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Home: Dairy: Virginia Dairy Farms

There were 996 Grade A dairy farms in Virginia as of August 1999. There are about 122,000 dairy cows in the Commonwealth.

Virginia dairy farms produced 214 million gallons of milk in 1998. Dairy ranks third behind poultry and cattle and calves in agricultural products sold in the state.

In 1998 Virginia ranked 19th in total milk production, 20th in the number of dairy cows, and 36th in milk produced per cow in the US. The average dairy cow in Virginia produces 1,860 gallons of milk per year.

What do you know about the dairy farms in your area?
Use the map to answer the questions.

1. Find the county you live in. How many dairy herds does your county have?

2. Compare the number of dairy herds in your county to the counties around it. Does it:

A. have more.
B. have less.
C. have about the same.

3. What region of Virginia has the most dairy herds?

A. Tidewater
B. Piedmont
C. Ridge and Valley
D. Allegheny Plateau

4. Why do you think that region has the most dairy herds?

 

Top 10 Counties Ranked by
Number of Grade A Dairy Farms
1. Rockingham (272) 6. Washington (29)
2. Franklin (85) 7. Montgomery (26)
3. Augusta (83) 8. Smyth (25)
4. Wythe (39) 9. Bedford (22)
5. Fauquier (34) 10. Grayson (21)
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