The State Fair of Virginia gets underway later this week, and while the rides, games, music, and food are quite an attraction, Virginia has a proud legacy of agriculture that goes back for generations. Be sure to check out the various agriculture-related exhibitions when you attend.

With more than 47,000 farms across the commonwealth, Virginia celebrates agriculture as its largest industry—by far. In fact, farms cover about 8.1 million acres, or about a third of our total land area, and have an economic impact of about $55 billion a year.

Did you know Virginia’s top 4 farm commodities are related to animals? In order, they are broilers, cattle/calves, milk, and turkeys. As our most valuable agricultural product, broilers—or chickens—place Virginia ninth in the nation for overall production.

Fifth among top commodities is a category including nursery, greenhouse, sod, and turfgrass. Rounding out the top 10 are, in order: soybeans, corn/grain, unprocessed leaf tobacco, eggs, and hay.

Most recently, Virginia gained even more agricultural clout by ranking ninth in the U.S. for number of farmer’s markets with its 227 markets registered with the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Virginia is home to Jamestown, the oldest tilled farm in the U.S. In addition, more than 1,000 Century Farms have been recognized for operating 100 years or more in the state.

So the next time you reach for a Virginia product on the shelf or on your plate, celebrate the history and strength of our commonwealth’s agriculture.