Farm Census

Greenbrier County, West Virginia

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

770 farms175,026 acres in farms$54.1 million in farm sales

No other county in West Virginia with a published figure has more land in farms, cattle and calves or beef cows than Greenbrier County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, cattle and calves, makes up 57.1% of farm sales, against 18.9% across West Virginia.

Cattle and calves: 57.1%Cattle and calves57.1%Withheld groups: 28.2%Withheld groups28.2%Grains and oilseeds: 6.5%6.5%Hay and other crops: 6.1%6.1%Nursery and greenhouse: 0.9%0.9%Sheep and goats: 0.6%0.6%Other animals: 0.2%Horses and mules: 0.1%Hogs and pigs: 0.1%Cattle and calves: 57.1%Cattle and calves57.1%Withheld groups: 28.2%Withheld groups28.2%Grains and oilseeds: 6.5%6.5%Hay and other crops: 6.1%6.1%Nursery and greenhouse: 0.9%Sheep and goats: 0.6%Other animals: 0.2%Horses and mules: 0.1%Hogs and pigs: 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: vegetables and melons, fruit and nuts, Christmas trees, milk, poultry and eggs and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Cattle and calves$30.9 million1st of 50
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$3.5 million5th of 33
Hay and other crops$3.3 million3rd of 49
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$506,0006th of 33
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$347,0004th of 44
Other animals and animal products$92,0006th of 40
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$72,00014th of 32
Hogs and pigs$70,0006th of 31

What the fields held

Greenbrier County harvested 31,913 acres of cropland in 2022, fourth of 52 counties in West Virginia. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 89% of that, corn for silage 6%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage28,4350.05%
Corn for silage1,874under 0.1%
Corn for grain885under 0.1%
Orchard land90under 0.1%
of which grapes19under 0.1%
of which apples56under 0.1%
Vegetables42under 0.1%
of which potatoes14under 0.1%
Berries23under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: soybeans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms26.8%

Greenbrier County ranks 29th of 52 counties in West Virginia on this measure.

  • 38,426 acres of cropland, 22% of farmland
  • 89,947 acres of pastureland, 51% of farmland
  • 55,995 acres of woodland, 32% of farmland
  • 291 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

Farms in Greenbrier County run larger than the national pattern: the median farm has 86 acres against 72 for the US. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 227 acres, seventh-largest of 47 in West Virginia. The most common size class is 50–179 acres, with 33.6% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 3.5% of the total.

1–98%10–4926%50–17934%180–49922%500–9997%1,000–1,9992%2,000+1%
Greenbrier County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Beef cows16,3900.06%
Sheep and lambs2,6550.05%
Cattle and calves39,559under 0.1%
Goats794under 0.1%
Horses and ponies528under 0.1%
Milk cows572under 0.1%
Laying hens4,198under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs139under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 20221,430under 0.1%

Withheld: turkeys.

Who farms here

Decisions on Greenbrier County's 770 farms are made by 1,294 producers. Their average age is 58.7, the same as the West Virginia average. Women are 36.1% of them.

Under 358%35–4410%45–5417%55–6424%65–7429%75+12%
Greenbrier County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms891−13.6%
Land in farms, acres192,429−9.0%
Average farm size, acres216+5.1%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$69.3 million−21.9%
Beef cows, head17,191−4.7%
Hay and haylage, acres30,174−5.8%
Sheep and lambs, head2,736−3.0%
Cattle and calves, head36,609+8.1%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Greenbrier County accounts for 5.7% of farm sales in West Virginia and 3.4% of the farms in West Virginia. Rank West Virginia counties for beef cows.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.