1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 CHATHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 956 926 Land in farms ..................acres.. 112 923 108 363 Average size of farm .......acres.. 118 117 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 293 475 200 210 Average per acre .........dollars.. 2 248 1 666 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 30 205 25 794 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 56 61 10 to 49 acres ...................... 317 307 50 to 179 acres ..................... 399 387 180 to 499 acres .................... 160 151 500 to 999 acres .................... 21 15 1,000 acres or more ................. 3 5 Total cropland .................farms.. 769 741 acres.. 53 567 49 411 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 557 555 acres.. 21 713 18 181 Irrigated land .................farms.. 58 44 acres.. 724 490 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 120 705 92 619 Average per farm .........dollars.. 126 261 100 021 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 4 610 3 823 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 116 096 88 796 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 242 246 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 163 130 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 151 124 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 116 113 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 58 50 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 35 53 $100,000 or more .................... 191 210 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 90 511 72 498 Average per farm .........dollars.. 94 479 78 207 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 421 466 Other ............................... 535 460 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 530 480 200 days or more ................... 406 338 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 666 662 number.. 34 967 32 647 Beef cows ..................farms.. 590 587 number.. 17 439 16 047 Milk cows ..................farms.. 27 28 number.. 2 097 2 688 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 649 634 number.. 17 721 15 535 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 25 58 number.. 7 632 6 462 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 24 58 number.. 17 920 23 236 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 10 9 number.. 355 399 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 50 48 number.. 438 819 612 698 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 142 189 number.. 32 300 662 34 621 417 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 37 77 acres.. 1 190 2 416 bushels.. 80 699 190 321 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 14 33 acres.. 792 935 bushels.. 33 320 37 868 Cotton .......................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bales.. 0 0 Tobacco ......................farms.. 24 42 acres.. 1 146 788 pounds.. 1 428 891 1 390 547 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 18 29 acres.. 1 658 1 036 bushels.. 32 131 18 861 Peanuts for nuts .............farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 pounds.. 0 0 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 471 446 acres.. 15 443 11 440 tons, dry.. 35 045 23 439 @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.