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Virginia’s agricultural landscape is increasingly reliant on leased land, with about 33% of farmland leased in 2022, according to the state’s Census of Agriculture. This trend is driven by rising land values, which increased 10.4% in Virginia from 2023 to 2024. 

While the national average for leased farmland is 39%, Virginia’s reliance on leased land is significant, particularly for row crops like corn and soybeans. Tony Banks, senior assistant director of agriculture, development and innovation for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, explains that row crops are more likely to be rented due to the ability to rotate crops without major infrastructure investments. 

“Most of a crop farmer’s capital is tied up in expensive equipment,” Banks said. “There’s a financial incentive to spread those costs out over as many acres as possible.”

Westley Drake, a 14th-generation farmer in Southampton County, rents about half of his 1,400 acres for growing peanuts, cotton, soybeans, corn, and livestock. He emphasizes the partnership between landowners and farmers, with landowners receiving income while farmers can make a living. 

“As expensive as land is, many farmers don’t own all the land they work,” Drake said. “There is a partnership between landowners and farmers.”

However, the increasing demand for land is making it harder for young farmers to secure leases.  Landowners often choose farmers through personal connections and trust, making it difficult for newcomers to break into the market. 

Bruce Stanger, a VFBF state board member and cattleman, emphasizes the importance of long-term leases for livestock farmers who invest heavily in infrastructure. While he has a 20-year handshake agreement for pastureland, such arrangements are uncommon and risky. 

“I wouldn’t do that with just anybody!” Stanger said. “There are horror stories about farmers dumping a bunch of money into improving the land and then losing the lease a year later.”