1992 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1992 AND 1987 MERRICK COUNTY, NEBRASKA Item ALL FARMS 1992 1987 Farms .........................number.. 617 664 Land in farms ..................acres.. 290 608 275 590 Average size of farm .......acres.. 471 415 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 426 463 298 651 Average per acre .........dollars.. 873 697 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 76 801 64 791 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 39 53 10 to 49 acres ...................... 48 57 50 to 179 acres ..................... 132 133 180 to 499 acres .................... 193 216 500 to 999 acres .................... 133 149 1,000 acres or more ................. 72 56 Total cropland .................farms.. 562 591 acres.. 234 809 229 784 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 541 578 acres.. 191 996 153 915 Irrigated land .................farms.. 474 512 acres.. 164 589 133 363 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 133 054 73 334 Average per farm .........dollars.. 215 647 110 443 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 42 650 31 503 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 90 404 41 832 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 42 42 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 30 46 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 34 55 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 82 111 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 90 106 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 118 124 $100,000 or more .................... 221 180 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 112 332 59 670 Average per farm .........dollars.. 182 062 89 865 Net cash return from agricultural sales for the farm unit.......farms.. 617 664 $1,000.. 20 351 14 068 Average per farm..........dollars.. 32 983 21 187 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 477 503 Other ............................... 140 161 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 246 250 200 days or more ................... 142 129 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 337 367 number.. 74 053 58 192 Beef cows ..................farms.. 263 282 number.. 13 467 13 596 Milk cows ..................farms.. 20 30 number.. 639 753 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 340 372 number.. 102 566 56 428 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 109 124 number.. 41 245 35 403 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 123 130 number.. 84 514 58 505 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 29 34 number.. 1 119 2 338 Chickens 3 months old or older inventory.............farms.. 22 46 number.. 809 2 127 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 3 4 number.. (D) 925 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 499 512 acres.. 153 694 122 762 bushels.. 19 624 245 16 341 950 Corn for sil or green chop....farms.. 56 52 acres.. 3 857 1 785 tons, green.. 68 147 29 947 Sorghum for grain or seed.....farms.. 28 19 acres.. 1 075 746 bushels.. 70 302 43 549 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 62 87 acres.. 1 770 1 803 bushels.. 52 934 56 317 Oats for grain................farms.. 22 26 acres.. 308 571 bushels.. 17 725 17 675 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 248 250 acres.. 16 995 12 059 bushels.. 605 101 410 282 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 284 312 acres.. 14 740 12 944 tons, dry.. 34 363 30 787 @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. .