1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 MERCER COUNTY, KENTUCKY Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 976 1 085 Land in farms ..................acres.. 126 389 133 173 Average size of farm .......acres.. 129 123 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 223 639 156 675 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 874 1 400 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 32 663 27 327 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 75 105 10 to 49 acres ...................... 298 320 50 to 179 acres ..................... 416 446 180 to 499 acres .................... 156 183 500 to 999 acres .................... 22 25 1,000 acres or more ................. 9 6 Total cropland .................farms.. 913 1 032 acres.. 91 759 98 439 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 781 894 acres.. 38 053 36 717 Irrigated land .................farms.. 109 26 acres.. 1 025 195 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 30 601 35 662 Average per farm .........dollars.. 31 354 32 868 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 14 969 16 199 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 15 632 19 463 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 218 189 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 125 160 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 173 184 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 214 227 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 125 144 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 65 97 $100,000 or more .................... 56 84 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 23 583 26 598 Average per farm .........dollars.. 24 188 24 514 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 389 498 Other ............................... 587 587 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 606 620 200 days or more ................... 455 435 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 634 748 number.. 35 723 39 082 Beef cows ..................farms.. 484 521 number.. 13 306 13 260 Milk cows ..................farms.. 53 84 number.. 2 782 4 032 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 636 728 number.. 23 170 24 750 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 13 36 number.. 110 1 512 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 6 33 number.. 187 2 412 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 18 22 number.. 618 862 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 27 34 number.. 474 996 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 1 0 number.. (D) 0 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 49 114 acres.. 2 030 3 736 bushels.. 191 671 398 201 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 55 102 acres.. 2 038 3 357 tons, green.. 20 399 51 713 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 9 11 acres.. 448 453 bushels.. 16 610 18 915 Tobacco ......................farms.. 522 675 acres.. 4 177 4 230 pounds.. 7 780 377 8 732 892 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 18 20 acres.. 1 162 1 795 bushels.. 32 742 63 660 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 591 641 acres.. 29 201 25 929 tons, dry.. 58 250 55 385 @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.