1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 PALO ALTO COUNTY, IOWA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 787 841 Land in farms ..................acres.. 327 733 338 730 Average size of farm .......acres.. 416 403 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 790 686 548 521 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 962 1 406 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 91 209 77 418 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 42 60 10 to 49 acres ...................... 65 54 50 to 179 acres ..................... 171 137 180 to 499 acres .................... 252 328 500 to 999 acres .................... 194 214 1,000 acres or more ................. 63 48 Total cropland .................farms.. 732 793 acres.. 305 714 318 023 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 698 779 acres.. 289 010 288 764 Irrigated land .................farms.. 27 26 acres.. 4 185 3 962 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 155 767 107 772 Average per farm .........dollars.. 197 925 128 148 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 81 740 64 993 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 74 027 42 779 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 76 40 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 23 14 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 23 33 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 55 81 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 94 114 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 131 175 $100,000 or more .................... 385 384 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 100 333 74 959 Average per farm .........dollars.. 127 489 89 237 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 557 660 Other ............................... 230 181 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 355 334 200 days or more ................... 185 137 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 182 225 number.. 18 843 21 187 Beef cows ..................farms.. 111 127 number.. 2 994 4 177 Milk cows ..................farms.. 14 16 number.. 362 383 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 186 235 number.. 18 896 22 655 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 157 308 number.. 199 116 141 233 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 170 333 number.. 436 283 273 073 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 23 43 number.. 3 843 4 037 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 10 9 number.. (D) 566 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 7 5 number.. 2 106 (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 636 725 acres.. 145 977 154 748 bushels.. 20 192 212 22 770 028 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 63 49 acres.. 2 006 1 132 tons, green.. 32 423 22 798 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 0 1 acres.. 0 (D) bushels.. 0 (D) Oats for grain................farms.. 53 101 acres.. 1 051 1 752 bushels.. 76 188 142 614 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 633 694 acres.. 138 121 129 639 bushels.. 6 024 714 5 611 434 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 153 206 acres.. 3 468 3 949 tons, dry.. 7 722 11 149 @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.