1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 GATES COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 147 199 Land in farms ..................acres.. 62 004 64 532 Average size of farm .......acres.. 422 324 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 629 836 384 815 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 469 1 165 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 145 495 70 729 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 10 21 10 to 49 acres ...................... 21 36 50 to 179 acres ..................... 49 64 180 to 499 acres .................... 28 39 500 to 999 acres .................... 21 23 1,000 acres or more ................. 18 16 Total cropland .................farms.. 128 173 acres.. 49 078 48 273 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 116 159 acres.. 46 481 44 612 Irrigated land .................farms.. 13 6 acres.. 495 1 601 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 44 943 29 558 Average per farm .........dollars.. 305 737 148 534 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 17 233 17 025 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 27 710 12 534 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 18 21 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 8 12 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 16 25 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 19 34 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 13 21 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 13 19 $100,000 or more .................... 60 67 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 32 639 24 589 Average per farm .........dollars.. 222 033 122 946 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 100 125 Other ............................... 47 74 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 52 86 200 days or more ................... 35 70 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 31 37 number.. 1 261 1 328 Beef cows ..................farms.. 26 34 number.. (D) 553 Milk cows ..................farms.. 1 0 number.. (D) 0 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 29 38 number.. 558 463 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 23 59 number.. 30 349 20 856 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 24 66 number.. 71 732 46 533 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 3 1 number.. 63 (D) Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 4 4 number.. (D) (D) Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 18 21 number.. 4 735 000 4 948 297 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 90 139 acres.. 10 791 16 230 bushels.. 594 968 1 822 291 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 35 22 acres.. 2 493 975 bushels.. 145 884 48 150 Cotton .......................farms.. 64 67 acres.. 18 840 12 067 bales.. 19 176 14 484 Tobacco ......................farms.. 2 3 acres.. (D) (D) pounds.. (D) (D) Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 90 117 acres.. 9 217 7 952 bushels.. 278 010 259 670 Peanuts for nuts .............farms.. 102 133 acres.. 6 824 7 650 pounds.. 20 710 372 23 842 834 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 3 8 acres.. 53 142 tons, dry.. 91 234 @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.