1. Alabama Agriculture
It’s Everywhere !!

2. Alabama agriculture is very important
There are over 48,500 farms in the state covering about 9,000,000 acres.
Alabama farmers grow a variety of crops and livestock—At least 50 different.
Alabama agricultural exports total $1 billion a year, with poultry accounting for about one-third of all exports.

3. Poultry & Eggs
Alabama is the 3rd largest producer of broilers (chicken you eat) just behind Arkansas & Georgia
Alabama is the 14th largest producer of eggs in the nation.

4. There are ten major companies operating broiler farms in Alabama.
These ten companies provide jobs for almost ,000 people, including over 4,000 farmers.
Cullman County produces the most poultry and eggs in Alabama and is the second highest producing county in the world.
Broilers are raised in specially designed houses that have room for up to 21,000 birds.
The temperature, lighting and amount of food are carefully controlled.

5. The economic impact of poultry in Alabama is $8
The economic impact of poultry in Alabama is $8.5 billion, which is 10 percent of the state's economy.
Each year, the average American consumes 255 eggs.
Alabama poultry growers market more than 1 million birds per year.
Alabama’s laying hen flocks produce about 2 billion eggs a year.

6. Cattle
The state ranks 26th in the nation among all states in cattle inventory with 1.32 million head.
Only Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and Kentucky have more beef cattle farms.
This means Alabama ranks 9th in the U.S. in numbers of farms that produce cattle.

7. Cash receipts for beef cattle production in Alabama ranks second in the state behind broilers.
Cattle are produced in all 67 counties.
The beef industry represents a $2 billion industry to Alabama.
Cullman County ranks 1st in Alabama.

8. Did you know???
Each year, the average American consumes 66.1 pounds of beef!
Hamburger meat produced from one market-ready steer could equal 720 quarter-pound hamburgers.
Burgers account for three-fourths of all beef sales in restaurants; 8.2 billion are served in the U.S. each year.
One average-size cowhide can produce enough leather to make 20 footballs, 18 soccer or volleyballs or 12 basketballs.

9. Alabama is a deficit milk market, meaning it doesn't produce enough milk to meet milk processing and consumption demands.
Alabama produces less than 20% of the milk processed in the state with the balance coming from states like Texas and New Mexico.

10. The year 2007 ended with fewer than 13,000 milk cows, or fewer than 70 Alabama dairy farms.
In 2007, Alabama dairy producers impacted the Alabama economy to the tune of more than $41 million in cash receipts.
The top 3 milk-producing counties in Alabama are Morgan, Cullman and Geneva.

11. Did you know???
An average dairy cow produces about 7 gallons of milk a day (that’s more than 100 glasses of milk), or enough to make 6 pounds of cheese or 2.6 pounds of butter.
Twenty-five gallons of milk can make nine gallons of ice cream, 25 pounds of cheese or 11 pounds of butter.
One gallon of milk weighs 8.6 pounds.
Each year, the average American consumes 25 gallons of milk!

12. Hogs & pigs Alabama is a small hog producer.
Alabama ranked 26th in the United States during 2001 for hog and pig production.
Our number of hogs and pigs produced was 160,000 with a value of $14.7 million.
DeKalb County ranks 1st in Alabama.

13. Did you know???
Pork is the world's most widely consumed meat, accounting for about 42 percent of the world's meat consumption.
Insulin from hogs is used in the treatment of diabetes. Hog heart valves are used to replace damaged or diseased human heart valves. Skin from hogs is used to treat severe burn victims.
Pork is the world’s most widely eaten meat, comprising 42.6 percent of meat consumption.
Each year, the average American consumes 50 pounds of pork!

14. Catfish Alabama is one of the top four states to produce aquaculture.
Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, produce 95% of the catfish grown in the United States.
Hale County ranks 1st in catfish production.

