....Christmas trees are by far Avery County’s largest agriculture crop. The annual gross income is estimated above $20 million. Local people grow Christmas trees and the income produced is spent here by local people.

....The major cash crop is Fraser Fir Christmas trees, there are more than 150 ornamental and Christmas tree producers. Transplants for many ornamentals are scarce. Marketing is a major concern of ornamental and Christmas tree growers. Cost of farmland is estimated at $10,000 and up per acre. Tax re-valuation shows property appreciation is good with significant sales.

....The 1997 census states that there are 674 small farms (just over 84 acres) in Avery County. The total land in farms is 56,508 acres and the harvested cropland is 8,336. Most of the farmers in Avery County are classified as limited resource or small farms. The 2002 gross farm income was just over $17 million, with $1.6 million from burley tobacco/field crops; $9.5 million from silvaculture and $5.9 million from livestock and horses.

....There are about 1,017 burley tobacco quota-holders, of which about 197 farms actually grew tobacco in 2003. Since 1995, there have been substantial crop losses due to blue mold infections (55 percent loss in 1995, 30 percent loss in 1996, and approximately a 15 percent loss for 1997). Since 1997, blue mold yield losses have averaged less than 10% annually countywide. In 2001-02, there were insignificant losses due to dry weather and the advent of better protection methods through research and Extension. The blue mold losses combined with the now-proposed changes in the quota-price-support system have posed major educational challenges to Extension's education efforts.