City of Virginia Beach, Virginia: FSA office, USDA programs and local data

129

Farms & Ranches

23K

Acres in Agriculture

179

Avg Farm Size (acres)

$172K

Cattle Sales

Top commodities: Grain, Soybeans, Corn, Cattle, Hogs

Source: 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture

City of Virginia Beach, Virginia has 129 farms working 23,140 agricultural acres (average 179 acres per farm). Cattle sales were $172,000 in 2022. Top commodities in the 2022 Census: soybeans, corn, cattle. Vegetation typically peaks in Aug, defining the primary growing season. Source: 2022 Census of Agriculture county profile.

Local USDA offices for City of Virginia Beach

USDA Service Center in Chesapeake (FSA and NRCS)

USDA Service Center (FSA + NRCS)

farm numbers, disaster programs, loans, EQIP, CSP

310 Shea Dr, Chesapeake, VA 23322

(757) 547-7172

Office info is from USDA’s published directory. Wrong address or phone? Tell us.

Drought tax note

City of Virginia Beach is listed in IRS Notice 2026-54, which names areas where severe, extreme or exceptional drought was reported in the 12 months ending August 31, 2026. If you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock (not poultry) beyond your usual number solely because of drought, you may be able to defer the gain by buying replacement livestock. Where the drought led to a federal disaster designation, the replacement period is four years after the end of the first tax year in which you realized any of the gain. If your four-year period was set to end in 2026, this listing extends it until the end of your first tax year ending after a drought-free year for your county and the counties around it. Ask your tax preparer whether this applies to you. Read IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

Programs likely to fit City of Virginia Beach operations

With 129 farms averaging 179 acres, a soybeans and corn commodity base, vegetation typically peaking in Aug, these are the federal programs most worth a closer look. Every program is competitive — confirm fit with your local USDA office.

ARC / PLC enrollmentCity of Virginia Beach's soybean base means producers should review ARC-CO and PLC each enrollment window — the 2025 OBBB updates raised statutory reference prices for most covered commodities.
APH-based crop insuranceCity of Virginia Beach ranked 78th among the 92 Virginia counties with crop insurance indemnities in crop years 2022 to 2026 (USDA RMA). Your APH yield history sets the guarantee on soybean yield and revenue policies.
Livestock price insurance (LRP, LGM)The 2022 Census counted 472 head of cattle in City of Virginia Beach. LRP can put a price floor under feeder or fed cattle for the weeks you choose, and LRP and LGM cover hogs too.
Beginning farmer / microloan optionsCity of Virginia Beach's 129 farms averaging 179 acres include many small and beginning operations — FSA microloans and beginning-farmer cost-share enhancements may apply.
CSP — Conservation StewardshipCity of Virginia Beach producers already running cover crops, rotational grazing, or nutrient management may meet CSP's stewardship threshold without major changes.
Free eligibility screenerFive minutes; tells you which of these programs likely fit your specific City of Virginia Beach operation, with deadlines.

City of Virginia Beach at a glance

Drought, last 52 weeks: Part or all of the city was in severe drought (D2) or worse in 10 of the last 52 weeks. It did not reach extreme drought (D3).
Nearest sale barns: Southside Livestock Market, Inc., Blackstone, VA: about 110 miles
Greenville Livestock Inc., Ayden, NC: about 120 miles
E.B. Harris, Inc. Auctioneers, Warrenton, NC: about 120 miles
Crop insurance claims: $166,000 in indemnities for crop years 2022 to 2026. Leading causes: drought (63%), excess moisture/precipitation/rain (24%), wildlife (9%).

Drought: U.S. Drought Monitor weekly county maps, Aug 26, 2025 to Oct 27, 2026. LFP counts only weeks inside your county's normal grazing period for your pasture type, and FSA decides eligibility. Check with your FSA office.

Sale barns: public listings (Angus Auction Central, USDA AMS Market News, USDA Packers and Stockyards registrations), one per town. Distances are straight-line from the center of the city. Call ahead for sale days.

Crop insurance: USDA RMA Cause of Loss data, pulled Oct 21, 2026. The latest crop year is still being reported.

ARC/PLC in City of Virginia Beach

FSA’s Agriculture Risk Coverage-County (ARC-CO) figures for the crops it lists in City of Virginia Beach: the 2025 payment rates and the 2026 benchmarks. ARC-CO can pay when a crop’s county revenue (county yield times the national price) falls below 90% of its benchmark revenue, up to 12% of benchmark revenue. Your FSA county office has your farm’s base acres, PLC yield and payment amounts.