15. Alabama has around 22,000 water acres of fish farms where nearly 200 commercial farmers produce 25 different aquatic species. Farm-raised catfish is by far the dominant species, with Alabama ranking second in the U.S. in annual catfish sales.
Alabama farmers currently produce well over 100 million pounds of catfish per year, and Alabama still has the land and water resources to support an industry 10 times its current size.

16. Did you know???
Eight percent of all fresh water in the lower 48 states originates or passes through Alabama.
Alabama is home to the world's largest catfish processing plant.
Each year, the average American consumes 1 pound of catfish!
Besides catfish, Alabama aquaculture farmers raise shrimp, tilapia and crawfish.

17. Honey Bees
Honey production is one reason that there are more than 2,500 registered beekeepers in all 67 counties.
Bees are a mutually beneficial commodity. Not only do they produce sweet-tasting honey, but through pollination, bees provide an invaluable service to farmers and to the wildlife community.
Examples of Alabama-produced crops totally or mostly dependent on honeybees for pollination: watermelons, apples, blueberries, cantaloupes, peaches, pumpkins, blackberries, grapes, persimmons, strawberries, cucumbers, honeydew, pears, plums, sunflowers, and vegetable seed.

18. Alabama queen bees are shipped into every state and to several foreign countries.
Queen bees that have been certified disease free are packaged and shipped to beekeepers who want to increase their hive production.
In a hive or bee colony, each bee has an important part.
The queen bee lays eggs and the drones mate with the queen.
The worker bees gather nectar and pollen, make nectar into honey, feed the queen, drones and larvae, make wax honeycomb and do many other jobs.

19. Did you know???
10 pounds of honey yields 1 pound of wax Beeswax candles - oldest candles known to man
The colors of honey range from water white to dark amber, depending on its mineral content and floral source. Light colored honey typically has a mild flavor, while dark colored honey is usually stronger.
Bees travel 55,000 miles and visit more than 2 million flowers to make 1 pound of honey.

20. Corn
Corn is an important commodity in farming and most corn grown in the U.S. is used to feed livestock.
Jackson County ranks 1st in Alabama.
Poultry, beef, pork and dairy producers use more than 60-percent of all the corn grown in the U.S.
One bushel of corn (56 pounds) provides 31.5 pounds of starch or 33 pounds of sweetener or 2.8 gallons of fuel ethanol.
A farmer gets about 3 cents for every box of Wheaties® and 10 cents for every box of corn flakes.

21. Cotton
Cotton is the state’s largest row crop. It is grown in 59 of the 67 counties.
Alabama ranked 9th in the United States in cotton production.
Limestone County topped all other Alabama counties in cotton production
Cotton is versatile and has many uses. It can be used as a fiber, feed and food.
In 2005, Alabama farmers picked 545,000 acres of cotton, producing 850,000 bales with an estimated value of $212 million, and an average yield of 749 pounds per acre

22. In 1892 the boll weevil arrived from Mexico and spread across the cotton-growing regions of the United States.
The boll weevil bores into the cotton boll and lays its eggs. The eggs hatch and the larvae eat the cotton fiber. It takes the larvae about 3 weeks to become adult weevils and start laying their own eggs.
That means that the weevils can hatch anywhere from generations during a single cotton growing season.
Because of the destruction done to the cotton crops, Alabama farmers had no other choice but to diversify.

23. In other words, start growing other crops
In other words, start growing other crops. Soybeans, peanuts, corn, wheat, and other crops soon took over many of the fields that used to grow cotton.
In Enterprise Alabama, Bon Fleming, a local businessman, came up with the idea to honor the boll weevil for its part in changing the way Alabama farmers farmed.
The monument and surrounding pool cost $3,000, which came from individual contributions and Fleming's own pocket.
The monument was dedicated in a ceremony on Dec. 11, 1919 witnessed by a crowd of 5,000 people.

