The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on Gilmer County, Georgia
Prepared for
Gilmer County Cooperative Extension
March, 2008
by:
The Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development
College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Total Population
Gilmer County
31,870
31,752
28,175
2010 Trend CAED
2010 OPB Proj.
2006 Est.
23,456
2000
13,368
11,110
8,956
8,922
9,963
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
9,001
7,344
1940
1930
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
Primary data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial censuses & estimate; CAED (Center for
Agribusiness & Economic Development).
35,000
Population Change: 2000-2006
LOSS
0 – 6.4%
6.4 – 14.4%
14.4 – 34%
34 – 53.4%
Avg. GA
County = 9.1%
GA = 14.4%
US = 6.4%
Gilmer Co.
20.1%
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
GA Total = 78.5%
GA Avg. Co. = 77.3%
Metro Avg. Co. = 70.7%
Nonmetro Avg. Co. = 82.6%
Gilmer Co.
90.2%
Primary data sources:
U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2002
Forest Statistics for Georgia, 1997
Components of 2006 Property Tax Gross Digest
Gilmer County
Residential
55.8%
Timber *
0.1%
Ag-PreferentialEnviron-Conserv
24.5%
Mobile Home
0.7%
Motor Vehicle
4.9%
Public Utility
2.0%
Commercial
40% Assessment Value of Property
10.0%
Gross Digest = $1,326,051,110
Industrial
2.0%STATE Homestead & Property Exemptions = $173,000,955
Net M&O Digest = $1,153,050,155
Primary data source:
GA Dept. of Revenue
Value of exempt property = $142,522,629
* Timber taxed at 100% based on previous year sales
County Property Tax Digest Comparisons: 2006
County
% Residential
% Agri- % Com- % In% Motor
cultural mercial dustrial Vehicle
%
Other
GILMER
55.8
24.5
10.0
2.0
4.9
2.8
DAWSON
62.4
16.8
14.2
0.3
4.7
1.6
FANNIN
72.3
8.7
9.4
0.7
6.6
2.2
GORDON
37.4
14.5
17.8
20.1
7.6
2.6
LUMPKIN
44.5
31.6
12.9
2.4
5.6
3.0
MURRAY
42.9
9.2
14.6
18.4
7.6
7.3
PICKENS
61.7
13.2
13.1
2.3
6.2
3.4
Avg. GA Co.
41.9
22.5
12.8
7.6
7.4
7.7
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 2006 Farm Gate Value was
$10.4 billion. Adding the value of
landscape services increased the total
agricultural production value to $12.2
billion.
¾ Total food and fiber production and
directly related businesses account for
a $34.5 billion output impact on
Georgia's $55 billion economy.
Production Agriculture: 2006
Georgia Total
Agricultural
Production Value
$12.2 Billion
Landscape
services
Other Income
14.7%
5.3%
Poultry &
Eggs
36.1%
Fruits & Nuts
2.5%
Forestry &
Products
5.5%
Ornamental
Horticulture
6.3%
Vegetables
6.8%
Livestock &
Aquaculture
10.4%
Row &
Forage Crops
12.4%
$0 - $20
$20 - $45
$45 - $80
$80 - $200
$200 - $385
2006 Farm Gate
Value by County
in Millions of Dollars
What We Know
about Gilmer County
¾ 2006 Farm Gate Value in Gilmer Co.
was $189.6 million. Adding $891
thousand of landscape services
increased the total agricultural
production value to $190.5 million.
¾ The highest value commodity group
was poultry-eggs, representing
93.2% of the total agricultural
production value.
Gilmer County
2006 Agricultural Production Value
2006 Agricultural Production
VegetablesOrn Hort Fruits-Nuts
Livestock- Forestry 0.2%
0.4%
1.0%
Aquaculture 0.3%
Other
3.4%
0.3% Landscape
Row-Forage
services
crops
0.5%
0.6%
2006 Top Farm Gate Commodities
Horses Apples Hay Ag Tourism
0.3%
1.0%
1.0% 0.4%
Timber
Beef
Dairy
0.3% Rest of
Breeder Pullet 1.3% 1.1%
commodities
Unit
1.0%
Layers
4.8%
6.2%
Poultry-Eggs
93.2%
Total AG Value = $190.5 million
Broilers
82.7%
Trends in Gilmer County:
Number of Farms & Average Farm Size
Number of Farms, Gilmer County
Average Farm Size
300
1400
Gilmer Co.
