Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 2 · column 1 of 3 · from the scan, no model involved
Farming’s value
WHAT IS THE TRUE value of agriculture in this area? Has it declined to only marginal economic value, even in such a traditionally strong agricultural county as Rappahannock or Fauquier? Or is it still the cleanest, most profitable “industry” around, to be cherished and assisted rather than replaced?
Agricultural economists have always maintained that farming’s value to a community surpasses that of many other enterprises. The “multiplier effect” is the reason. Money earned farming largely stays home. Thus, a grain farmer takes money he realizes from his cash crops and, in addition to paying for his family’s living expenses, uses it to buy more seed, fencing materials, tractors and other equipment, livestock, fuel, and so on and so on— all from local sources. And so do the people who work for him, in contrast to even the most desirable “research and development” industry, which often has a large commuter work force which may or may not spend their money where they earn it.
But how can the “multiplier effect” of a farming community be judged? After all, the latest census figures available showed a dollar income of only $12,136,539 in Fauquier. For comparison, note that the Vint Hill Farms Army station payroll is estimated at $17.5 million. Does that make a payroll-source like Vint Hill more valuable to Fauquier than traditional farming?
95.3%