24. Boll Weevil Monument

26. When the cotton is harvested it is sent to a "Cotton Gin."
Cotton gins separate the fluffy, white fiber from the seed (one-third of it is lint, the fluffy white part, and two-thirds seed.)
The fiber is used to make cotton cloth.
The seeds are processed into oil, meal and hulls. They are used in soap, makeup and food products such as cooking oil and margarine.
The meal and hulls are used as livestock feed.
The leftover fiber can be used to make everything from gunpowder to toothbrush handles.

27. Did you know???
For every $40 pair of denim jeans sold, the farmer gets $1.46. He gets 41 cents for a $35 men's shirt, and 45 cents for a $14 terry bath towel
One bale of cotton can produce 8,000 men's woven handkerchiefs, 850 ladies blouses and shirts, 3,000 diapers, and 1,200 pillowcases, 215 pairs of jeans, 249 bed sheets, 690 bath towels, 1,217 T-shirts, or 313,600 $100 bills.

28. Soybeans Jackson County ranks 1st in Alabama.
Alabama produces soybeans. In fact there are 150, ,000 acres in the state growing soybeans.
Total soybean production in Alabama for 2010 was 4.7 million bushels at a value of $21 million
The average production is approximately 25 bushels per acre.
A 60-pound bushel of soybeans yields about 48 pounds of protein-rich meal and 11 pounds of oil or 1.5 gallons of biodiesel.
More soybeans are grown in the United States than in any other country in the world.

29. Did you know???
Soybeans have been an important part of the human diet for over 4,000 years.
Soybeans are generally acknowledged to be the highest quality vegetable protein source and one of the most abundant.
One acre of soybeans can furnish 584 pounds of edible protein and sustain an individual for 2,224 days.

30. Soybeans are processed into meal and oil.
Most of the meal goes into poultry and livestock feed.
Soybean oil accounts for about three-fourths of the fats and oils used in U.S. edible oil products.
Most cooking oils, shortenings, and margarines are made from soybean oil.
Here is a short list of what soybeans are used for Consumer Products Adhesives, All-Purpose Lubricants, Alternative Fuels, Animal Care, Auto Care, Bar Chain Oils, Building Composites, Candles, Cleaning Products, Crayons, Diesel Additives
Over 82,000 crayons can be made from an acre of soybeans!

31. Peanuts
Houston County ranks 1st in Alabama. Approximately half the peanuts grown in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of Dothan, Alabama.
Last year, Alabama farmers harvested 189,000 acres of peanuts, producing 400 million pounds valued at $118 million.
Peanuts are legumes, not nuts.

32. The peanut plant is unusual because it flowers above ground but the peanut grows below ground.
Planted in the early spring, the peanut grows best in calcium rich sandy soil.
For a good crop, 120 to 140 frost free days are required.
Farmers harvest the peanuts in the fall.
The peanuts are pulled from the ground by special machinery and turned over to dry in the fields for several days.

33. The combine machines then separate the peanuts from the vines and blow the tender moist peanuts into special hoppers.
They are dumped into a drying wagon and cured by forcing warm air through the wagons.
Afterwards, the peanuts are taken to buying stations where they are inspected and graded for sale.

34. Did you know???
About half of U.S. peanuts consumed domestically are in the form of peanut butter. By law, peanut butter must contain 90% peanuts. The other 10% is for stabilizers and sweeteners.
Americans consume approximately 800 million pounds, or 3.3 pounds per person, of peanut butter per year. That's enough to coat the floor of the Grand Canyon!
Peanut butter, at 20 cents per sandwich, is the most inexpensive source of protein in the American diet.

35. The combination of peanuts and chocolate is America's favorite candy
The combination of peanuts and chocolate is America's favorite candy. For several years candies containing peanuts have topped the best-seller list.
One of the many great advantages to peanuts and peanut butter is long shelf life. If held at average ambient temperatures without great changes in heat or humidity, peanuts and peanut butter can be safely stored for several months.

36. Forestry Forestry is Alabama's #1 industry.
Two thirds of Alabama, 22 million acres, is covered in forestland (about the size of Indiana). Non-industrial private landowners own approximately 75 percent of that forestland
Forestry generates approximately
$13 billion for Alabama each year.

