The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on Hart County, Georgia
Prepared for:
Hart County Cooperative Extension
May, 2007
by:
The Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Total Population
Pierce County
25,284
24,276
2010 Trend CAED
2006 Est.
22,997
2000
19,712
18,585
15,814
1990
1980
1970
1950
15,229
14,495
1940
15,512
1960
15,174
1930
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
Primary data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial censuses & estimate; CAED (Center for
Agribusiness & Economic Development).
30,000
Population Change: 2000-2006
LOSS
0 – 6.4%
6.4 – 14.4%
14.4 – 34%
34 – 53.4%
Hart Co.
5.5%
Avg. GA
County = 9.1%
GA = 14.4%
US = 6.4%
Primary data source: U.S. Census Bureau (3/07)
Percent of Land in Cropland & Forestland:
2002
23 – 40%
40 – 55%
55 – 70%
70 – 85%
85% or more
Hart Co.
66.8%
Primary data sources:
U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2002
Forest Statistics for Georgia, 1997
GA Total = 78.5%
GA Avg. Co. = 77.3%
Metro Avg. Co. = 70.7%
Nonmetro Avg. Co. = 82.6%
Components of 2005 Property Tax Gross Digest
Hart County
Residential
54.3%
Ag-PreferentialEnviron-Conserv
19.8%
Timber *
0.04%
Mobile Home
0.7%
Motor Vehicle
5.5%
Public Utility
2.4%
Industrial
11.1%
Commercial
6.1%
40% Assessment Value of Property
Gross Digest = $1,059,692,772
STATE Homestead & Property Exemptions = $910,880,125
Net M&O Digest = $148,812,647
Primary data source:
GA Dept. of Revenue
Value of exempt property = $44,937,472
* Timber taxed at 100% based on previous year sales
County Property Tax Digest Comparisons: 2005
County
% ResiDential
% Agri- % Com- % In- % Motor
%
cultural mercial dustrial Vehicle Other
HART
54.3
19.8
6.1
11.1
5.5
3.1
ELBERT
36.7
25.6
15.2
7.5
8.9
6.2
FRANKLIN
32.7
35.1
14.7
5.5
7.3
4.7
MADISON
49.3
25.9
6.9
0.8
9.3
7.8
STEPHENS
57.0
5.6
12.4
12.7
7.5
4.7
Avg. GA Co.
41.5
21.7
13.3
7.9
8.4
7.8
Primary data source: GA Dept. of Revenue
Revenue : Expenditure Ratios
$ of Revenue for Each $ of Expenditure
$1.92
$2.86
Farm/Forest
$1.01
$1.18
$2.70
$3.19
$1.17
Commercial
$1.93
$1.25
$3.45
Residential
$0.00
Cherokee
Jones
Carroll
Oconee
US Avg
$0.64
$0.87
$0.83
$0.90
$0.87
$1.00
$2.00
$3.00
Dorfman, Jeffery, The Economics of Growth, Sprawl and Land Use Decisions (presentation), Dept. of Ag &
Applied Economics, UGA, January 2004.
$4.00
Agriculture in Georgia
¾ Georgia's 2005 Farm Gate Value was
$10.6 billion. Adding the value of
landscape services increased the total
agricultural production value to $12.3
billion.
¾ Total food and fiber production and
directly related businesses account for
a $52.7 billion output impact on
Georgia's $614 billion economy.
Production Agriculture: 2005
Georgia Total
Agricultural
Production Value
$12.3 Billion
Poultry &
Eggs
36.7%
Landscape
services
14.0%
Other Income
5.4%
Fruits & Nuts
2.2%
Forestry &
Products
5.7%
Ornamental
Horticulture
7.3%
Vegetables
5.2%
Livestock &
Aquaculture
10.6%
Row &
Forage Crops
13.0%
$0 - $20
$20 - $45
$45 - $80
$80 - $200
$200 - $317
2005 Farm Gate
Value by County
in Millions of Dollars
What We Know
about Hart County
¾ 2005 Farm Gate Value in Hart Co.
was $234 million. Adding $5 million
of landscape services increased the
total agricultural production value to
$239 million.
¾ The highest value commodity group
was poultry/eggs, representing
83.6% of the total agricultural
production value.
Hart County
2005 Agricultural Production Value
2005 Agricultural Production
Vegetables
Fruits-Nuts
0.1%
Orn Hort 0.1% Other
Forestry
0.3%
4.8%
Livestock- 0.2%
Aquaculture
7.0%
Landscape
services
2.1%
Row-Forage
crops
1.7%
2005 Top Farm Gate Commodities
Dairy
Pork
1.9%
1.7%
Breeder Pullet
Unit
2.1%
Field Nursery
2.2%
Container Greenhouse
Nursery
1.1%
Hay
1.5%
0.8%
Rest of
Commodities
2.1%
Beef
Layers
3.3%
20.8%
Poultry-Eggs
83.6%
Total AG Value = $239 million
Broilers
62.6%
Trends in Hart County:
Number of Farms & Average Farm Size
Number of Farms, Hart County
Average Farm Size
300
3000
Hart Co.
