1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 MERRICK COUNTY, NEBRASKA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 553 617 Land in farms ..................acres.. 273 892 290 608 Average size of farm .......acres.. 495 471 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 603 161 426 463 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 255 873 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 94 127 76 801 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 20 39 10 to 49 acres ...................... 55 48 50 to 179 acres ..................... 131 132 180 to 499 acres .................... 140 193 500 to 999 acres .................... 122 133 1,000 acres or more ................. 85 72 Total cropland .................farms.. 497 562 acres.. 220 316 234 809 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 470 541 acres.. 198 457 191 996 Irrigated land .................farms.. 396 474 acres.. 162 549 164 589 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 163 159 133 054 Average per farm .........dollars.. 295 044 215 647 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 58 698 42 650 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 104 461 90 404 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 32 42 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 31 30 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 33 34 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 86 82 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 64 90 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 67 118 $100,000 or more .................... 240 221 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 131 278 112 332 Average per farm .........dollars.. 237 393 182 062 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 387 477 Other ............................... 166 140 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 237 246 200 days or more ................... 137 142 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 301 337 number.. 79 641 74 053 Beef cows ..................farms.. 259 263 number.. 13 582 13 467 Milk cows ..................farms.. 9 20 number.. 186 639 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 307 340 number.. 127 938 102 566 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 51 109 number.. 31 122 41 245 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 50 123 number.. 105 581 84 514 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 14 29 number.. 535 1 119 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 14 22 number.. (D) 809 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 2 3 number.. (D) (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 425 499 acres.. 153 615 153 694 bushels.. 20 697 729 19 624 245 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 33 56 acres.. 1 098 3 857 tons, green.. 17 922 68 147 Sorghum for grain or seed.....farms.. 7 28 acres.. 486 1 075 bushels.. 27 382 70 302 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 37 62 acres.. 642 1 770 bushels.. 19 607 52 934 Oats for grain................farms.. 14 22 acres.. 225 308 bushels.. 11 518 17 725 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 251 248 acres.. 26 915 16 995 bushels.. 1 182 787 605 101 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 249 284 acres.. 14 667 14 740 tons, dry.. 36 109 34 363 @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.