1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 NELSON COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 471 482 Land in farms ..................acres.. 535 053 552 707 Average size of farm .......acres.. 1 136 1 147 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 505 631 423 768 Average per acre .........dollars.. 476 359 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 108 095 99 220 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 5 17 10 to 49 acres ...................... 13 7 50 to 179 acres ..................... 60 35 180 to 499 acres .................... 98 84 500 to 999 acres .................... 102 120 1,000 acres or more ................. 193 219 Total cropland .................farms.. 453 456 acres.. 440 994 470 529 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 373 448 acres.. 337 421 361 224 Irrigated land .................farms.. 3 3 acres.. (D) (D) Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 36 662 48 272 Average per farm .........dollars.. 77 838 100 149 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 31 016 40 042 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 5 646 8 230 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 100 29 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 14 8 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 34 21 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 61 64 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 49 71 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 87 118 $100,000 or more .................... 126 171 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 36 885 37 329 Average per farm .........dollars.. 78 313 77 285 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 350 426 Other ............................... 121 56 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 198 163 200 days or more ................... 81 40 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 136 180 number.. 12 537 13 206 Beef cows ..................farms.. 124 159 number.. 5 892 6 525 Milk cows ..................farms.. 6 18 number.. 245 886 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 136 180 number.. 8 239 6 586 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 2 12 number.. (D) 1 848 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 2 12 number.. (D) 4 545 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 8 29 number.. 942 3 729 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 5 5 number.. 83 482 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 1 0 number.. (D) 0 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 27 16 acres.. 2 642 1 102 bushels.. 207 108 62 240 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 20 41 acres.. 1 605 1 949 tons, green.. 11 259 11 969 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 313 404 acres.. 161 270 218 394 bushels.. 3 538 896 9 372 427 Barley for grain..............farms.. 273 321 acres.. 73 900 64 882 bushels.. 3 384 788 4 124 892 Oats for grain................farms.. 36 80 acres.. 2 792 4 007 bushels.. 125 344 264 621 Sunflower seed................farms.. 193 254 acres.. 56 673 48 831 pounds.. 72 696 414 45 543 914 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 157 208 acres.. 17 752 21 192 tons, dry.. 25 454 32 722 @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.