ALABAMA AGRICULTURE SINCE 1950:

DECLINE AND CHANGE

Highlights of Alabama Agriculture Since 1950

• Total number of farms has decreased• Average farm size has increased

• The few remaining row-crop farms are viable

• Originally, Alabama farmland was bothA. Row crop landB. Mixture of pasture and light forest cover

• The pasture and light forest cover was converted to pure forest without pasture

• The total forest land grew because of the conversion

• Farms that could not raise row crops converted to chickens, catfish, and other alternatives

Number of Farms and Land In Farms (in acres, all numbers x 1000)

USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS), "Farm Real Estate Historical Series Data, 1950-1992", Statistical Bulletin No. 855

Year Number of Farms Land in Farms

 1950 220 213001954 168 212001959 129 176001964 102 162001969 85 150001974 78 146001978 59 125001982 55 118001987 49 107001992 46 9800 

Ag and Forest Land Use (in acres, all numbers x 1000)

USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS), "Major Land Uses 1945-1992", Stock No. 89003

  A. B. C. D. E.Year Total Crop Total Forest Woodland

Only Land Forest Use, as PastureNotGrazed

 1945 32690 8266 18748 4889 138591949 32690 8271 18817 8305 105121954 32690 7481 20766 10785 99811959 32678 6028 20771 16000 47711964 32545 5211 21749 17241 45081969 32452 5885 21748 19437 23111974 32452 5797 21333 19444 18891978 32452 5888 21333 19452 18811982 32491 5642 21179 19479 17001987 32491 4803 21659 19965 16941992 32480 4539 21941 20337 1604

Why Row Crop Agriculture Has Declined

• Crops can grow in Alabama but they cannot compete with other areas of the country

• Climate too severe and unpredictableLate, early, unpredictable frostsSevere stormsOccasional droughts

• Soil is poor, except for a few good areas in the Black Belt and by Huntsville

• Still, some alternatives have opened up

Climatic Variability: Last Frost

The next slide is a map showing the average date of last frost in various places in Alabama. There is almost three months difference between the north and south of the state. Because of this difference across the state, each point in the state varies considerably in the date of last frost. In Alabama, crops have to be planted later than people think, and the growing period is shorter than people think. This makes Alabama farmers less able to compete.

Alabama Has Poor Average Yields

The next two slides compare Alabama yields of bushels of corn per acre, and pounds per milk of cow, with three other states, for two periods: 1960 and 2000.

Alabama improved its yields, especially with milk, but it has not been able to match production in other states regardless of how much effort has gone into research and extension. Notice how production in other states has held more steady. Much of the apparent improvement in Alabama actually came about because poor producers dropped out rather than because all producers improved.

Average Bushels of Corn per Acre

State/Year: 1960 2000

Alabama 26 65

Indiana 68 146

Iowa 64 144

Oregon 69 180

Average Pounds of Milk per Cow

State/Year: 1960 2000

Alabama 3970 13920

Indiana 7460 16568

Minnesota 8120 17777

Oregon 6980 18222