south carolina highlights

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

2002• 691 farms (2.8%) = 75% of value of

production

2007• 649 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

2002• 528 farms, $2.77 million of income

2007• 376 farms, $8.16 million of income

What’s New in 2007?# of Farms

Organic Production 89

Generated Energy On-Farm 179

Marketed Through Community Supported Agriculture

193

Barns Built Prior to 1960 5,719

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

www.agcensus.usda.gov

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: nass@nass.usda.gov