1992 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1992 AND 1987 PALO ALTO COUNTY, IOWA Item ALL FARMS 1992 1987 Farms .........................number.. 841 934 Land in farms ..................acres.. 338 730 343 857 Average size of farm .......acres.. 403 368 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 548 521 377 878 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 406 1 096 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 77 418 63 390 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 60 65 10 to 49 acres ...................... 54 51 50 to 179 acres ..................... 137 194 180 to 499 acres .................... 328 369 500 to 999 acres .................... 214 209 1,000 acres or more ................. 48 46 Total cropland .................farms.. 793 876 acres.. 318 023 321 339 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 779 867 acres.. 288 764 251 951 Irrigated land .................farms.. 26 30 acres.. 3 962 4 713 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 107 772 91 667 Average per farm .........dollars.. 128 148 98 145 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 64 993 52 681 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 42 779 38 987 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 40 39 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 14 19 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 33 45 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 81 121 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 114 150 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 175 256 $100,000 or more .................... 384 304 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 74 959 64 467 Average per farm .........dollars.. 89 237 69 022 Net cash return from agricultural sales for the farm unit.......farms.. 840 934 $1,000.. 31 988 23 883 Average per farm..........dollars.. 38 082 25 571 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 660 729 Other ............................... 181 205 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 334 381 200 days or more ................... 137 161 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 225 219 number.. 21 187 18 879 Beef cows ..................farms.. 127 103 number.. 4 177 3 178 Milk cows ..................farms.. 16 22 number.. 383 690 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 235 225 number.. 22 655 20 408 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 308 342 number.. 141 233 113 704 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 333 370 number.. 273 073 219 650 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 43 55 number.. 4 037 4 277 Chickens 3 months old or older inventory.............farms.. 9 33 number.. 566 61 425 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 5 10 number.. (D) (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 725 838 acres.. 154 748 118 241 bushels.. 22 770 028 15 586 249 Corn for sil for green chop...farms.. 49 38 acres.. 1 132 1 024 tons, green.. 22 798 16 011 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 1 1 acres.. (D) (D) bushels.. (D) (D) Oats for grain................farms.. 101 156 acres.. 1 752 3 157 bushels.. 142 614 197 644 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 694 802 acres.. 129 639 126 240 bushels.. 5 611 434 5 266 410 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 206 216 acres.. 3 949 5 134 tons, dry.. 11 149 15 890 @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. .