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New Iowa Ag Statistics book shows growth, perseverance through rain and rising costsIowa With this spring's rash of floods, it's easy to forget that 2007 was the fourth wettest year on state records. Despite those conditions, Iowa farmers were able to respond with record food and feed production according to the 2008 Iowa Agricultural Statistics book, now available through Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. The latest figures show Iowa harvested the largest corn for grain crop in state history, approximately 2.37 billion bushels, along with nearly 439 million bushels of soybeans in 2007. The state also saw record pig and chicken inventories and egg production in late 2007, while the cattle inventory rose for the fourth straight year in early 2008. Weather wasn't the only challenge Iowa's 88,400 farms faced. Rising expenses--including fuel, fertilizer, land and feed--cut into farm income. For example, the price to purchase farmland rose 22 percent in 2007, the highest increase since the 1970s. As profit margins have tightened over the years, farmers have grown their farms to generate the income necessary to support their families. Despite those efforts, many livestock farmers encountered rising feed costs that pushed their margins into the red in 2007 and 2008. The following statistics indicate why growth has been a necessity for modern farms: --According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated median household income for Iowa in 2007 was $48,908. --According to recent averages of agriculture commodity prices, expenses and yields, an Iowa farmer would need to raise 12,136 feeder pigs, 5,000 yearling cattle or 610 acres of corn and soybeans (50/50 split) to earn that median Iowa household income. --The average farm in Iowa is 356 acres. If a farmer planted a 50/50 mix of corn and soybeans on 356 acres, he/she would earn less than $28,600, which is nearly the poverty threshold for a family of six. Information in the 139-page book is compiled by Iowa Agricultural Statistics, a division of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The book consists of five sections: General information, county data, crops, livestock, and economic data. It also lists several agriculture-related websites on the back cover. Iowa Farm Bureau publishes the book for Iowa Agricultural Statistics. No public funds are used to publish the book. The book costs $11 and can be ordered from the Marketing and Communications Division, Iowa Farm Bureau, 5400 University Avenue, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266. Checks should be made payable to the Iowa Farm Bureau. 11/17/08 Date: 11/12/08 Advertisement
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