1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 1 335 1 447 Land in farms ..................acres.. 182 771 192 311 Average size of farm .......acres.. 137 133 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 376 179 274 829 Average per acre .........dollars.. 2 738 1 936 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 47 851 40 050 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 196 236 10 to 49 acres ...................... 417 394 50 to 179 acres ..................... 457 529 180 to 499 acres .................... 182 210 500 to 999 acres .................... 62 58 1,000 acres or more ................. 21 20 Total cropland .................farms.. 1 185 1 269 acres.. 160 160 166 285 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 1 049 1 131 acres.. 143 324 148 216 Irrigated land .................farms.. 135 124 acres.. 23 524 20 830 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 124 038 96 859 Average per farm .........dollars.. 92 912 66 938 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 34 688 27 726 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 89 350 69 133 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 251 203 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 100 143 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 122 169 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 202 234 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 164 181 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 166 210 $100,000 or more .................... 330 307 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 96 862 77 944 Average per farm .........dollars.. 72 556 53 941 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 624 703 Other ............................... 711 744 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 863 878 200 days or more ................... 622 637 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 757 798 number.. 42 719 45 988 Beef cows ..................farms.. 153 126 number.. 1 932 1 430 Milk cows ..................farms.. 348 404 number.. 18 297 17 476 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 711 754 number.. 20 123 25 136 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 184 331 number.. 73 951 75 212 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 193 351 number.. 178 411 145 590 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 50 73 number.. 889 1 446 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 94 104 number.. (D) 252 392 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 45 29 number.. 3 005 354 1 595 332 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 695 799 acres.. 64 955 66 867 bushels.. 8 539 274 8 542 850 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 319 351 acres.. 10 826 9 527 tons, green.. 192 227 171 677 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 162 245 acres.. 3 861 5 062 bushels.. 195 209 207 337 Oats for grain................farms.. 83 119 acres.. 826 1 426 bushels.. 50 194 91 591 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 424 551 acres.. 42 251 44 749 bushels.. 1 819 951 1 797 051 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 688 702 acres.. 22 047 21 804 tons, dry.. 60 449 67 726 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 62 56 acres.. 1 338 1 034 @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.