The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on Seminole County, Georgia
Prepared for
Seminole County Cooperative Extension
July 2013
by:
The Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development
College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Trends in Seminole County:
Number of Farms
Number of Farms, Seminole County
300
200
100
0
1978
1982
1987
1992
Source: 1978-2007 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
1997
2002
2007
Trends in Seminole County:
Land in Farms, Harvested Cropland
& Farms by Size
Land in Farms & Harvested Cropland
Seminole County
Percent of Farms by Size, 2007
Seminole Co.
40
120000
Land in farms
Harvested cropland
Georgia
35
30
100000
25
80000
20
60000
15
40000
10
20000
5
0
0
1992
1997
2002
2007
1-9 acres
Source: 1992-2007 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
10-49
acres
50-179
acres
180-499
acres
500-999
acres
1000+
acres
Food and Fiber Production Plus Directly Related
Sectors as % of Total Economic Output
Catoosa
Dade
Towns
Fannin
0 - 10%
10 - 20%
20 - 30%
30 - 45%
45 - 58%
Rabun
Union
Murray
Whitfield
Walker
Gilmer
White
b
Ha
Lumpkin
Gordon
Chattooga
er
sh
am
Stephens
Pickens
Dawson
Cherokee
Bartow
Franklin
Banks
Hall
Floyd
Jackson
Polk
Barrow
Gwinnett
Cobb
Paulding
Madison
Oglethorpe
Ro
ck
da
le
Fulton
Lincoln
Wilkes
Walton
DeKalb
Douglas
Elbert
Clarke
Oconee
Haralson
Hart
Forsyth
Clayton
Carroll
Morgan
Newton
Taliaferro
Columbia
McDuffie
Fayette
Warren
Coweta
Heard
Pike
Hancock
Lamar
Meriwether
Richmond
Putnam
Jasper
Butts
Spalding
Troup
Greene
Henry
Glascock
Baldwin
Burke
Jefferson
Jones
Monroe
Washington
Upson
Bibb
Wilkinson
Jenkins
Crawford
Talbot
Twiggs
Emanuel
Peach
Taylor
ch
ee
Muscogee
Bulloch
Effingham
ery
oo
Candler
Treutlen
Macon
Ch
at
ta
h
Laurens
Bleckley
Houston
Marion
Screven
Johnson
Pulaski
Schley
Dodge
Dooly
Wheeler
Stewart
Webster
Sumter
Montgom
Harris
Evans
Toombs
Bryan
Tattnall
Chatham
Wilcox
Telfair
Crisp
Quitman
Liberty
Randolph
Terrell
Lee
Jeff Davis
Ben Hill
Long
Appling
Turner
Irwin
Clay
Dougherty
Calhoun
Worth
Coffee
Wayne
Bacon
McIntosh
Tift
Early
Pierce
Baker
Berrien
Mitchell
Miller
Atkinson
Brantley
Colquitt
Cook
Glynn
Ware
Lanier
Seminole
Decatur
Grady
Clinch
Thomas
Brooks
Lowndes
Echols
Updated 1/16/13
Camden
Charlton
Agriculture in Georgia
 Georgia's 2011 Farm Gate Value was
$13.0 billion. Adding the value of $2.1
billion of landscape services increased
the total agricultural production value
to $15.1 billion.
 Total food and fiber production and
directly related businesses account for
a $71.1 billion output impact on
Georgia's $763.6 billion economy.
What We Know
about Seminole County
 2011 Farm Gate Value in Seminole
Co. was $100.3 million. Adding
$156,185 of landscape services
increased the total agricultural
production value to $100.5 million.
 The highest value commodity group
was row and forage crops,
representing 80.3% of the total
agricultural production value.
Seminole County
2011 Agricultural Production Value
Forestry
1.1%
Ornamental
Horticulture
1.7%
Livestock
5.8%
Other
6.5%
Fruits-Nuts
0.1%
Row and
Forage Crops
80.3%
What We Did
County Economy Modeled
 The Center for Agribusiness and Economic
Development performed an analysis of the
county’s economy, focusing on the role of
food and fiber.
 How much of the county’s total current
economic output comes from food and fiber
production and directly related processing?
(A Snapshot of the Economy)
 What is the total (direct and indirect)
Impact of food and fiber production and
directly related industries?
