UT Extension News: “Agriculture is Big Business in Smith County”

July 8, 2019

The following article was submitted by Chris Hicks, Smith County Extension Agent:

Every 5 years the USDA conducts a census of Agriculture and provides data at the national, state, and county level. Results of the 2017 census were finally released this year and once again reveal that agriculture plays a prominent role in the Smith County economy. Here are some highlights:

  • According to the census, Smith County ranks in the top 10 in the state for sales of 2 commodities. We are ranked 8th for tobacco production and 9th for fruit, tree nut, and berry production.
  • There are approximately 885 farms in Smith County with a total of 138,720 acres. The average farm size in Smith County is 157 acres.
  • The market value of agriculture products sold in Smith County is over $26.5 million annually. Livestock sales account for 44% of agriculture sales in Smith County with crop sales making up the other 56%. This is a reversal from the 2012 census in which livestock sales made up the majority of products sold.
  • Smith County is home to nearly 24,000 cows and calves and there are over 20,000 acres of forage land used for hay and grazing in the county.
  • The top crops by acres are Forages (20,107), Soybeans (9,545), Corn (4,461), Wheat (3,431), & Tobacco (1,286).
  • The percentage of farmland can be divided by cropland (32%), pastureland (38%), woodland (26%), and other (4%).

These are just a few of the highlights of the 2017 Census of Agriculture as it relates to Smith County. If you are interested in seeing our complete county profile, it can be found at https://www.nass.usda.gov/ or by clicking here.

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