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Hogs and Pigs (Dec. 1, 2006) 2,300 55 Cattle (Jan. 1, 2007) 11,800 25 Beef Cows (Jan. 1, 2007) 6,400 22 Milk Cows (Jan. 1, 2007) 600 22 Broilers Produced (2006) 3,500,000 39 Turkeys Raised (2006) Chickens, Excluding Broilers 135,000 24 (Dec. 1, 20065) Livestock, Dairy and Poultry 15,888,000 53 Crops 6,677,000 84 Government Payments 539,000 91 Total 23,104,000 78 B. Economic Impact of Agricultural Production Agriculture is ranked as Cabarrus County's #2 industry, accounting for $23,104,000 in gross sales annually. In 2005, Cabarrus County agricultural producers realized $23,104,000 in cash receipts, with farm production expenses of $18,677,000, illustrating agriculture's importance to the local economy. Agriculture is much more than farming in that a substantial number of non - agri cultural businesses supply the needs of farmers. These include processors, vehicle and equipment dealers and other enterprises. Cabarrus County farmers, for example, own and must maintain and replace 600 trucks, 1,850 tractors and numerous other pieces of farm equipment and machinery. They also purchase petroleum products, feed, hire farm labor and other products and services from Cabarrus County and other nearby enterprises, many of which would not be considered farm supply businesses. For these businesses to survive and prosper, a core critical mass of farmers must be preserved and vice - versa. Though difficult to measure, these many businesses supporting agriculture undoubtedly account for a significant portion of Cabarrus County's employment base. C. Family Farm Statistics Family farms make up the majority of agricultural production in the county. According to the 2002 USDA Census of Agriculture, Cabarrus County's agriculture industry consists of predominately family owned businesses with 98 % of farms owned by individuals or families. Partnerships and family corporations account for 2% of the remaining farms. In 1992, there were 430 farms in Cabarrus _County. Since that time the number of farms has increased to 658 farms. In 2002, there were 946 farm operators. In that same time period, the average farm size has also decreased from 147 acres to 111 acres. In 2002, over 50 % of Cabarrus County farms were 111 acres or more in size. This has fluctuated no more than 24 % since 1992. There has been a steady decline since 1974 of the number of farms that are 50 to 179 acres. 10 There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of farms between 10 and 49 acres (29 %) and those that are less than 10 acres (5 %). M Attachment number 1 G -1 Page 201