Farms and land in Cumberland County attract investors, businesses and sportsmen looking for low cost, low wages, skilled workforce and rural location. Cumberland County land is adjacent to Goochland, Powhatan, Amelia, Prince Edward, Fluvanna and Buckingham counties. Located in the Piedmont, the 300-square-mile county is sparsely populated with fewer than 10,000 residents. Farming and retail are the major economic contributors. Farmland encompasses 52,635 acres, and livestock and poultry are 90% of agricultural sales. Thirty-five percent of farmland remains in woodlands, which attracts hunters and lumbering. The largest private employers in the county are Gemini, Johnny R. Asal Lumber Co., Covance Research Products, 4 Wheel Drive Conversions and Leadguard of Greater Richmond. Fishermen line the banks or take out their boats to catch large- and smallmouth bass, sunfish and catfish in the county’s lakes as well as on the Willis and Appomattox rivers. Cumberland State Forest has multiple purposes, including watershed protection, recreation, timber production, hunting, fishing and applied forest research. There are two self-guided trails open for walking, hiking, horses and mountain bikes. Hunters go after deer and turkeys, and deer hunting with bow and black powder are allowed during certain seasons. Other attractions include the High Bridge Trail, an historic former railroad bridge across the Appomattox River valley. Cumberland County Public Schools provide K-12 public education
