Download - 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: [email protected]
