Native pasture, hay, corn and small grains are the principle crops grown, with the bulk of these used to feed the livestock. Some burley tobacco is grown in the western area of the county. A recent small settlement of Amish in the eastern part of the county are engaged in vegetable/ produce farming. Much of the land is limestone soil which is very productive grass and crop land. The area receives about 35-40 inches of rain fall and 26 inches of snow per year. The average maximum temperature is 72 degrees, and the average minimum temperature is 36 degrees.
The 1998 farm census showed about 45,000 acres devoted to crop land and pasture, averaging about 128 acres per farm on the 350 farms. With woodland acreage, the average farm size is about 250 acres. Forest production is important to many county farms. Parts of the county are rated excellent for growing white pines. Conservation and recreation use land (basically forested land) represents about 76% of the total land in the county with 20% of this on private farms, 40% national forest and 40% commercial forest.
Interstate 77 cuts through the middle of the county and intersects Interstate 81 about 15 miles south at Wytheville. These modern roads greatly enhance the marketing of the livestock and farm and forest products produced in the county.