Agriculture, Forestry and Hunting Sector Summary

Agriculture has always been and continues to be a key part of the Wayne County economic base. Though according to 2015 Data USA: for Wayne County the county reported only 4% or 2,386 of its employees as agricultural workers, the image of the county as an agricultural one remains strong.

According to the 1948 Wooster City Directory, the county ranked first among Ohio’s 88 counties in many areas of agriculture, including dairy cattle and milk production, potato acreage and production, poultry and egg production, and value of all livestock produced.

Today, a number of local farms and agribusinesses are well-known throughout the region, from fifth-generation family farm Ramseyer Farms to long-standing local dairies, Smith Dairy and Hartzler's Dairy. Other local farms participate in cooperatives such as Green Field Farms.

Additional businesses in the agricultural sector include greenhouses, orchards, nurseries, and Christmas tree farms.

The Wayne County Fairgrounds is home to the Wayne County Fair which opens for a week each September. The fair has showcased local agricultural products for over 170 years.