Seminole County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Output in $
Agriculture
Percent
100,503,211
19.92%
0
0.00%
Construction
3,085,065
0.61%
Manufacturing
62,675,509
12.42%
104,495,602
20.71%
Trade
45,159,402
8.95%
Finance-Ins-RE
70,894,425
14.05%
Services
86,830,271
17.21%
Mining
Trans-Utilities-Info
Govt. & non-NAICS
30,831,940
Total County Economic Output = $504.5 million
6.11%
Seminole County Economy
Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses OUTPUT
Output in $
Agriculture + Direct
Percent
160,830,136
31.88%
0
0.00%
Construction
3,085,065
0.61%
Manufacturing
2,348,585
0.47%
104,495,602
20.71%
Trade
45,159,402
8.95%
Finance-Ins-Real Est
70,894,425
14.05%
Services
86,830,271
17.21%
Mining
Trans-Utilities-Info
Govt. & non-NAICS
30,831,940
Total County Economic Output = $504.5 million
6.11%
Seminole County Employment
Total Jobs = 3,680
Mining
0
0.0%
Construction Manufacturing
0
33
0.0%
0.9%
Trans-UtilitiesInformation
288
7.8%
Trade
580
15.8%
AG + Directly
Related
733
19.9%
Finance-Ins- Real
Est
171
4.6%
State & Federal
Government
309
8.4%
Public Education
231
6.3%
Other Services
645
17.5%
Primary data source: Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, UGA
Professional
Services
690
18.8%
An Economic Snapshot
of Seminole County
 How much of Seminole County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
 AG value alone of $100.5 million
consisting of Farm Gate Value and
landscape services comprises 19.9% of
the county’s economy.
 AG plus directly related businesses (ex.
Ag Support Services, Processing, etc.)
comprise 31.9% of the county’s
economy.
What is the Impact?
What is the total (direct and indirect)
impact of food and fiber production and
directly related industries?
This scenario illustrates how other
industries are affected by the presence
of food and fiber in the county. The
indirect impacts measure output
created due to food and fiber
production and processing in the
county.
What Impact Means:
A Brief Explanation
 The impact numbers capture the
ripple effects that food and fiber
create in the county’s economy.
Many other sectors rely in part on the
existence of food and fiber for sales.
Labor
Seed
Utilities
Seminole County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $
Agriculture
Indirect $
100,503,211
0
Mining
0
124,754
Construction
0
1,233,896
Manufacturing
0
101,921
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
2,992,775
Trade
0
3,415,167
Finance-Ins-Real Est
0
8,600,086
Services
0
6,537,176
Govt. & non-NAICS
0
595,099
Total
100,503,211
23,600,875
Total Impact of Production AG = $124.1 million
24.6% of total economy
Seminole County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses IMPACT
Direct $
Agriculture + Direct
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-Real Est
Services
Govt. & non-NAICS
Total
Indirect $
160,830,136
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
160,830,136
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related = $198.1 million
39.3% of total economy
0
124,754
1,307,158
106,822
8,870,019
6,141,622
10,638,146
9,284,972
795,306
37,268,799
Seminole County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Industries
Employment IMPACT
Direct
Agriculture + Direct
Indirect
733
0
Mining
0
0
Construction
0
2
Manufacturing
0
0
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
60
Trade
0
81
Finance-Ins-Real Est
0
53
Services
0
147
Govt. & non-NAICS
0
9
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related Employment = 1,086 Jobs
29.5% of total employment
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
 Direct impact is $160.8 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
 Indirect impact from related sectors is
$37.3 million. This captures the effects
of farmers (direct source) buying
supplies (seed, fertilizer, work boots)
from local stores. These stores must
increase their output to meet farmer
demand.
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation (continued)
 As local stores increase their output, they
may demand more stock from local
wholesalers (also in the Trade sector).
Local wholesalers demand more from
local manufacturers, thus increasing
activity in the Manufacturing sector.
 Local stores also hire employees to assist
farmers. They take home wages and buy
groceries at the local store which
increases demand there.
Seminole County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
 The total impact of food and fiber
production, processing and direct
manufacturing is $198.1 million.
 The total county output is $504.5 million.
 Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 39.3% of the total
county output, considering the multiplier
effects.
Contact Information
Prepared by:
Sharon P. Kane, Public Service Associate, Economist
Karen Stubbs, Research Professional
Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development
Dr. Kent Wolfe, Director
“Adding Value to Georgia's Agricultural Economy
Through Research and Extension“
To learn more about your county, go to:
http://www.caed.uga.edu/
...click on “Resources”, then
“Georgia Statistics System”
Ag Profile Report
#13-09A