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Nearly 1 in 5 Virginia farm owners is a woman

By Jeff Clabaugh

WASHINGTON — The Virginia Department of Agriculture has declared March 18 through March 24 “Virginia Agriculture Week,” and among other facts, it cites that 17 percent of Virginia’s primary farm operators are women.

It also notes that nearly one-third of the entire state of Virginia — 32 percent or 8.1 million acres — is farmland.

There are currently 44,800 operating farms in Virginia, averaging 181 acres, 90 percent of which are owned and operated by individuals and families, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture.

The typical Virginia farmer is 59.5 years old.

Virginia’s top agricultural products include soybeans, wood products and tobacco.

Wood is a big Virginia export.

The Virginia Department of agriculture says 45 percent of the state’s agricultural and forestry product exports are to the Asia/Pacific and Western Europe markets, with the remaining going to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and Mexico.

China is the No. 1 export destination for Virginia agricultural and forestry products.

In 2017, cash receipts from Virginia exports totaled $2.64 billion.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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