1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 COLUMBUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 884 1 109 Land in farms ..................acres.. 169 945 162 634 Average size of farm .......acres.. 192 147 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 275 070 178 032 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 508 1 243 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 53 430 31 860 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 81 80 10 to 49 acres ...................... 236 359 50 to 179 acres ..................... 322 417 180 to 499 acres .................... 146 192 500 to 999 acres .................... 71 41 1,000 acres or more ................. 28 20 Total cropland .................farms.. 829 1 070 acres.. 116 400 110 638 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 771 994 acres.. 99 259 84 313 Irrigated land .................farms.. 50 31 acres.. 1 107 363 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 139 913 54 663 Average per farm .........dollars.. 158 273 49 290 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 67 218 46 292 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 72 695 8 371 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 162 225 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 103 103 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 98 148 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 137 226 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 92 120 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 85 137 $100,000 or more .................... 207 150 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 95 693 45 890 Average per farm .........dollars.. 108 373 41 342 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 437 601 Other ............................... 447 508 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 466 555 200 days or more ................... 317 374 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 222 214 number.. 8 364 5 950 Beef cows ..................farms.. 200 189 number.. 5 009 2 985 Milk cows ..................farms.. 5 10 number.. 23 389 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 203 195 number.. 3 606 2 068 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 69 175 number.. 257 920 43 271 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 63 171 number.. 1 135 187 81 544 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 0 0 number.. 0 0 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 20 37 number.. 567 7 402 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 3 0 number.. 1 522 000 0 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 378 539 acres.. 28 249 30 936 bushels.. 2 703 465 2 571 540 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 192 88 acres.. 14 658 3 801 bushels.. 686 952 171 046 Cotton .......................farms.. 8 2 acres.. 2 039 (D) bales.. 2 543 (D) Tobacco ......................farms.. 420 650 acres.. 11 194 9 975 pounds.. 26 361 471 21 059 646 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 493 615 acres.. 44 176 35 645 bushels.. 1 118 551 801 484 Peanuts for nuts .............farms.. 20 21 acres.. 660 703 pounds.. 2 365 366 2 066 151 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 177 121 acres.. 5 265 1 879 tons, dry.. 11 061 3 989 @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.