1992 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1992 AND 1987 WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Item ALL FARMS 1992 1987 Farms .........................number.. 673 747 Land in farms ..................acres.. 46 726 54 157 Average size of farm .......acres.. 69 72 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 147 169 135 987 Average per acre .........dollars.. 2 225 2 034 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 17 184 12 181 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 139 128 10 to 49 acres ...................... 244 295 50 to 179 acres ..................... 231 256 180 to 499 acres .................... 53 60 500 to 999 acres .................... 3 6 1,000 acres or more ................. 3 2 Total cropland .................farms.. 646 715 acres.. 23 386 21 859 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 600 666 acres.. 6 087 6 350 Irrigated land .................farms.. 15 36 acres.. 55 176 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 7 557 8 496 Average per farm .........dollars.. 11 228 11 374 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 3 644 2 916 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 3 913 5 581 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 184 272 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 144 172 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 148 132 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 131 101 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 41 42 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 17 17 $100,000 or more .................... 8 11 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 5 447 5 742 Average per farm .........dollars.. 8 082 7 687 Net cash return from agricultural sales for the farm unit.......farms.. 674 747 $1,000.. 2 155 1 630 Average per farm..........dollars.. 3 197 2 183 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 292 316 Other ............................... 381 431 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 386 460 200 days or more ................... 281 319 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 358 376 number.. 10 207 9 800 Beef cows ..................farms.. 260 257 number.. 4 066 3 356 Milk cows ..................farms.. 23 57 number.. 195 481 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 340 363 number.. 7 402 7 562 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 11 10 number.. 48 (D) Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 4 2 number.. 115 (D) Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 14 15 number.. 302 315 Chickens 3 months old or older inventory.............farms.. 21 46 number.. (D) 871 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 1 13 number.. (D) 1 466 000 Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 8 29 acres.. 36 211 bushels.. 1 575 17 247 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 1 1 acres.. (D) (D) bushels.. (D) (D) Cotton .......................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bales.. 0 0 Tobacco ......................farms.. 416 439 acres.. 779 648 pounds.. 1 459 009 1 161 028 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 bushels.. 0 0 Peanuts for nuts .............farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 pounds.. 0 0 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 310 368 acres.. 4 714 4 730 tons, dry.. 8 144 7 212 @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. .