1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 791 855 Land in farms ..................acres.. 217 345 234 823 Average size of farm .......acres.. 275 275 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 504 172 323 109 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 762 1 107 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 95 080 70 647 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 43 55 10 to 49 acres ...................... 180 179 50 to 179 acres ..................... 311 291 180 to 499 acres .................... 132 195 500 to 999 acres .................... 75 92 1,000 acres or more ................. 50 43 Total cropland .................farms.. 749 808 acres.. 184 840 201 349 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 664 744 acres.. 170 772 175 391 Irrigated land .................farms.. 224 239 acres.. 91 191 85 009 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 81 103 66 660 Average per farm .........dollars.. 102 533 77 965 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 62 513 46 077 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 18 590 20 583 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 179 131 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 59 81 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 85 110 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 141 175 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 112 93 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 57 97 $100,000 or more .................... 158 168 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 61 648 57 800 Average per farm .........dollars.. 77 740 67 602 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 413 456 Other ............................... 378 399 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 467 481 200 days or more ................... 342 341 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 269 285 number.. 11 680 12 997 Beef cows ..................farms.. 119 113 number.. 1 598 1 876 Milk cows ..................farms.. 76 78 number.. 3 710 3 167 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 243 258 number.. 5 036 6 047 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 94 200 number.. 38 684 61 806 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 96 211 number.. 79 829 100 038 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 51 62 number.. 3 009 2 917 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 48 65 number.. 1 597 (D) Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 5 10 number.. (D) (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 479 564 acres.. 94 519 107 668 bushels.. 11 840 274 12 512 015 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 72 115 acres.. 2 402 3 755 bushels.. 119 090 137 120 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 345 407 acres.. 47 485 40 819 bushels.. 1 912 228 1 449 697 Dry beans, excl. dry limas....farms.. 1 22 acres.. (D) 2 212 cwt.. (D) 37 523 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 335 349 acres.. 11 425 11 213 tons, dry.. 27 689 33 703 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 68 65 acres.. 9 763 7 376 Land in orchards..............farms.. 14 8 acres.. 284 (D) @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.