Virginia Farm Bureau to Spotlight Goochland County Agriculture This May

Why the County Close-up matters

Virginia Farm Bureau’s Real Virginia is turning its County Close-up lens on Goochland County, and that matters because the segment is set up to show agriculture as part of the county’s economic machinery, not just a scenic backdrop. Farm Bureau video producer Mike Voyack has already been out talking with local farmers and others about what grows here, which farm sectors dominate, and how the industry is changing.

That makes the feature relevant well beyond TV viewing. In a county where land use, development pressure, and rural identity are all active conversations, a statewide spotlight can send viewers toward Goochland’s farms, farm products, and ag-related businesses at exactly the moment local residents are weighing what kind of county they want to preserve.

The numbers behind Goochland agriculture

The clearest reason this segment lands with local weight is the scale of the farm economy itself. Goochland County’s 2022 Census of Agriculture profile counted 268 farms spread across 40,711 acres, with farmers reporting more than $26 million in market value of agricultural products sold.

That production base is also broad. Crops account for half of all sales in the USDA county profile, while livestock, poultry, and other animal products account for the other half. Corn, hay and forage, soybeans, and wheat are among the major plantings, which means the county’s farm economy is not built on one headline commodity but on a mix of row crops and animal agriculture that can support different kinds of buyers, suppliers, and local service businesses.

A local farmer such as Joseph Parsons gives that scale a human face. When a county can point to more than two hundred farms and eight-figure sales, a television feature does more than celebrate agriculture; it can help identify the producers who are already part of everyday economic life in Goochland.

What viewers are likely to see

Real Virginia’s County Close-up segment is designed to show how agriculture functions on the ground, and Goochland has enough variety to make that story concrete. The county’s official profile says agriculture, forestry, and mining have long played an important role in the local economy, and that the modern farm base is now more centered on crops, cattle, and horses.

That combination is a strong fit for an audience that may know Goochland for its roads, neighborhoods, or the pressure of growth, but not for the working landscape still spread across the county. A statewide feature can pull attention toward the people behind that landscape and help viewers understand why farm visibility matters for both direct sales and longer-term community identity.

Because the program is reaching a broad consumer audience, the payoff is practical. Goochland farms and farm-related businesses that sell crops, livestock products, or horse-related services can gain name recognition well beyond county lines, while the segment itself gives residents a reminder that local agriculture is still producing measurable economic value.

Land, water, and the shape of the rural economy

The USDA profile also shows how land-intensive Goochland farming still is. Of the county’s agricultural acreage, 17,020 acres were cropland, 9,308 acres were pastureland, 12,395 acres were woodland, and 1,988 acres fell into other land categories. Only 64 acres were irrigated, a detail that underscores how closely production remains tied to the county’s broader rural landscape rather than to high-input, heavily irrigated systems.

That land base helps explain why county planning keeps agriculture front and center. Goochland’s official materials say forested, agricultural, and riverfront lands support wildlife, recreation, the local economy, and the county’s rural character, while its 2035 Comprehensive Plan explicitly references support for agriculture through the ACRES concept and related rural strategies. In other words, the county’s farm landscape is not just an industry sector; it is part of the county’s long-term planning framework.

The county’s own history reinforces that point. Founded in 1727, Goochland began as a frontier area that attracted large plantations and country estates, and that legacy still shapes how the county presents itself today. The Real Virginia segment lands inside that larger story, showing how a place with deep agricultural roots is trying to keep those roots visible even as other parts of the county evolve.

How Goochland supports its farm community

One of the most concrete signs that Goochland has invested in its agricultural future is the Goochland Agricultural Center, which opened in January 2019. The 6,800-square-foot facility includes administrative offices, a demonstration and programming kitchen, lab spaces, meeting rooms, and demonstration areas, giving the county a physical place to support producers and public programming.

That matters because the center is more than office space. It gives the county a hub for agricultural outreach, education, and practical support, which can help local producers adapt as markets, land use pressures, and consumer expectations shift. For a county that still ties its identity to farming, the center and the Real Virginia spotlight point in the same direction: keeping agriculture visible, functional, and connected to the community.

The timing of the TV feature is also useful for residents trying to understand Goochland’s future. With 268 farms, more than $26 million in sales, and a land base that still includes tens of thousands of acres in crops, pasture, and woodland, agriculture remains a meaningful part of the local economy. The county’s May television spotlight should not be viewed as a simple profile piece, but as a reminder that Goochland’s rural character still has economic weight, and that weight is still being built farm by farm.