Small ruminants are a growing presence on Virginia farms, according to a recently-released national survey.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service’s annual Sheep and Goats report indicated slight growth in the U.S. sheep and lamb inventory—from 5.03 million head in 2024 to 5.05 million head in 2025.
National efforts to grow the sheep flock and “extremely strong” market prices could explain recent inventory gains, according to Scott Greiner, Virginia Cooperative Extension beef and sheep specialist.
“And in Virginia, we’re fortunate to be in very close proximity to strong ethnic markets, which makes our marketplace even stronger,” he noted.
Virginia’s sheep and lamb inventory grew 1 percent from 79,000 head in 2024 to 80,000 head in 2025. Meanwhile, the value of Virginia wool decreased by 34 percent from 2023 to 2024.
“Wool prices are a big challenge to us in the sheep industry,” Greiner explained. “There’s been an effort in the last couple of years t...