Georgia
1200
200
A cres
1000
800
600
82
100
303
200
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
R
02
20
97
87
92
19
19
19
78
82
19
19
69
74
19
19
59
64
19
19
54
19
1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997R 2002
19
45
0
49
0
19
400
218
Trends in Gilmer County:
Land in Farms & Farms by Size
Land in Farms
Gilmer County
Percent of Farms by Size, 2002
120
Acres X 1,000
140
Gilmer Co.
100
Georgia
120
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
24.7
20
19
45
19
50
19
54
19
59
19
64
19
69
19
74
19
78
19
82
19
87
19
9
19 2
97
R
20
02
0
20
0
1-9
acres
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
10-49
acres
50-179
acres
180-499 500-999
acres
acres
1000+
acres
Trends in Gilmer County
Number of Farms by Commodity
160
140
1987
1992
1997
2002
138
120
102
100
77
80
60
40
22
20
10
0
Beef cows
Broilers sold
Layers 20+ wks
Source: 1987-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
Corn for grain
Hay
How Do We Compare ?
Georgia, Gilmer and Surrounding Counties
Farm Gate Value
$ Per Farm (thousands)
$ Per Acre
$8,000
$6,000
$7,668
$4,000
$3,353
$2,982
$957
$1,764
$2,000
$209
$626
$131
$272
$240
$2,308
$1,840
$219
$252
$0
ia
g
r
o
Ge
in
er
ay
ns
on
on
r
n
s
e
d
r
m
r
n
l
k
w
Gi
Fa
Mu
Go
Pic
Da
Sources: 2002 Census of Agriculture and 2006 Farm Gate Value Report
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?
Gilmer County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
190.472
3.369
110.429
726.054
120.180
119.680
105.545
188.671
139.801
Percent
11.2
.2
6.5
42.6
7.1
7.0
6.2
11.1
8.2
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total County Economic Output = $1.7 Billion
Gilmer County Economy
Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses OUTPUT
Agriculture + Direct
Output in $ Millions
565.105
3.369
110.429
351.421
120.180
119.680
105.545
188.671
139.801
Percent
33.2
.2
6.5
20.6
7.1
7.0
6.2
11.1
8.2
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total County Economic Output = $1.7 Billion
An Economic Snapshot
of Gilmer County
¾ How much of Gilmer County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
¾ AG value alone of $190.5 million
consisting of Farm Gate Value and
landscape services comprises 11.2% of
the county’s economy.
¾ AG plus directly related businesses (ex.
poultry processing, logging, etc.)
comprise 33.2% 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%
Gilmer Co.
33.2%
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
Gilmer County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
190.472
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
190.472
Indirect $ Millions
0
.0003
.497
2.356
6.724
5.819
3.524
9.292
4.543
32.755
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total
Total Impact of Production AG = $223.2 million—13% of total economy
Gilmer County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses IMPACT
Agriculture + Direct
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total
Direct $ Millions
195.559
0
0
369.547
0
0
0
0
0
565.105
Indirect $ Millions
0
.0009
2.206
67.787
17.828
15.902
11.908
24.218
11.367
151.217
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related = $716.3 million--42% of total economy
Gilmer County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Industries
Employment IMPACT
Direct
2,118
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Indirect
0
0
21
311
95
176
73
395
10
Agriculture + Direct
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related Employment = 3,199 Jobs
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
¾ Direct impact is $195.6 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
¾ Indirect impact from the Trade sector is
$15.9 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.
Gilmer County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
¾ The total impact of food and fiber
production, processing and direct
manufacturing is $716.3 million.
¾ The total output is $1.7 billion.
¾ Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 42% 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%
Gilmer Co.
42%
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
#0810A
March, 2008