2025 ARC-CO payment rates

City of Virginia Beach: 2025 ARC-CO payment rate per acre, from FSA’s file as of September 30, 2026
Crop and 2025 county yield	ARC-CO rate	PLC rate (national)
Corn224.38 bu/acre vs. benchmark 206.52	$1.50	$0.26/bu
Soybeans58.64 bu/acre vs. benchmark 57.28	$11.67	$0.21/bu
Wheat70.35 bu/acre vs. benchmark 66.71	$55.88at the 12% cap	$1.29/bu
Grain sorghum72.6 bu/acre vs. benchmark 57.55	$8.08	$1.00/bu
Barley84.57 bu/acre vs. benchmark 71.18	$0.00	$0.00/bu
Oats73.8 bu/acre vs. benchmark 66.93	$0.00	$0.00/bu
Sunflower seed1,863 lb/acre vs. benchmark 1,699.33	$0.00	$0.00/lb

A farm’s payment is the rate times 85% of its base acres for that crop. Example: corn at $1.50 × 85% = $1.28 per base acre, before the 5.7% sequestration cut FSA applies to 2025 ARC and PLC payments and any payment-limit reduction. For 2025 only, the law has FSA pay each enrolled farm the higher of ARC-CO or PLC for each crop, so a farm enrolled in PLC may still receive the ARC-CO rate where it comes out higher. PLC rates are national and are paid per unit of the farm’s own PLC yield.

2026 ARC-CO benchmarks

City of Virginia Beach: 2026 ARC-CO benchmarks per acre, from FSA’s file as of January 16, 2026
Crop	Benchmark yield	Guarantee (90% of benchmark revenue)
Cornprice $5.03/bu	214.05 bu	$969.00of $1,076.67
Soybeansprice $12.17/bu	56.92 bu	$623.45of $692.72
Wheatprice $6.98/bu	69.76 bu	$438.23of $486.92
Grain sorghumprice $5.30/bu	64.28 bu	$306.61of $340.68
Barleyprice $6.43/bu	77.52 bu	$448.61of $498.45
Oatsprice $3.94/bu	68.77 bu	$243.86of $270.95
Sunflower seedprice $0.2512/lb	1,735.33 lb	$392.32of $435.91

ARC-CO may pay for 2026 if a crop’s 2026 county yield times its 2026/27 national price (or the loan rate, if higher) comes in below the guarantee, up to 12% of benchmark revenue. FSA sets 2026 rates after each crop’s marketing year ends.

ARC/PLC payments in every county ARC/PLC payment estimator ARC vs PLC guide

Source: FSA, 2025 ARC-County Benchmark Yields and Revenues as of September 30, 2026; 2026 ARC-County Benchmark Yields and Revenues as of January 16, 2026; 2025 PLC Payment Rates (October 9, 2026) from FSA’s ARC/PLC program data page, retrieved October 29, 2026.

← Virginia Farm Programs Guide

Farm Programs & Local Resources

Always verify with your local USDA office. Report an error

About City of Virginia Beach

City of Virginia Beach is part of the Tidewater Area land resource region (MLRA 153B).

Based on 1991–2020 normals, City of Virginia Beach sees 48.0 in of rain, a 60.4°F mean annual temperature.

City of Virginia Beach carries 472 head of cattle (2022 Ag Census). Pastureland totals 1,438 acres. 129 farms operate in the county, averaging 179 acres each.

Quick Facts


Top Commodities	Soybeans, Corn, Cattle, Hogs

Current Conditions

Drought status: Severe Drought (D2). D2 or worse for 2 weeks running. Four consecutive weeks inside the grazing period may qualify eligible livestock producers for LFP; FSA decides eligibility. Estimate an LFP payment.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor · Updated 2026-10-27

Forage and Grazing in City of Virginia Beach

Satellite vegetation data (2021–2025 average) shows forage in City of Virginia Beach greening up around June and peaking in August. The county carries about 1,438 acres of pastureland. Your county’s official normal grazing period is set by FSA and can differ from the satellite curve — confirm it with your local office, since it determines which drought weeks count toward LFP.

Farm Structure in City of Virginia Beach

The 2022 Census of Agriculture puts City of Virginia Beach at an average farm size of 179 acres, 62% small operations, 19% of producers aged 65 or older, and about 242 acres irrigated. Those numbers shape which programs fit — your FSA and NRCS staff can tell you which ranking pool your operation falls into.

What Tends to Fit in City of Virginia Beach

Given the operation mix in City of Virginia Beach, the practices that most often come up are cover crops, residue management, and ARC/PLC election for row-crop ground, and waste management and nutrient planning for confined livestock operations. Whether any of them scores well depends on your county's Local Working Group priorities, which NRCS can walk you through before you apply.

Nearby Counties

Neighboring counties include Currituck County, North Carolina, Northampton County, Virginia, and City of Chesapeake, Virginia.

Related program guides

EQIP Prescribed Grazing CSP EQIP Water Development

Vegetation Baseline

0.46

Typical NDVI (Apr)

0.74

Peak season (Aug)

JanJulDec

5-year average NDVI from MODIS MOD13Q1 (2021–2025 avg)

Next steps

Before you call the office, see what to ask and how EQIP ranking works.

Disaster programs: LIP (livestock deaths), ELAP (hauling water and feed), ECP (fence and land repair), TAP (trees, bushes and vines). See the Virginia LFP Trigger Watch for counties at an LFP drought level.