SW Michigan Farmers Lead in Specialty Crops, Hogs
Published: Friday, May 3, 2024
How do you find information about your county's agricultural profile? The 2022 Census of Agriculture is a good starting point. The official website contains statistics about agricultural sales, number of farms and farmers, top commodities, conservation practices and other data points.
In this week's issue, the Exchange spotlights the following seven counties: Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, LaGrange, Noble, Van Buren and Wabash. The series will conclude in next week's issue with seven more counties.
Berrien
Berrien County is the third largest producer of vegetables, melons and potatoes in Michigan, according to the 2022 Michigan Census of Agriculture. The county is also highly ranked in fruit, nut and berry production (fourth); nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod (ninth); and in overall crops (10th).
The total market value of agricultural products sold is $236.01 million. Crop sales account for 94% of that, or $221.96 million. Of that number, vegetables, melons and potatoes account for $62.2 million, and fruit, nuts and berries account for $59.83 million. A total of $22.78 million is captured by nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod products.
At just 6% of total sales, livestock and poultry bring in $14.05 million for Berrien County farmers. Hogs and pigs are the top animal product, accounting for $10.47 million of the total.
The top crop by acres is corn. It covers 44,894 acres. Soybeans trail after corn at 39,524 acres. Other top crops are vegetables (8,177 acres), grapes (4,948 acres) and forage (3,859 acres).
Berrien County has 792 farms, down 9%. Average farm size has increased by 10% to 182 acres since 2017, according to the ag census. Land in farms has remained at 144,490 acres
Fifteen percent of the land in farms is irrigated. Cropland makes up 121,492 acres of the overall land in agriculture. Woodlands are found on 10,107 acres and pastureland accounts for 1,644 acres.
No-till is the dominant land use practice in the county, with 26% of farms utilizing it. Reduced-till and intensive-till are both incorporated by 18% of farms, and cover crops are planted on 13% of farms in the county.
The county has 1,495 producers. The majority (964) are male. There are 531 female farmers. Most farmers are between the ages of 35-64. However, a large number (578) are aged 65 and older. While just over 140 of the farmers are younger than 35, there are 466 producers who are considered new and/or beginning.
Branch
Hogs and poultry are two of the major livestock species raised in Branch County, ranking sixth and seventh, respectively, in the state.
According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Branch County had 79,793 hogs and pigs on Dec. 31, 2022. Sales amounted to $47.2 million.
The inventory of broilers and meat-type chickens as of Dec. 31, 2022 was 572,653. In terms of sales, poultry and eggs brought in $16.6 million.
The market value of all products sold in 2022 was $277.9 million. That's up 71% over the previous ag census in 2017. Net cash farm income was $87.7 million, up 151% over 2017.
At $171.6 million, crop sales represented 62% of total receipts. Livestock sales generated $106.3 million, or 38%.
Leading crops in the county (in order) are corn for grain, soybeans, hay and forage, vegetables and wheat. Branch County ranks ninth in the state for grain and oilseed sales.
There are 758 farms in the county, down 4% compared to five years earlier. Average farm size is 294 acres, down 3%. Of the 1,325 producers, 911 were male and 414 were female. The largest group of farmers, by age, were those between 35 and 64.
Land in farms totaled 222,892 acres, down 7% over 2017. Cropland represented the majority of that total, with 188,564 acres. Woodland and pastureland, combined, made up another 21,210 acres. Twenty-two percent of the county's cropland, or 50,143 acres, were irrigated.
As for land use practices, the percentages are mostly even for no-till (24%), reduced-till (23%) and intensive-till (23%). Cover crops are used on 14% of farms.
Seventy-five percent of farms in Branch County are 179 acres or less. Eight percent farm 1,000 acres or more.
Calhoun
Soybeans are the top crop in Calhoun County, covering 71,328 acres of farmland, according to the 2022 Ag Census. Corn for grain is also a major product, taking up 61,116 acres of land. Other top crops include forage, corn for silage and wheat. Land in farms has decreased 5% since 2017 and is now at 204,143 acres.
Number of farms in the county also decreased, falling 6% to 898. However, average farm size increased 2% to 227 acres.
Ninety-seven percent of farms are family-owned, with 1,552 total producers. There are 515 new and beginning farmers. Also, 115 producers have served in the military.
The market value of agricultural products sold in the county is $179.44 million, total. Of that, $117.35 million is brought in by crops, with grains and oilseeds accounting for $109.25 million. Livestock and poultry sales total $62.08 million. Milk from cows is the most lucrative animal product, with $32.03 million in sales.
