1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 275 241 Land in farms ..................acres.. 28 100 25 011 Average size of farm .......acres.. 102 104 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 756 235 992 415 Average per acre .........dollars.. 8 225 9 952 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 49 692 50 148 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 91 72 10 to 49 acres ...................... 111 107 50 to 179 acres ..................... 41 35 180 to 499 acres .................... 17 12 500 to 999 acres .................... 8 10 1,000 acres or more ................. 7 5 Total cropland .................farms.. 257 219 acres.. 21 956 21 515 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 237 201 acres.. 20 346 19 158 Irrigated land .................farms.. 73 74 acres.. 1 586 1 404 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 34 355 23 518 Average per farm .........dollars.. 124 927 97 585 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 33 211 22 544 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 1 144 974 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 82 54 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 27 34 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 28 26 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 46 47 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 30 20 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 16 22 $100,000 or more .................... 46 38 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 21 919 19 792 Average per farm .........dollars.. 79 706 82 467 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 123 138 Other ............................... 152 103 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 144 110 200 days or more ................... 90 73 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 17 20 number.. 233 437 Beef cows ..................farms.. 11 12 number.. (D) 105 Milk cows ..................farms.. 2 5 number.. (D) 116 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 13 16 number.. 359 276 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 12 11 number.. 251 738 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 5 10 number.. (D) 1 588 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 12 11 number.. 390 829 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 28 24 number.. 1 376 1 751 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 5 2 number.. 320 (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 26 27 acres.. 3 915 4 388 bushels.. 504 718 594 091 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 3 5 acres.. 75 157 tons, green.. 1 135 2 630 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 42 49 acres.. 9 972 8 593 bushels.. 344 989 296 875 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 44 46 acres.. 1 472 2 120 tons, dry.. 1 911 2 893 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 77 69 acres.. 1 830 1 618 Land in orchards..............farms.. 22 16 acres.. 190 197 @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.