1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 MASON COUNTY, ILLINOIS Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 486 489 Land in farms ..................acres.. 291 579 282 222 Average size of farm .......acres.. 600 577 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 1 054 013 749 366 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 912 1 223 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 144 606 125 435 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 14 19 10 to 49 acres ...................... 61 36 50 to 179 acres ..................... 80 95 180 to 499 acres .................... 110 119 500 to 999 acres .................... 128 143 1,000 acres or more ................. 93 77 Total cropland .................farms.. 466 474 acres.. 264 417 260 664 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 426 456 acres.. 243 945 232 535 Irrigated land .................farms.. 225 211 acres.. 84 802 75 855 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 84 384 72 895 Average per farm .........dollars.. 173 629 149 070 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 76 692 60 344 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 7 691 12 551 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 70 29 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 21 20 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 26 31 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 28 55 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 42 59 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 68 74 $100,000 or more .................... 231 221 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 51 603 49 484 Average per farm .........dollars.. 106 178 101 193 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 345 355 Other ............................... 141 134 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 208 208 200 days or more ................... 111 116 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 99 115 number.. 4 630 7 629 Beef cows ..................farms.. 83 93 number.. (D) (D) Milk cows ..................farms.. 1 2 number.. (D) (D) Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 94 112 number.. 2 460 5 670 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 24 59 number.. 43 401 45 174 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 26 60 number.. 67 041 91 344 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 10 13 number.. 162 470 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 7 9 number.. 183 794 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 0 0 number.. 0 0 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 367 407 acres.. 113 102 111 799 bushels.. 15 086 749 16 122 793 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 9 4 acres.. 153 410 tons, green.. 2 336 8 020 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 177 103 acres.. 10 825 4 197 bushels.. 571 197 166 692 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 361 402 acres.. 93 505 86 603 bushels.. 3 932 075 3 495 617 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 109 108 acres.. 2 942 3 321 tons, dry.. 7 709 8 816 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 62 60 acres.. 7 141 6 634 @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.