1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 STERLING COUNTY, TEXAS Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 67 74 Land in farms ..................acres.. 705 614 835 337 Average size of farm .......acres.. 10 532 11 288 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 3 109 680 2 342 306 Average per acre .........dollars.. 295 207 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 47 763 39 398 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 5 4 10 to 49 acres ...................... 1 1 50 to 179 acres ..................... 1 2 180 to 499 acres .................... 11 4 500 to 999 acres .................... 11 9 1,000 acres or more ................. 38 54 Total cropland .................farms.. 35 19 acres.. 13 952 5 280 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 17 7 acres.. 2 941 897 Irrigated land .................farms.. 6 6 acres.. 241 212 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 8 531 8 549 Average per farm .........dollars.. 127 336 115 524 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 171 63 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 8 360 8 486 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 18 8 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 4 5 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 6 5 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 11 10 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 6 11 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 5 8 $100,000 or more .................... 17 27 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 7 448 7 472 Average per farm .........dollars.. 111 162 100 979 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 46 58 Other ............................... 21 16 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 20 29 200 days or more ................... 11 16 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 51 63 number.. 16 410 20 227 Beef cows ..................farms.. 45 60 number.. (D) (D) Milk cows ..................farms.. 1 1 number.. (D) (D) Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 49 63 number.. 9 366 11 103 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 0 1 number.. 0 (D) Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 0 0 number.. 0 0 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 35 54 number.. 54 016 80 267 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 1 0 number.. (D) 0 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 0 0 number.. 0 0 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Sorghum for grain or seed.....farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 4 4 acres.. 1 820 792 bushels.. 49 707 21 300 Rice..........................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 cwt.. 0 0 Cotton .......................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bales.. 0 0 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 10 2 acres.. 905 (D) tons, dry.. 926 (D) @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.