1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 HARDEE COUNTY, FLORIDA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 1 045 1 169 Land in farms ..................acres.. 345 643 327 611 Average size of farm .......acres.. 331 280 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 859 608 569 627 Average per acre .........dollars.. 2 880 2 098 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 31 835 35 448 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 128 146 10 to 49 acres ...................... 413 478 50 to 179 acres ..................... 277 293 180 to 499 acres .................... 125 139 500 to 999 acres .................... 42 54 1,000 acres or more ................. 60 59 Total cropland .................farms.. 897 1 041 acres.. 105 878 99 729 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 776 902 acres.. 67 465 61 233 Irrigated land .................farms.. 653 758 acres.. 54 026 53 777 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 154 837 127 720 Average per farm .........dollars.. 148 170 109 255 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 117 577 95 257 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 37 261 32 462 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 229 223 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 95 95 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 102 130 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 180 203 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 133 147 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 115 153 $100,000 or more .................... 191 218 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 119 827 98 760 Average per farm .........dollars.. 114 558 84 482 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 486 537 Other ............................... 559 632 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 542 638 200 days or more ................... 393 438 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 476 490 number.. 92 706 83 513 Beef cows ..................farms.. 431 447 number.. 51 582 47 055 Milk cows ..................farms.. 21 20 number.. 8 790 8 154 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 459 468 number.. 41 295 43 319 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 13 15 number.. 302 243 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 8 7 number.. 515 567 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 0 4 number.. 0 10 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 14 15 number.. (D) (D) Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 0 0 number.. 0 0 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 0 1 acres.. 0 (D) bushels.. 0 (D) Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Sugarcane for sugar...........farms.. 1 0 acres.. (D) 0 tons.. (D) 0 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 55 78 acres.. 6 161 6 279 tons, dry.. 16 934 17 185 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 24 33 acres.. 2 043 2 769 Land in orchards..............farms.. 686 786 acres.. 58 900 51 295 @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.