 Agriculture occupies 32 % of the land in Virginia . As of 2012 , about 357 @,@ 000 Virginian jobs were in agriculture , with over 47 @,@ 000 farms , averaging 171 acres ( 0 @.@ 27 sq mi ; 0 @.@ 69 km2 ) , in a total farmland area of 8 @.@ 1 million acres ( 12 @,@ 656 sq mi ; 32 @,@ 780 km2 ) . Though agriculture has declined significantly since 1960 when there were twice as many farms , it remains the largest single industry in Virginia . Tomatoes surpassed soy as the most profitable crop in Virginia in 2006 , with peanuts and hay as other agricultural products . Although it is no longer the primary crop , Virginia is still the fifth @-@ largest producer of tobacco nationwide . Virginia is the largest producer of seafood on the East Coast , with scallops , oysters , blue crabs , and clams as the largest seafood harvests by value , and France , Canada , and Hong Kong as the top export destinations . Eastern oyster harvests have increased from 23 @,@ 000 bushels in 2001 to over 500 @,@ 000 in 2013 . Wineries and vineyards in the Northern Neck and along the Blue Ridge Mountains also have begun to generate income and attract tourists . Virginia has the fifth @-@ highest number of wineries in the nation . 
