1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 VERNON PARISH, LOUISIANA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 387 469 Land in farms ..................acres.. 43 615 51 799 Average size of farm .......acres.. 113 110 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 147 202 121 447 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 354 1 145 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 23 678 17 069 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 15 20 10 to 49 acres ...................... 140 189 50 to 179 acres ..................... 165 197 180 to 499 acres .................... 55 44 500 to 999 acres .................... 8 15 1,000 acres or more ................. 4 4 Total cropland .................farms.. 328 412 acres.. 18 993 24 075 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 248 316 acres.. 7 421 9 126 Irrigated land .................farms.. 9 10 acres.. 42 32 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 8 271 10 437 Average per farm .........dollars.. 21 372 22 253 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 346 287 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 7 925 10 150 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 171 202 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 82 109 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 64 70 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 47 44 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 4 16 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 7 7 $100,000 or more .................... 12 21 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 8 318 8 714 Average per farm .........dollars.. 21 550 18 619 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 161 202 Other ............................... 226 267 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 231 262 200 days or more ................... 150 174 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 316 374 number.. 14 178 15 536 Beef cows ..................farms.. 275 320 number.. 8 413 7 642 Milk cows ..................farms.. 15 26 number.. 1 042 1 394 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 298 352 number.. 6 012 7 061 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 19 30 number.. 166 (D) Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 9 16 number.. 306 (D) Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 5 8 number.. 89 281 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 28 35 number.. 1 366 1 019 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 9 12 number.. 2 568 200 3 879 949 Selected crops harvested: Sorghum for grain or seed.....farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 0 1 acres.. 0 (D) bushels.. 0 (D) Rice..........................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 cwt.. 0 0 Cotton .......................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bales.. 0 0 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 0 1 acres.. 0 (D) bushels.. 0 (D) Sugarcane for sugar...........farms.. 3 0 acres.. 5 0 tons.. (D) 0 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 219 286 acres.. 7 269 8 979 tons, dry.. 17 509 22 476 @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.