1992 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1992 AND 1987 BRANCH COUNTY, MICHIGAN Item ALL FARMS 1992 1987 Farms .........................number.. 935 1 034 Land in farms ..................acres.. 227 665 227 375 Average size of farm .......acres.. 243 220 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 248 478 171 692 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 001 786 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 64 487 43 658 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 53 64 10 to 49 acres ...................... 174 206 50 to 179 acres ..................... 355 409 180 to 499 acres .................... 230 226 500 to 999 acres .................... 91 99 1,000 acres or more ................. 32 30 Total cropland .................farms.. 892 978 acres.. 184 856 179 034 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 821 937 acres.. 155 388 127 157 Irrigated land .................farms.. 131 135 acres.. 26 506 22 965 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 66 203 49 257 Average per farm .........dollars.. 70 806 47 638 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 34 778 24 022 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 31 426 25 235 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 176 183 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 91 156 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 116 177 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 177 214 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 121 108 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 115 96 $100,000 or more .................... 139 100 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 55 298 40 458 Average per farm .........dollars.. 59 142 39 089 Net cash return from agricultural sales for the farm unit.......farms.. 935 1 035 $1,000.. 9 944 6 944 Average per farm..........dollars.. 10 635 6 709 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 523 500 Other ............................... 412 534 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 511 640 200 days or more ................... 380 452 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 372 385 number.. 22 876 20 883 Beef cows ..................farms.. 186 154 number.. 2 598 1 959 Milk cows ..................farms.. 97 121 number.. 4 005 4 574 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 345 337 number.. 17 488 12 796 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 217 239 number.. 71 935 56 792 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 238 242 number.. 125 297 90 209 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 42 56 number.. 1 798 2 208 Chickens 3 months old or older inventory.............farms.. 40 71 number.. (D) 11 137 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 5 8 number.. 765 1 090 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 637 810 acres.. 88 542 68 339 bushels.. 10 169 971 7 211 967 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 251 273 acres.. 8 299 7 210 bushels.. 330 489 312 779 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 478 553 acres.. 39 046 33 447 bushels.. 1 371 423 1 093 657 Dry beans, ex dry limas.......farms.. 5 6 acres.. 303 135 cwt.. 5 670 2 110 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 381 375 acres.. 11 521 11 353 tons, dry.. 33 228 33 405 Vegetables harvested..........farms.. 27 17 acres.. 1 078 477 Land in orchards..............farms.. 18 15 acres.. 372 286 @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. .