Net cash farm income increased 129% since 2017. It is now at $37.62 million. The average per farm is $41,894, or a 144% increase. However, total farm production expenses also increased by 42% in total and by 51% per farm average. In total, production expenses in the county are $151.87 million. The per farm average is $169,125.
No-till is king in the county, with 22% of farms utilizing the practice. Sixteen percent of farms use reduced-tillage and 12% plant cover crops. Another 19% uses intensive-till.
LaGrange
LaGrange County has more farms than any other county in Indiana, and it ranks first in three other categories.
Farm numbers, at 2,474, are up 15% since 2017, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Land in farms totals 193,616 acres, down 1% from the last ag census. Average farm size is 78 acres, down 14% over 2017.
The large number of farms is a result of the county's large Amish population.
"The Amish settlement is expanding both inside our county and to neighboring communities," said Jeff Burbrink, county Extension agriculture educator. "There is an increasing number of relatively intense agricultural uses on relatively small acreage."
Fourteen percent of LaGrange County farms are organic. Burbrink said this also is a reflection of the county's conservative population.
"Just less than half of our county is Amish," Burbrink said. "The small farm nature of the community has led to a widespread adoption of organic practices to enhance income on smaller acreage."
LaGrange County also ranks first in sales of cattle and calves ($75.7 million), horses and equine animals ($15.8 million) and other animals and animal products ($4 million), and second in sheep and goats (sales total withheld). Poultry and egg sales amounted to $231.8 million, ranking third in the state. Milk from cows totaled $41.1 million, ranking eighth.
The poultry inventory amounted to 2.1 million meat-type chickens, 1.8 million layers, 673,799 pullets and 8,396 turkeys.
Total receipts were $494 million, up 79% over 2017. That also ranks fourth among Indiana's 92 counties. Net farm income was $194 million, up 148%.
Of the $494 million in total receipts, $391.4 million came from livestock sales while crop sales generated $102.6 million.
Leading crops in terms of acres (in order) were: corn for grain, soybeans, hay and forage, corn for silage, and vegetables. LaGrange County ranks fourth in the state for sales ($12 million) of vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
With so many livestock farms dotting the landscape, LaGrange County faces the challenge of environmental stewardship.
"The county has a lot of lakes and a large amount of livestock," Burbrink said. "The nature of the small farms and the intensity of having so many livestock facilities in a small area adds some risk to runoff and water pollution issues.
"In other states and counties where livestock is a big part of agriculture, the growers work with each other to put distance between the barns. Distance between facilities is not considered much here. I am concerned that we are setting our community up to have a major, long-term outbreak of disease, such as avian flu, one that would devastate the economics and family incomes."
More progress can be made with conservation farming, as only 8% of farms use no-till and 14% use cover crops. Twenty-three percent of farms utilize intensive-till.
Noble
Small farms dominate the agricultural landscape in Noble County, with 81% of the farms being 179 acres or less.
According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, there were 1,067 farms in Noble County. Of those, 40%, or 429 farms, were between 10 and 49 acres. Another 28%, or 304 farms, were between 50 and 179 acres, while 13%, or 134 farms, were nine acres or less. The average size farm was 163 acres. The number of farms is up 5% compared to the 2017 ag census.
One reason why many small farms are thriving is due to the growing popularity of organic agriculture.
"We have a few larger organic farmers due to proximity of an organic co-op in the northern part of the county," said Ann Kline, county Extension director and ag educator.
She said growth in agritourism is another trend that supports small-scale agriculture.
Noble County has some large farms, too. Eleven percent of the farms, or 115, were between 180 and 499 acres. Forty-nine farms, or 5%, were between 500 and 999 acres, while 36 farms, or 3%, were in the largest category, 1,000 acres or more.
Those farms, large and small, produced $199.8 million worth of agricultural products in 2022. That's up 26% over 2017. Net farm income stood at $63 million, up 30% from the previous ag census.
Crop sales generated $118,460 in income, ranking 49th in the state. Leading crops, by acreage, were corn for grain, soybeans, hay and forage, corn for silage, and wheat.
"Noble County has a wide variety of soils," Kline said. "We have irrigated sandy soils, especially as you go northwest. The south central area of the county has some unique topography with clay knobs, ravines and more. Much of the county has lakes scattered throughout the countryside."
Livestock sales amounted to $81.4 million, ranking 23rd. Leading species, by inventory, were meat-type chickens, layers, pullets, hogs and pigs, and cattle and calves.
"This area of the state, in general, has a lot of poultry," Kline said.