Georgia
2500
200
A cres
2000
1500
115
100
567
500
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
R
02
20
97
92
19
19
87
19
82
19
78
19
74
19
69
19
64
19
59
19
54
19
1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997R 2002
19
45
0
49
0
19
1000
218
Trends in Hart County:
Land in Farms & Farms by Size
A c re s X 1 ,0 0 0
Land in Farms
Hart County
Percent of Farms by Size, 2002
50
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hart Co.
Georgia
40
30
65.4
20
10
9
19 2
97
R
20
02
19
87
19
82
19
78
74
19
69
19
64
19
19
59
19
54
19
50
19
19
45
0
1-9 acres
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
10-49
acres
50-179
acres
180-499
acres
500-999
acres
1000+
acres
Trends in Hart County
Number of Farms by Commodity
350
321
1987
1992
1997
2002
300
230
250
200
150
100
67
31
50
18
14
0
Beef Cows
Layers 20 wks+
Broilers sold
Source: 1987-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
Hay
Soybeans
Wheat
How Do We Compare ?
Georgia, Hart and Surrounding Counties
Farm Gate Value
$ Per Farm (thousands)
$ Per Acre
$4,000
$3,500
$3,000
$3,678
$2,500
$3,158
$3,577
$2,376
$2,000
$1,500
$1,208
$957
$1,000
$500
$209
$0
ia
g
r
o
Ge
$412
rt
Ha
$175
rt
e
b
El
$384
kli
n
Fra
n
$316
is o
d
Ma
n
Sources: 2002 Census of Agriculture and 2005 Farm Gate Value Report
p
e
t
S
$195
ns
e
h
What We Did
County Economy Modeled
¾ The Center for Agribusiness and Economic
Development performed an analysis of the
county’s economy, focusing on the role of
food and fiber.
¾ 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)
¾ What is the total (direct and indirect)
Impact of food and fiber production and
directly related industries?
Hart County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
Percent
Agriculture
238.762
18.8%
Mining
28.142
2.2%
Construction
49.518
3.9%
Manufacturing
525.889
41.4%
Trans-Utilities-Info
106.926
8.4%
Trade
62.858
5.0%
Finance-Ins-RE
27.193
2.1%
Services
121.227
9.5%
Government
109.562
8.6%
Total County Economic Output = $1.27 Billion
Hart County Economy
Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
Percent
Agriculture + Direct
244.981
19.3%
Mining
28.142
2.2%
Construction
49.518
3.9%
Manufacturing
519.669
40.9%
Trans-Utilities-Info
106.926
8.4%
Trade
62.858
5.0%
Finance-Ins-RE
27.193
2.1%
Services
121.227
9.5%
Government
109.562
8.6%
Total County Economic Output = $1.27 Billion
An Economic Snapshot
of Hart County
¾ How much of Hart County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
¾ AG value alone of $239 million consisting
of Farm Gate Value and landscape
services comprises 18.8% of the county’s
economy.
¾ AG plus directly related businesses (ex.
logging, sawmills, etc.) comprise 19.3%
of the county’s economy.
Food and Fiber Production and Directly
Related Manufacturing as % of Total Output
0 - 10%
10 - 20%
20 - 30%
30 - 50%
50 – 77%
Hart Co.
19.3%
What is the Impact?
¾What is the total (direct and indirect)
impact of food and fiber production and
directly related industries?
¾This 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
¾ 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
Hart County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
Indirect $ Millions
238.762
0
Mining
0
.489
Construction
0
.371
Manufacturing
0
1.654
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
7.733
Trade
0
6.242
Finance-Ins-RE
0
2.456
Services
0
11.409
Government
0
7.493
238.762
37.847
Agriculture
Total
Total Impact of Production AG = $277 million—21.8% of total economy
Hart County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
Indirect $ Millions
240.770
0
Mining
0
.504
Construction
0
.379
Manufacturing
4.211
1.971
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
7.950
Trade
0
6.414
Finance-Ins-RE
0
2.554
Services
0
11.701
Government
0
7.676
244.981
39.148
Agriculture + Direct
Total
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related = $284 million—22.4% of total economy
Hart County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Industries
Employment IMPACT
Direct
Indirect
1,067
0
Mining
0
1
Construction
0
5
Manufacturing
0
12
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
37
Trade
0
104
Finance-Ins-RE
0
19
Services
0
219
Government
0
12
Agriculture + Direct
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related Employment = 1,475 Jobs
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
¾ Direct impact is $241 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
¾ Indirect impact from the Trade sector is
$6.4 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)
¾ 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.
¾ Local stores also hire employees to assist
farmers. They take home wages and buy
groceries at the local store which
increases demand there.
Hart County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
¾ The total impact of food and fiber
production, processing and direct
manufacturing is $284 million.
¾ The total output is $1.3 billion.
¾ Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 22.4% of the
total output.
Food and Fiber Production and Directly Related
Manufacturing IMPACT as % of Total Output
0 - 10%
10 - 25%
25 - 40%
40 - 60%
60 - 84%
Hart Co.
22.4%
Contact Information
Prepared by:
Sue Boatright and Archie Flanders
Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development
“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 “Georgia Statistics System”
Special County Area Report
#0712A
May, 2007