1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 ALLEGAN COUNTY, MICHIGAN Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 1 337 1 469 Land in farms ..................acres.. 236 936 246 403 Average size of farm .......acres.. 177 168 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 352 657 236 460 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 979 1 427 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 74 878 58 274 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 113 105 10 to 49 acres ...................... 430 437 50 to 179 acres ..................... 489 561 180 to 499 acres .................... 194 267 500 to 999 acres .................... 68 69 1,000 acres or more ................. 43 30 Total cropland .................farms.. 1 239 1 366 acres.. 198 357 202 908 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 1 116 1 269 acres.. 175 394 169 173 Irrigated land .................farms.. 185 185 acres.. 12 948 13 309 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 186 757 154 039 Average per farm .........dollars.. 139 684 104 860 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 73 725 65 246 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 113 032 88 794 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 327 329 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 156 168 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 143 187 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 199 209 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 110 132 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 100 138 $100,000 or more .................... 302 306 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 154 725 126 332 Average per farm .........dollars.. 115 899 86 057 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 647 757 Other ............................... 690 712 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 774 815 200 days or more ................... 591 581 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 474 554 number.. 41 416 48 225 Beef cows ..................farms.. 190 183 number.. 2 701 3 072 Milk cows ..................farms.. 145 210 number.. 15 816 15 878 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 442 523 number.. 20 261 28 089 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 134 229 number.. 121 752 109 059 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 127 234 number.. 266 776 229 219 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 46 54 number.. 2 358 3 048 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 53 54 number.. 1 374 885 (D) Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 10 13 number.. 795 (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 490 648 acres.. 71 499 83 041 bushels.. 7 864 562 8 590 184 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 190 250 acres.. 10 185 8 906 bushels.. 645 327 444 092 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 235 197 acres.. 33 913 16 243 bushels.. 1 323 641 564 392 Dry beans, excl. dry limas....farms.. 1 4 acres.. (D) (D) cwt.. (D) (D) Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 590 682 acres.. 32 306 34 498 tons, dry.. 82 285 95 785 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 86 102 acres.. 6 982 6 668 Land in orchards..............farms.. 97 113 acres.. 4 314 4 600 @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.