1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 BEN HILL COUNTY, GEORGIA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 159 183 Land in farms ..................acres.. 53 325 47 071 Average size of farm .......acres.. 335 257 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 360 895 281 250 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 160 1 236 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 50 809 49 062 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 12 11 10 to 49 acres ...................... 34 38 50 to 179 acres ..................... 55 64 180 to 499 acres .................... 32 44 500 to 999 acres .................... 17 16 1,000 acres or more ................. 9 10 Total cropland .................farms.. 142 167 acres.. 33 986 34 144 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 125 151 acres.. 27 004 25 213 Irrigated land .................farms.. 34 36 acres.. 9 830 7 238 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 16 381 14 243 Average per farm .........dollars.. 103 025 77 832 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 12 491 12 029 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 3 890 2 215 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 39 50 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 17 19 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 14 20 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 20 18 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 22 30 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 12 16 $100,000 or more .................... 35 30 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 11 528 10 696 Average per farm .........dollars.. 72 505 58 449 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 92 115 Other ............................... 67 68 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 72 87 200 days or more ................... 52 45 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 74 85 number.. 4 286 4 703 Beef cows ..................farms.. 70 74 number.. (D) (D) Milk cows ..................farms.. 2 1 number.. (D) (D) Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 73 81 number.. 1 764 2 447 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 7 33 number.. 1 047 6 001 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 7 33 number.. 2 138 11 231 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 0 1 number.. 0 (D) Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 2 0 number.. (D) 0 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 3 0 number.. 1 334 000 0 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 49 83 acres.. 7 578 9 238 bushels.. 942 603 859 389 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 7 7 acres.. 398 274 bushels.. 10 133 9 336 Cotton .......................farms.. 39 6 acres.. 8 837 2 614 bales.. 11 910 4 944 Tobacco ......................farms.. 14 19 acres.. 338 404 pounds.. 637 146 838 452 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 13 20 acres.. 578 953 bushels.. 8 172 29 700 Peanuts for nuts .............farms.. 66 100 acres.. 7 182 8 989 pounds.. 16 619 807 26 031 839 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 38 43 acres.. 1 332 1 365 tons, dry.. 3 441 2 380 @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.