1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 ASCENSION PARISH, LOUISIANA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 279 325 Land in farms ..................acres.. 55 270 63 446 Average size of farm .......acres.. 198 195 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 418 077 431 414 Average per acre .........dollars.. 2 047 2 186 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 48 626 54 198 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 47 46 10 to 49 acres ...................... 103 138 50 to 179 acres ..................... 76 77 180 to 499 acres .................... 29 33 500 to 999 acres .................... 9 16 1,000 acres or more ................. 15 15 Total cropland .................farms.. 211 246 acres.. 32 000 41 218 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 153 152 acres.. 20 676 23 749 Irrigated land .................farms.. 5 13 acres.. 10 52 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 15 277 15 049 Average per farm .........dollars.. 54 757 46 305 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 13 765 13 226 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 1 512 1 824 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 120 149 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 60 66 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 36 42 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 34 30 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 7 12 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 2 3 $100,000 or more .................... 20 23 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 11 142 13 003 Average per farm .........dollars.. 39 794 39 886 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 105 110 Other ............................... 174 215 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 186 210 200 days or more ................... 129 160 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 213 239 number.. 9 627 10 891 Beef cows ..................farms.. 189 213 number.. 5 913 6 346 Milk cows ..................farms.. 6 12 number.. 21 26 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 196 214 number.. 5 874 4 268 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 14 13 number.. 75 70 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 5 9 number.. (D) 139 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 5 6 number.. (D) 16 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 15 15 number.. 254 (D) Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 0 0 number.. 0 0 Selected crops harvested: Sorghum for grain or seed.....farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 1 3 acres.. (D) (D) bushels.. (D) 16 360 Rice..........................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 cwt.. 0 0 Cotton .......................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bales.. 0 0 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 1 4 acres.. (D) 1 380 bushels.. (D) 26 000 Sugarcane for sugar...........farms.. 19 24 acres.. 14 977 17 554 tons.. 453 391 418 803 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 127 110 acres.. 4 109 3 509 tons, dry.. 8 524 8 321 @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.