37. More than 170,000 Alabamians are employed directly or indirectly by the forestry industry.
For every tree harvested in Alabama, five are planted.
Alabama forests consist of 35 percent pine, 45 percent hardwood, and 20 percent mixed pine and hardwood.

38. Did you know???
Enough lumber exists in Alabama’s forests to build and furnish nearly 4 million homes.
On average, each person in the United States uses enough tree products each year to make a tree 100 feet tall and 16 feet in diameter.
One acre of healthy trees can generate approximately 5,600 lbs.
of wood in one year.

39. Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod
Greenhouse, nursery and sod comprise the fastest-growing segment of Alabama’s agricultural industry, increasing from cash receipts of $31 million in 1975 to $276 million in 2005.
The green industry has a total economic impact of $1.9 billion in Alabama.

40. There are more than 2,500 greenhouse, nursery and sod businesses in the state, employing more than 30,000 workers.
Alabama is ranked third in sod production in the United States and 16th in greenhouse and nursery sales.
Alabama is known as the azalea capital of the world.

41. Meat Goat & Sheep
Most of Alabama's sheep and goat producers are considered small or medium-sized producers who generally produce their products on small acreage. The beauty of this is that it allows people with small amounts of land to be involved in agriculture.
Alabama has about 11,500 sheep on about 445 farms

42. Alabama's goat population is near 39,800 head on approximately 2,259 farms
The combined products of Alabama's goat and sheep industries are valued at $1.5 million
Goat meat sells for as much as $3 a pound in ethnic grocery stores.

43. Horticulture
Fruit, pecan, and vegetable production amounts to around $57 million annually in cash receipts
The average American eats more than 700 pounds of fruits and vegetables each year, including more than 300 pounds of fresh produce.
Pecan production valued $9.9 million in 2008 with over 8.0 million lbs. ranking Alabama 5th in the nation.

44. Peach production valued $6. 0 million in 2008 with over 6
Peach production valued $6.0 million in 2008 with over 6.1 million lbs. ranking Alabama 17th in the nation.
Alabama ranks 5th in sweet potato production, 12th in blueberry production, 16th in fresh-market watermelons and 12th in fresh-market tomatoes.
Alabama harvested some 1,250 acres of tomatoes, and 3,500 acres of watermelons in 2008 that totaled $17.1 million in production.

45. Alabama is home to an emerging citrus industry, with 100 acres of commercial satsuma groves producing 3.5 million pounds of fruit each year.
Pecans are Alabama’s official state nut. Commercial growers farm about 12,000 acres capable of producing about 15 million pounds a year.
Alabama peach producers will harvest more than 20 million pounds of the fruit in a good year.

46. Farmers and ranchers receive only 19 cents out of every retail dollar spent on food, while 81 cents go to off-farm costs associated with marketing, processing and distributing food. In 1980, farmers received 31 cents out of every food dollar.

48. There are 48,000 people in Alabama who call themselves farmers.
And for generations those few families have dedicated their lives to creating a $4.7 billion business—Alabama's largest.

49. But today, agriculture reaches far beyond the farm gate
But today, agriculture reaches far beyond the farm gate. Alabama's agribusiness industries account for 476,000 jobs with annual earnings of more than $9 billion.
That's 21 percent of the state's workforce.
In fact, 85 percent of all jobs created by agriculture are not on the farm at all.

50. Together, these industries account for more than $43 billion or 22 percent of the state's direct output—more than any other industry.

51. More than 90 percent of the food items consumed in the United States are produced whole or in part by American farmers.
It takes just 36 days for the average American to earn enough money to buy their food for an entire year.
In contrast, it takes them 131 days to earn enough to pay their federal, state and local taxes for one year.

52. Disposable Income on Food
Americans 10%
England 11%
Australia 15%
Israel %
Mexico 24.5%
India 55%
Japan 14%
China 26%
Phillipines 38%

53. Agriculture is IMPORTANT to Alabama!!