Virginia lost roughly 400 farms in 2025, according to a USDA report, and a Botetourt County farmer says the trend will continue unless communities rally behind local agriculture.
Tom Williamson, owner of Williamson Farms in Botetourt County, told WDBJ that farmers are being squeezed on multiple fronts.
Feed, fertilizer, fuel, land, and equipment have all become significantly more expensive, and the combined weight of those pressures is testing operators across the region.
Costs Climbing Across the Board
Williamson described the financial strain as cumulative and deeply worrying…