HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-05-17, Page 31THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1989. PAGE 31.
Huron grows top crop of farm census statistics
BY LISA BOONSTOPPEL
Huron County soars in chicken
production and has a deep-rooted
first place hold in many field crops
reveals a Farm Structure Data
report compiled from the Statistic
Canada 1986 Census.
With over 3,416 farms covering
714,610 acres, Huron has the most
farms out of the census which
includes the 10 counties that make
up Southwestern Ontario: Bruce,
Elgin, Essex, Grey, Huron, Kent,
Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford and
Perth.
The highest total of agriculture
products sold in Southwestern
Ontario was achieved by Huron. In
1985, Huron sold $365,848,087
worth of agriculture products. This
made up 14 per cent of the
$2,598,206,981 of agriculture pro
ducts sold in all of Southwestern
Ontario.
Huron holds the top place in
many field crops. Huron has 65,584
acres of wheat, 48,899 acres of
barley, 32,682 acres of silage com,
74 acres of dry field beans and
51,501 acres of white beans. Huron
has a strong hold in second place
with 9,818 acres of canola and
1,109 acres of flaxseed. Huron
places third in mixed grains (38,706
acres), grain com (161,187 acres),
and green peas (1,391 acres).
Livestock production in Huron
slides in comparison to crop pro
duction. However Huron is first in
chicken production with 9,356,749
birds in 1985. With 2,900,810 hens
and chickens, Huron flies over
second place Middlesex county
who have 1,821,580 hens and
chickens.
Four-legged livestock aren’t as
plentiful as chickens but Huron has
33,423 slaughter or feeder heifers,
39,041 steers, 1,465 goats and
363,698 pigs. Huron places second
with these livestock numbers.
There are 19,583 dairy cows and
9,824 dairy heifers giving Huron
the third most dairy cattle. Oxford
and Perth counties squeezed the
top places in dairy cattle with over
31,000 head of dairy cows and over
15,000 head in dairy heifers.
Huron takes third place in the
number of bulls (7,086), beef cows
(13,306), beef heifers (2,179), rab
bits (5,303), and sheep and lambs
(9,404). Grey county hopped to the
top in rabbit and beef numbers.
In farmland characteristics,
Huron had 609,602 acres of im
proved farm land. Improved land is
area under crops, improved pas
ture, summer fallow and other
improved land (barnyards, home
gardens, greenhouses and lanes).
In the Census, farms were also
classified by sales. These are the
statistics of farm sales on the 3416
farms;
farms;
farms;
farms;
farms;
509
567
689
Huron farms who reported: under
$2500,150 farms; $2500-$4999, 136
farms; $5000-$9999, 201 *
$10,000-$24,999,
$25,000-$49,999,
$50,000-$99,999,
$100,000-$240,999, 867
$250,000-$499,999, 215 farms and
over $500,000, there are 82 farms.
In farm size, these are the
statistics for the 3,416 farms: under
three acres, 91 farms; three-nine
acres, 138 farms; 10-69 acres, 462
farms; 70-129 acres, 732 farms;
130-179 acres, 478 farms; 180-239
acres, 502 farms; 240-399 acres,
628 farms; 400-599 acres, 204
farms; 560-759 acres, 93 farms;
760-1119 acres, 54 farms; 1120-
1599 acres, 24 farms and 1600 acres
and over, 10 farms.
On all these different farms,
there are farm operators. The
report reveals that there are 88
Tips on soybean production
Continued from page 30
third year soybeans, no inoculant is
required.
HERBICIDES
Whether you use a pre-plant
incorporated spray or pre-emerge
herbicides, you may have some
early weed escapes due to weather
or soil conditions. Watch your
fields closely. If you see those little
annual grasses or broadleaf weeds
coming, don’t wait for them to die
- they probably won’t. A pass or
two with a light harrow or rotary
hoe will lift those little weeds out
and help put the herbicide in
position to work. If you wait, your
options are going to be costly.
Some producers routinely rotary
hoe after seven days if no rain is
received.
In considering your herbicide
options, besides weeds controlled
and product price, check to see if
there are limitations as to soil PH
and soil organic matter or variety of
soybeans grown. Remember that if
twitch grass is a problem, a good
com crop is better than a weedy
soybean crop.
EQUIPMENT
Research has shown the value of
narrow rows of soybeans - particu
larly with the early varieties we’re
growing in this area. However, if
farmers under 25, 271 farmers
under 29, 393 farmers under 34,
401 farmers under 39, 387 farmers
under 44, 377 farmers under 49,
371 farmers under 54, 395 farmers
under 59, 333 farmers under 64,
201 farmers under 69 and 199
your choice is between an older
seed drill with inexact depth con
trol or a 30” (or narrower) corn
planter, I’d say to use the com
planter. Uniformity of planting
depth and emergence is more
critical than row width.
HOW DEEP?
Except for Amiben all other
broadleaf pre-emerge herbicides
require that beans be planted at
least I1//’ deep. Basically, soy
beans are like com in that you’d
like to plant to moisture. Keep in
Upcoming meetings
Wednesday, May 17 - Huron
County Junior Farmers Meeting,
OMAF Boardroom, Clinton, 8:30
p.m.
Wednesday, May 17 - Lucknow 4H
Calf Club Meeting, Home of Steven
Rintoul, RR 2, Lucknow, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17 - Hallrice 4H
Club Judging Meeting, Home of
John Franken, RR 2, Auburn, 7:30
p.m.
Tuesday, May 23 - Brussels 4-H
Beef Calf Club, Home of Bob
Alexander, Ethel, 7:30 p.m.
farmers that are 70 and older.
All these statistics were taken
from the Census of Agriculture
which is taken every five years. It
provides statistics on crops, live
stock, farmland, labour and capital.
mind that soybeans don’t emerge
like corn. The soybean has to push
the seed up through the soil
surface. If you’ve planted the seed
over 2inches deep the emerging
plant will have trouble pushing the
seed that far in our clay soils. I’d
say to set the depth for 1*/a inches
to two inches.
Further information on soybean
production is available by contact
ing the Ontario Ministry of Agricul
ture and Food office in Clinton
(482-3428 or 1-800-265-5170).
Wednesday, May 24 - North Huron
4-H Vet Club meeting, Blyth Vet
Services. Blyth, 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 25 - Central Huron
4H Crops Club, Home of Chris
Maloney, RR 1, Dublin, 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 25 - Huron 4H
Youth Leader and New Leader
Workshop, Huronview, Clinton,
7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May T1 - Huron County
4H Judging Competition, Brussels,
Morris and Grey Community Cen
tre, Brussels, 9:15 - 10:00 a.m.
registration.
FERTILIZERS
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CHEMICALS
SPRAYER UNIT - 500 GAL. SPRAY TANK
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