Agriculture and Forestry
#1 Best Place To Farm in the U.S. — Sampson County, NC
Farm Futures, September 2005
| Number of Farms | 1,203 |
| Total Area in County - Acres | 604,599 |
| Total Land in Farming - Acres | 321,454 |
| Average Farm Size - Acres | 267 |
| Harvested Cropland - Acres | 187,087 |
| Average Age of Farmers | 56 |
| Average Value of Farm and Buildings | $998,921 |
| Average Market Value of All Machinery and Equipment | $148,397 |
| Average Farm Production Expenses | $790,206 |
| Field Crops | $65,220,273 |
| Vegetables and Berries | $45,248,399 |
| Fruits and Nuts | $65,314 |
| Nursery and Greenhouse | $2,300,000 |
| Forestry | $10,000 |
| Livestock | $482,274,800 |
| • Hogs | $465,852,000 |
| • Beef cattle | $16,041,100 |
| • Dairy cattle | $298,850 |
| • Sheep | $1,050 |
| • Lambs | $8,800 |
| • Other livestock | $73,000 |
| Total Livestock | $482,274,800 |
| Milk, Wool and Honey | $1,313,000 |
| Poultry | $173,622,616 |
| Eggs | $20,089,615 |
| Fish | $37,100 |
| Miscellaneous | $309,999 |
| Horses | $463,500 |
| TOTAL | $790,954,616 |
Source: Agriculture and Resource Economics, NC State University - June 27, 2005
| Field Crop | Acres Harvested | Yield Per Acre | Total Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tobacco, flue cured (lb.) | 5,421 | 2,450 | 13,282,332 |
| Cotton, lint (lb.) | 33,112 | 775 | 25,662,529 |
| Cottonseed (lb.) | 45,000,000 | ||
| Peanuts (lb.) | 1,600 | 4,100 | 6,560,000 |
| Corn for grain (bu.) | 33,814 | 110 | 3,719,540 |
| Corn for silage (ton) | 900 | 14 | 12,600 |
| Wheat (bu.) | 23,098 | 46 | 1,062,506 |
| Oats (bu.) | 650 | 56 | 36,400 |
| Barley (bu.) | 627 | 47 | 29,493 |
| Rye (bu.) | 3,028 | 40 | 121,140 |
| Grain sorghum (cwt.) | 191 | 50 | 9,565 |
| Soybeans (bu.) | 67,075 | 32 | 2,146,400 |
| Vegetables and Berries | Acres Harvested | Yield Per Acre | Total Production |
| Irish potatoes (cwt.) | 9 | 150 | 1,350 |
| Sweet potatoes (40 lb. carton) | 5,502 | 275 | 1,513,050 |
| Broccoli (21 lb. carton) | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| Cabbage (cwt.) | 313 | 250 | 78,250 |
| Cantalopes (each 4-5 lbs.) | 480 | 7,000 | 3,360,000 |
| Collards (cwt.) | 800 | 300 | 240,000 |
| Corn, sweet (5 dz. crate-42 lbs.) | 250 | 150 | 37,500 |
| Cucumbers (55 lb. bu.) | 1,800 | 100 | 180,000 |
| Cucumbers, processing (ton) | 364 | 2 | 728 |
| Eggplant (30 lb. carton) | 84 | 300 | 25,200 |
| Lettuce (25 lb. crate) | 15 | 200 | 3,000 |
| Leafy greens, except collards (cwt.) | 500 | 250 | 125,000 |
| Okra (30 lb. bu.) | 21 | 150 | 3,150 |
| Peppers, fresh market (30 lb. carton) | 1,500 | 600 | 900,000 |
| Peppers, processing (ton) | 1,200 | 2 | 2,400 |
| Snap beans, fresh market (30 lb. bu.) | 315 | 125 | 39,375 |
| Southern peas (25 lb. bu.) | 255 | 125 | 31,875 |
| Squash (30 lb. Bu.) | 1,343 | 700 | 940,100 |
| Tomatoes (cwt.) | 194 | 125 | 24,250 |
| Watermelons (cwt.) | 1,638 | 200 | 327,600 |
| Other vegetables | 300 | ||
| Blueberries (pint) | 289 | 3,000 | 867,000 |
| Strawberries (pint 1 lb.) | 34 | 12,000 | 408,000 |
| Fruits and Nuts | Acres Harvested | Yield Per Acre | Total Production |
| Peaches (48 lb. bu.) | 700 | 400 | 400 |
| Pecans (lb.) | 2,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Grapes (ton) | 3,000 | 60 | 60 |
Source: Agriculture and Resources Economics, NC State University - June 27, 2005