Noble County is located in Southeastern Ohio. The interstate highway I77 runs north-south through the county. The county consists of 404 square miles and 255,360 acres of land. The latest available statistices confirm that agriculture is important to Noble County. In 2003, $5.9 million in farm commodities were sold by the county's 600 farms. Cattle receipts by milk and beef accounted for $4.1 million. Although most forage and grain is grown for livestock feed, $1.8 million of crop commodities were marketed. 106,000 acres are in farmland; however, over two-thirds of the land area is woodland and rejuvinating woodland. Much of the agriculture in Noble County is dictated by the topography. Most of the narrow "creek-bottom" land is tilled while much of the sloped hillsides are planted to no-till or reduced-tilled crops, meadows or pasture land. Land stewardship to reduce erosion and increase productivity is important to Noble County farmers.