1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 NOBLE COUNTY, INDIANA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 942 993 Land in farms ..................acres.. 181 963 184 118 Average size of farm .......acres.. 193 185 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 354 512 209 142 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 886 1 156 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 44 688 43 484 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 56 51 10 to 49 acres ...................... 243 264 50 to 179 acres ..................... 375 376 180 to 499 acres .................... 173 203 500 to 999 acres .................... 67 78 1,000 acres or more ................. 28 21 Total cropland .................farms.. 883 958 acres.. 147 016 154 213 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 729 909 acres.. 126 941 130 174 Irrigated land .................farms.. 26 27 acres.. 4 244 5 114 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 58 841 49 302 Average per farm .........dollars.. 62 464 49 650 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 30 480 24 066 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 28 361 25 236 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 279 213 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 90 137 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 100 124 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 130 157 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 113 137 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 88 97 $100,000 or more .................... 142 128 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 40 698 38 467 Average per farm .........dollars.. 43 249 38 660 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 365 423 Other ............................... 577 570 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 625 614 200 days or more ................... 468 477 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 335 366 number.. 16 262 14 655 Beef cows ..................farms.. 144 135 number.. 2 236 1 488 Milk cows ..................farms.. 104 123 number.. 4 716 4 262 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 318 331 number.. 7 137 7 330 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 75 167 number.. 43 481 47 444 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 71 176 number.. 81 773 92 092 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 40 41 number.. 1 243 1 498 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 34 51 number.. (D) (D) Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 3 5 number.. (D) (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 519 649 acres.. 58 456 64 626 bushels.. 7 102 292 8 058 544 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 92 101 acres.. 2 198 2 388 tons, green.. 34 896 38 709 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 206 248 acres.. 6 481 7 258 bushels.. 352 768 290 101 Oats for grain................farms.. 49 90 acres.. 564 1 274 bushels.. 35 481 82 045 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 437 524 acres.. 48 990 43 728 bushels.. 2 071 311 1 736 972 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 389 456 acres.. 11 470 11 719 tons, dry.. 35 135 32 830 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 12 20 acres.. 145 147 @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.