Of the 1,821 farmers in the county, a majority, 987, are between the ages of 35 and 64. Those 65 and older number 560. A total of 1,218 are men and 653 are women.
One interesting note about topography, according to Kline, is that Noble County is positioned over three large watersheds, with some waters flowing toward Lake Erie, some toward Lake Michigan and some headed to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River.
Twenty-seven percent of farmers use no-till, while 21% use reduced-till and 13% use intensive-till. Nine percent of farmers plant cover crops.
Van Buren
Van Buren County ranks second in Michigan in sales of fruits, tree nuts and berries. Receipts were $97.7 million in 2022, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
Total receipts from all farm products sold in Van Buren County was $262.2 million, up 28% over 2017. Crop sales generated 71% of all sales, or $187.2 million. Livestock and poultry sales, at $75 million, accounted for 29% of receipts.
Milk from cows brought in $52.1 million in 2022, while cattle and calves generated $8.1 million.
Net cash farm income was $69.3 million in 2022, up 84% over 2017. Government payments were $7 million, up a whopping 340% from the previous ag census. Total farm production expenses were $211.2 million, up 19%.
Leading crops in terms of acreage were corn, soybeans, land in berries, blueberries and forage. Corn and soybean sales were $48.7 million in 2022, and the category of vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes brought in $29.6 million.
The livestock inventory showed cattle and calves as the No. 1 species as of Dec. 31, 2022. Cattle and calves numbered 12,036, while the layer inventory was 6,277. Sheep and lambs totaled 902. Hogs and pigs inventory was not disclosed.
Van Buren County has 1,508 producers, including 976 men and 532 women. Most farmers (775) are between the ages of 35 and 64, while those aged 65 and older total 596.
There were 838 farms in the county in 2022, down 12% over 2017. Average farm size was 157 acres, down 1%. Eighty-four percent of farms were 179 acres or less. Only 2% of farms were 1,000 acres or more.
As for land use practices, 15% of farms utilize no-till. Reduced-till and intensive-till were both at 14%. Twelve percent of farms plant cover crops.
Land in farms totaled 131,486 acres in 2022. Cropland consumed 97,689 acres, while woodland and pastureland were 20,926 and 2,970 acres, respectively. Irrigated acres were at 23,911, representing 18% of land in farms.
Wabash
Wabash County farmers are earning significantly more money for their crops and livestock, according to the 2022 census of Agriculture.
Compared to the 2017 census, net cash income for Wabash County farmers in 2022 increased 375%, totaling $191.5 million.
The total market value of products sold, both crops and livestock, equaled $394.4 million. That's up 145% from five years earlier and ranks 11th in Indiana. Sixty percent of the sales come from the livestock and poultry industry, while 40% come from crop sales.
While net cash income was up, so were costs. Total farm expenses in 2022 were $286.2 million, up 101% over 2017.
According to Wabash County Extension director and agriculture educator Geoff Schortgen, the cost of supplies and weather seem to be the biggest source of adversity for farmers in the county.
Crop sales generated $157 million in 2022, with the county ranking 31st statewide. Leading crops were soybeans, corn, hay and forage, wheat and popcorn.
Livestock sales amounted to $237.3 million, which ranks eighth in the state. Leading categories were hogs and pigs, cattle and calves, poultry and eggs, and sheep and goats. Wabash County ranks sixth statewide for poultry and eggs.
According to the 2022 census, hogs and pigs led the way in inventory with 173,352 animals. Cattle and calves were next with 6,884 followed by sheep and lambs at 1,452. The inventory for meat-type chickens, pullets and layers was not disclosed.
"Wabash County has a great farming community with both public and private resources to help growers in times of need," Schortgen said. "Many of the Wabash County farmers use best management practices and utilize things like cover crops to help increase soil health and continue to be good stewards of the land. There are traditional corn and soybean row crops grown here, but there are also a number of specialty crops and livestock, most notably are tomatoes, blackberries, apples, veal and the egg industry."
The number of farms stands at 635, down 12% compared to 2017. Average farm size held steady at 293 acres.
There are 1,101 farmers, with 754 being men and 347 being women.
As for land use, 26% of farms use no-till while the percentages for intensive-till and reduced-till are 23% and 22%, respectively. Ten percent of farms plant cover crops.
"I have noticed an increase in no-till, strip till and cover crops in our fields in Wabash," Schortgen said. "Soil health and improvement is always a concern, especially in the clay-ridden soils around the county. Without a healthy soil, it is hard to get a successful yield."
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