase efficiency and to steward land, water, and other natural resources; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize June 23-29, 2024, as VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.