What Is the Top Industry in Washington County, VA?

Agriculture. That's why this region has educational programs focused on growing the next generation of farmers.

By Kevin Litwin on November 30, 2023

Emory & Henry College

Quick, easy quiz: What is the No. 1 industry in Washington County year after year? Answer: Agriculture, with Washington County selling about $77 million in products to market annually. That includes nearly $70 million in livestock sales and almost $7 million in crop sales. 

Livestock sales in the county include cattle, calves, sheep, goats and pigs, while crop sales include fruits, vegetables, Christmas trees and tobacco. The county also has many horticulture greenhouses and nurseries, along with a large number of ag equipment dealers. Altogether, more than 1,000 people throughout Washington County are employed by the agriculture sector. 

And to keep the important pipeline of talent flowing to agribusiness in Washington County, area public schools and colleges have established programs to spark students’ interest in the industry. For example, Washington County Public Schools students can learn more about agribusiness through clubs like FFA, which regularly gets together to practice activities such as growing and selling plants. 

Emory & Henry College

Emory & Henry Garden 

At Emory & Henry College, the spacious Emory & Henry Garden is not only a place to grow produce and flowers, but it also serves as a classroom for students studying organic food production or advanced organic food production. 

“Here at E&H, we offer students a food studies minor, and have maintained an Emory & Henry Garden program for 14 years run by our Environmental Studies Department,” says Edward Davis, E&H professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Earth and Environmental Sciences. 

Davis says ag students oversee the E&H Garden with some supervision, learning about organic planting, gardening, environments, ecology, insects and even marketing. 

“We sell between $3,000 to $6,000 worth of the grown produce each year, so the garden also has a business model to it,” he says. “Students grow about 20 different vegetables as well as flowers on a half acre, and the organic produce is sold to many area restaurants, including the Emory & Henry Cafeteria.” 

Davis says the overall agriculture industry in Washington County is successful due to factors such as ideal climate and excellent soil content. 

“People might think of Washington County as mountains and woods and the interstate, but if you get off away from the interstate, you’ll see many beautiful pastures that sit on limestone slopes,” he says. “Limestone slopes produce great grass, which is perfect for raising livestock. The horse industry is also big in Washington County, and Emory & Henry even has its own equestrian team.” 

Ag & Horticulture at VHCC 

Knowing agriculture and natural resources is one of the fastest-growing industries in the region, Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) offers an agriculture management certificate to keep up with demand. 

The college offers a one-year, 16-credit-hour certificate in agriculture management career study, with students taking five courses to learn about soils, plant pest management, animal science, ag economics and agribusiness, says Ben Casteel, VHCC horticulture instructor and coordinator of the natural resources programs. 

Casteel says the ag program at VHCC continues to increase in popularity. 

“There are many ag careers available today in areas like agronomy sciences, cattle operations, dairy operations, nursery management and greenhouse operations, and there are agritourism opportunities like farm-to-table dinners and pick-your-own farms,” he says. “A lot of small farms in Washington County are also thriving because people are selling their products at farmers markets.”

Casteel says VHCC also has a science specialization in natural resources program, and the college has a partnership with Virginia Tech for VHCC students to eventually transfer there. 

“Our ag students with a 3.0 GPA can smoothly transfer into the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,” he says. “The agriculture industry and horticulture continue to be strong in Washington County, and VHCC even works with high schools and cooperative extensions to develop more ag programs for younger students.”