CURRENT ALABAMA AGRICULTURE AND RURAL LIFE

Various Land Uses 2004, in acres Open Water Developed Barren Wetlands Deciduous Forest Evergreen Forest Mixed Forest Pasture/Hay Row Crops TOTAL STATE 1,123, , ,891 2, ,860,345 6,657,414 7,801,353 3,453,377 3,110,794 33,682,203

Land in Various Ag Uses 2002 ( from USDA Bulletin 45, page 11) 1000 acres1000 dollars Corn400 42,768 Cotton lint590117,300 Hay800 96,800 Peanuts190 63,714 Soybeans170 19,902 Winter Wheat150 6,960 Sweet corn 1.9 1,972 Tomatoes 1.2 7,438 Watermelons 4.0 2,933 Peaches - 8,360 Floriculture (page 28) - 66,234

Livestock and Poultry Receipts 2002 (from USDA Bulletin 45, page 29) Million dollars% Total Broilers1, Cattle and calves Eggs Catfish Dairy Other Hogs TOTALabout2,380

Revenue from Major Ag Sources (1000 dollars; from USDA Bulletin 45, page 44-45) Standard Ag (crops) 583,800 (row crops, orchard, etc.) Floriculture 66,234 Animal husbandry2,378,300 (including aquaculture) Hunting, fishing, recreation2,400,000 (This figure is the approximate official statistic, from Steve Guy of ALFA. We are trying to get data on unofficial hunting revenues too) Forestry 735,150

Who Produces How Much The next slide shows that a minority of the farms (about 8%) produces a majority of the crops by value (about 82%). According to Herb Vanderberry of the Alabama State Division of the USDA, the same small group of farms (about 11%) own about 30% of the farmland in Alabama. This does not mean there is no place for small farms or family fams, but only that small farms have been under stress, the rural way of life is changing, and rural people need to consider many options.

Who Produces How Much (from 1997 Ag Census) Farm size range% Total Farms%Total Ag Sales Less than $10, $10, , $50,000 – 99, $100,000 – 249, $250,000 – 499, $500,00 or more