1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 DALE COUNTY, ALABAMA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 422 403 Land in farms ..................acres.. 130 975 134 555 Average size of farm .......acres.. 310 334 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 364 544 297 237 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 141 929 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 56 851 49 205 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 16 22 10 to 49 acres ...................... 79 74 50 to 179 acres ..................... 147 133 180 to 499 acres .................... 115 112 500 to 999 acres .................... 37 32 1,000 acres or more ................. 28 30 Total cropland .................farms.. 366 356 acres.. 62 655 67 549 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 288 290 acres.. 38 940 39 214 Irrigated land .................farms.. 24 31 acres.. 1 162 2 693 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 34 339 34 816 Average per farm .........dollars.. 81 371 86 391 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 11 417 18 172 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 22 922 16 643 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 124 92 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 60 64 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 70 49 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 53 61 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 29 38 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 27 29 $100,000 or more .................... 59 70 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 30 597 27 644 Average per farm .........dollars.. 72 504 68 596 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 179 196 Other ............................... 243 207 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 235 203 200 days or more ................... 184 148 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 260 251 number.. 17 535 15 542 Beef cows ..................farms.. 231 227 number.. 9 831 8 199 Milk cows ..................farms.. 5 9 number.. 22 53 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 247 243 number.. 9 365 6 824 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 14 36 number.. 1 620 2 861 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 13 39 number.. 1 839 5 656 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 4 2 number.. 90 (D) Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 10 16 number.. (D) 323 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 27 25 number.. 11 317 040 9 930 492 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 77 107 acres.. 4 169 7 839 bushels.. 353 679 566 165 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 14 15 acres.. 1 373 1 177 bushels.. 41 608 37 320 Cotton .......................farms.. 37 10 acres.. 10 359 3 624 bales.. 9 024 5 181 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 5 2 acres.. 390 (D) bushels.. 5 485 (D) Peanuts for nuts .............farms.. 113 166 acres.. 15 512 21 315 pounds.. 25 530 983 55 158 553 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 166 146 acres.. 6 474 4 461 tons, dry.. 19 164 11 998 @1Data are based on a sample of farms. Legend: (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual farms (X) Not applicable (Z) Less than half the unit shown (NA) Not available Source: 1997 Census of Agriculture, Volume 1 Geographic Area Series, "Table 1. County Summary Highlights: 1997." This electronic series presents summary statistics for each county and State together with comparable data from the 1992 census. The items included are the same for all States and counties, except selected crops harvested, which vary by State. Data for 1997 and 1992 are directly comparable for acreage and inventories. Dollar values have not been adjusted for changes in price levels. You can obtain the Volume 1 Geographic Area Series from the National Technical Information Service. If you have any questions concerning the data in this report or need additional information or order forms for agriculture publications, please call the National Agricultural Statistics Service at 1-800-523-3215 or 1-800-727-9540.