1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE

HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE:  1997 AND 1992
BEDFORD COUNTY,                 VIRGINIA
                     Item                             ALL FARMS

                                                           1997          1992

Farms .........................number..                   1 198         1 227
Land in farms ..................acres..                 194 946       200 507
    Average size of farm .......acres..                     163           163
Value of land and buildings@1:
    Average per farm .........dollars..                 283 060       197 561
    Average per acre .........dollars..                   1 877         1 206

Estimated market value of all
  machinery and equipment@1
    Average per farm .........dollars..                  32 852        24 293
Farms by size:
  1 to 9 acres ........................                      53            43
  10 to 49 acres ......................                     275           260
  50 to 179 acres .....................                     535           588
  180 to 499 acres ....................                     262           266
  500 to 999 acres ....................                      64            57
  1,000 acres or more .................                       9            13

Total cropland .................farms..                   1 103         1 129
                                acres..                 101 933       103 238
  Harvested cropland ...........farms..                     962           996
                                acres..                  46 636        49 258
Irrigated land .................farms..                      33            25
                                acres..                     565           184

Market value of agricultural
  products sold................$1,000..                  19 755        20 740
    Average per farm .........dollars..                  16 490        16 903
  Crops, including nursery and
   greenhouse crops............$1,000..                   2 483         2 557
  Livestock, poultry, and their
   products....................$1,000..                  17 272        18 182
Farms by value of sales:
  Less than $2,500 ....................                     348           357
  $2,500 to $4,999 ....................                     268           272
  $5,000 to $9,999 ....................                     283           265
  $10,000 to $24,999 ..................                     188           199
  $25,000 to $49,999 ..................                      49            61
  $50,000 to $99,999 ..................                      23            28
  $100,000 or more ....................                      39            45
Total farm production expenses.$1,000..                  17 527        16 841
    Average per farm .........dollars..                  14 643        13 726

Operators by principal occupation:
  Farming .............................                     474           511
  Other ...............................                     724           716
Operators by days worked off farm:
  Any .................................                     705           720
   200 days or more ...................                     513           559

Livestock and poultry:
  Cattle and calves inventory...farms..                     954         1 041
                               number..                  52 043        55 814
    Beef cows ..................farms..                     840           926
                               number..                  24 769        26 957
    Milk cows ..................farms..                      47            64
                               number..                   3 490         4 213
  Cattle and calves sold .......farms..                     959         1 024
                               number..                  23 866        24 565

  Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms..                      21            36
                               number..                     808           860
  Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms..                      13            17
                               number..                   1 384         1 847
  Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms..                      19            28
                               number..                     578           871
  Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and
    older inventory.............farms..                      29            38
                               number..                     461           865
  Broilers and other meat-type
    chickens sold...............farms..                       1             0
                               number..                     (D)             0
Selected crops harvested:
  Corn for grain or seed .......farms..                      34            77
                                acres..                     399         1 919
                              bushels..                  27 361       184 096

  Wheat for grain ..............farms..                      28            21
                                acres..                     631           525
                              bushels..                  35 633        20 394
  Tobacco ......................farms..                      12            20
                                acres..                      85           140
                               pounds..                 161 832       244 119
  Soybeans for beans ...........farms..                       3             3
                                acres..                     130           (D)
                              bushels..                   2 610           (D)

  Peanuts for nuts .............farms..                       0             1
                                acres..                       0           (D)
                               pounds..                       0           (D)

  Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms..                     915           940
                                acres..                  42 884        42 586
                            tons, dry..                  76 312        80 960
  Land in orchards..............farms..                      33            38
                                acres..                     314           524

       @1Data are based on a sample of farms.

Legend:
        
       (D)  Withheld to avoid disclosing data for
             individual farms
       (X)  Not applicable
       (Z)  Less than half the unit shown
       (NA) Not available

Source:  1997 Census of Agriculture, Volume 1 Geographic Area
Series, "Table 1.  County Summary Highlights:  1997."  This
electronic series presents summary statistics for each county
and State together with comparable data from the 1992 census.
The items included are the same for all States and counties,
except selected crops harvested, which vary by State.  Data
for 1997 and 1992 are directly comparable for acreage and
inventories.  Dollar values have not been adjusted for changes
in price levels.

You can obtain the Volume 1 Geographic Area Series from the
National Technical Information Service.  If you have any
questions concerning the data in this report or need additional
information or order forms for agriculture publications,
please call the National Agricultural Statistics Service
at 1-800-523-3215 or 1-800-727-9540.