1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 1 136 1 190 Land in farms ..................acres.. 186 453 190 706 Average size of farm .......acres.. 164 160 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 453 387 301 712 Average per acre .........dollars.. 2 686 1 832 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 74 189 59 263 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 97 97 10 to 49 acres ...................... 383 347 50 to 179 acres ..................... 399 470 180 to 499 acres .................... 178 196 500 to 999 acres .................... 45 52 1,000 acres or more ................. 34 28 Total cropland .................farms.. 1 043 1 113 acres.. 149 898 154 552 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 934 1 046 acres.. 127 476 119 403 Irrigated land .................farms.. 128 164 acres.. 6 120 9 030 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 121 041 105 990 Average per farm .........dollars.. 106 550 89 067 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 91 987 73 688 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 29 054 32 302 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 309 325 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 152 139 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 127 157 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 158 161 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 87 99 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 89 96 $100,000 or more .................... 214 213 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 93 300 88 084 Average per farm .........dollars.. 82 131 74 082 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 487 536 Other ............................... 649 654 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 667 701 200 days or more ................... 501 531 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 356 431 number.. 27 633 32 184 Beef cows ..................farms.. 189 184 number.. 2 769 2 327 Milk cows ..................farms.. 93 148 number.. 9 097 11 218 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 336 391 number.. 11 272 13 420 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 52 88 number.. 7 949 14 203 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 49 89 number.. 14 364 26 356 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 27 27 number.. 523 1 282 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 32 45 number.. 976 (D) Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 5 11 number.. 283 782 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 373 404 acres.. 42 188 39 798 bushels.. 4 550 863 3 271 022 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 155 206 acres.. 6 918 7 744 bushels.. 361 368 318 398 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 123 85 acres.. 14 120 5 743 bushels.. 526 560 163 833 Dry beans, excl. dry limas....farms.. 17 18 acres.. 2 876 2 243 cwt.. 50 270 32 961 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 553 634 acres.. 30 713 34 196 tons, dry.. 78 350 89 707 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 80 114 acres.. 3 747 4 507 Land in orchards..............farms.. 184 236 acres.. 15 143 16 988 @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.