Agriculture has been an economic mainstay in the Cumberland Valley since the late 1700s because of high quality soil, agreeable weather patterns, dedicated and hard working farming families, and consumers who value the region’s food products. Much of the farmland along the rail trail has been in production for many generations, with local farms producing fruits, vegetables, grains, livestock, and less common animals such as lamas and peacocks. The Cumberland Valley Railroad greatly changed agriculture in the valley by making distant markets more accessible and allowing farmers to ship produce quickly and at lower cost, especially perishable fruits and vegetables. Completed from Harrisburg to Chambersburg by 1837, the railroad enabled farmers to profit from the speed and convenience of rail transport, and by 1897 thirty-five freight cars loaded with peaches were shipped from the valley en route to Harrisburg and points east. Cumberland Valley agriculture remains centered on family-owned and operated farms, often worked by several generations, and despite challenges such as unpredictable weather, crop damage from wild animals, plant and animal diseases, and fluctuating market prices, farming continues as an important and viable industry in the valley.