South Carolina Highlights
Farm Definition Any place from which $1,000 of agricultural products were produced and sold, or would normally would have been sold, during the census year. Government payments are included. Official USDA definition since 1974.
Conducting the Census in SC 49 thousand on mail list 84.3 percent response rate All counties over 75% response, most over 80%
Farm Numbers 25,867 farms & ranches 5 percent more than 2002
SC Top Counties # of Farms 1.Anderson 2.Spartanburg 3.Aiken 4.Greenville 5.York Value of Production 1.Kershaw 2.Lexington 3.Orangeburg 4.Oconee 5.Aiken
Concentration of Production farms (2.8%) = 75% of value of production farms (2.5%) = 75% of value of production
Principal Operator Characteristics More operators working off-farm Fewer have farming as primary occupation Fewer operators under age 45, down 38% from 2002
Agri-Tourism in SC farms, $2.77 million of income farms, $8.16 million of income
What’s New in 2007? # of Farms Organic Production 89 Generated Energy On-Farm179 Marketed Through Community Supported Agriculture 193 Barns Built Prior to 19605,719
What Else is Available? Production practices Production expenditures Value-added & specialty production Conservation practices Income from agritourism & recreation Much, much more
Data Availability National, State, County Data On-line Database Agricultural Atlas Maps State & County Profiles Market Rankings Puerto Rico Outlying Areas
Future Products Congressional District Tabulations – Spring 2009 Watershed Tabulations – Spring 2009 American Indian Reservation Summary –Spring 2009 ZIP Code Tabulations –Summer 2009
Supplemental Surveys Farm & Ranch Irrigation Survey –Currently Underway –Results Available Late 2009 Organic Production Survey –To be conducted Spring 2009 –Results Available Late 2009
2012 Census: Looking Ahead Content Team already formed Ideas for changes, new questions Comments to: