Virginia Agriculture Week

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, the average farm size is 181 acres, and Virginia is home to 43,225 farms on 7.8 million acres of land; and,

WHEREAS, ninety-seven percent of Virginia farms are owned and operated by families and the typical Virginia farmer is 58.5 years old with about 36% of primary farm operators being female; and,

WHEREAS, broiler chickens top the state’s commodities list with annual cash receipts at $625 million, followed by cattle, turkeys, dairy and milk, and soybeans; and,

WHEREAS, ranked by acreage, Virginia’s biggest farming counties are Augusta, Pittsylvania, Rockingham, Fauquier and Bedford; and,

WHEREAS, on average, a Virginia farmer feeds their own family plus 165 people around the world; and,

WHEREAS, commodities and products grown and produced in Virginia are sourced from a broad range of agricultural zones, from mountainous altitudes to the sprawling Piedmont, and below sea level; and,

WHEREAS, the success of our agriculture industry is showcased in the innovative technologies that our farms are utilizing to increase efficiency, and the important work that Virginia farmers do as stewards of our land, water, and other natural resources; and,

WHEREAS, during Virginia Agriculture Week, citizens celebrate agriculture’s $70 billion annual economic impact and the 334,000 jobs it generates while recognizing the efforts of farmers and the strength of Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industry, the Commonwealth’s largest private industry;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize June 12-18, 2022 as AGRICULTURE WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations