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Index: Economy / Subcategory: Business

Agriculture in Larimer County

Date posted: 12/01/2005

Chart Directory:

Agriculture in Larimer County -

Agriculture includes farming and ranching. The information within this measure page is taken from the 2002 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years and, by definition, is a complete accounting of the crops and livestock produced on all farms and ranches with current inventories of livestock on all farms for the Census year.

What this chart shows: Top Ten Types of Farms - Larimer County, 2002

Top Ten Types of Farms - Larimer County, 2002

Data Source:

See data table

What these data tell us:

In 2002, hay and cattle farms constituted 70% of farms in Larimer County. From 1997 to 2002, the number of each type of farm decreased, with the exception of horse and poultry farms, which increased 55% and 16%, respectively. The number of farms that produced corn for grain declined 62%; this was the largest decrease of all categories during that time (see data table).

What this chart shows: Number and Size of Farms, Larimer County, 1978-2002

Number and Size of Farms, Larimer County, 1978-2002

Data Source:

See data table

What these data tell us:

The number of farms in Larimer County steadily rose from 1978 to 2002, while the number of acres covered by farms declined. Over the 24 year period, Larimer County saw an overall drop of 9.2% in the total area of farms, compared with an increase of 53% in number of farms. The decline in acreage is similar to state and national numbers; however the increase in farms is far greater in Larimer County. During this time, the number of Colorado farms increased by only 16%, while the United States numbers decreased 5%.

This increase in number followed by a decrease in acreage is due to larger farms going out of business and being resold as smaller "ranchettes". A ranchette is the acreage around a home that produces $1,000 or more of agricultural products, qualifying the land as a farm.

What this chart shows: Farms by Acreage, Larimer County, 2002

Farms by Acreage, Larimer County, 2002

Data Source: United States Department of Agriculture - Census of Agriculture

See data table

What these data tell us:

In 2002, 61% of all farms in Larimer County were less than 50 acres. Those farms of 100 acres or more represented a little over a quarter of all farms in the county. There were only 56 farms with over 2,000 acres of land. This chart represents the shrinking of acreage on farms in Larimer County. As seen earlier, total farm acreage has decreased 9%, and farm numbers have climbed 53% from 1978 to 2002 (See chart).

Additional Information:

On Compass -

Outside Compass -

Industry Standards or Targets:

N/a

Data Tables:

Top Ten Types of Farms - Larimer County

Type of Farm

 

Number of Farms

1987

1992

1997

2002

Hay

610

631

672

553

Cattle and calves sold

555

533

650

515

Beef cattle

348

370

407

357

Horses sold

182

146

155

240

Sheep

97

103

100

90

Poultry sold

61

60

63

73

Hogs & Pigs

82

74

66

62

Corn for Grain

165

166

137

52

Corn for Silage

109

93

58

52

Milk Cows

93

69

47

30

See chart

Size and Number of Farms - Larimer County

 

1978

1982

1987

1992

1997

2002

Farm Acreage (in thousands)

574.5

584.1

574.8

540.4

542.3

521.6

Number of Farms

1,022

1,129

1,233

1,233

1,298

1,564

See chart

Percentage of Farms by Acreage - Larimer County

Acres

Number of Farms

Percentage

1 to 9

242

15%

10 to 49

720

46%

50 to 99

170

11%

100 to 259

197

13%

260 to 499

82

5%

500 to 1,999

97

6%

2,000 +

56

4%

See chart