1992 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1992 AND 1987 ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA Item ALL FARMS 1992 1987 Farms .........................number.. 539 522 Land in farms ..................acres.. 300 622 297 433 Average size of farm .......acres.. 558 570 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 1 667 942 1 597 356 Average per acre .........dollars.. 3 129 2 914 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 92 169 57 007 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 92 95 10 to 49 acres ...................... 190 222 50 to 179 acres ..................... 118 87 180 to 499 acres .................... 66 49 500 to 999 acres .................... 27 21 1,000 acres or more ................. 46 48 Total cropland .................farms.. 478 450 acres.. 136 715 111 588 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 439 412 acres.. 122 471 93 830 Irrigated land .................farms.. 417 355 acres.. 138 133 109 809 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 207 123 165 828 Average per farm .........dollars.. 384 273 317 678 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 194 784 155 311 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 12 339 10 517 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 109 91 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 23 31 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 53 50 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 66 81 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 60 75 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 67 68 $100,000 or more .................... 161 126 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 163 758 108 723 Average per farm .........dollars.. 304 382 208 281 Net cash return from agricultural sales for the farm unit.......farms.. 538 522 $1,000.. 40 314 55 763 Average per farm..........dollars.. 74 934 106 826 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 285 257 Other ............................... 254 265 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 286 282 200 days or more ................... 215 210 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 107 112 number.. 43 942 42 277 Beef cows ..................farms.. 90 96 number.. (D) (D) Milk cows ..................farms.. 3 4 number.. (D) (D) Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 95 107 number.. 18 616 20 332 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 10 9 number.. 113 275 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 9 6 number.. 97 (D) Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 0 0 number.. 0 0 Chickens 3 months old or older inventory.............farms.. 13 14 number.. (D) 252 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 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Sugarcane for sugar...........farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 tons.. 0 0 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 12 6 acres.. 1 963 (D) tons, dry.. 4 515 (D) Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 5 10 acres.. 308 359 Land in orchards..............farms.. 386 364 acres.. 119 121 91 570 @1Data are based on a sample of farms. Legend: - Represents zero (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual farms (X) Not applicable (Z) Less than half the unit shown (NA) Not available Source: 1992 Census of Agriculture, Volume 1 Geographic Area Series, "Table 1. County Summary Highlights: 1992." This electronic series presents summary statistics for each county and state together with comparable data from the 1987 census. The items included are the same for all states and counties, except selected crops harvested, which vary by state. Data for 1992 and 1987 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 Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. If you have any questions concerning the data in this report or need additional information or order forms for agriculture publications, please call Agriculture Division, Bureau of the Census, at 1-800-523-3215. .