The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on Stephens County, Georgia
Prepared for
Stephens County Cooperative Extension
June, 2008
by:
The Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development
College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Total Population
Stephens County
25,260
25,268
2010 Trend CAED
2007 Est.
25,435
23,257
21,763
2000
1990
1980
20,331
18,391
1970
1960
16,647
1950
12,972
1940
11,740
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: 2000-2007
LOSS
0 – 7.2%
7.2 – 16.6%
16.6 – 39.0%
39.0 – 61.5%
Avg. GA
County = 9.9%
GA = 16.6%
US = 7.2%
Stephens Co.
-0.7%
Primary data source: U.S. Census Bureau (3/08)
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%
Stephens Co.
76.8%
Primary data sources:
U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2002
Forest Statistics for Georgia, 1997
Components of 2007 Property Tax Gross Digest
Stephens County
Residential
56.7%
Ag-PreferentialEnviron-Conserv
6.4%
Heavy Equipment
0.05%
Timber *
0.05%
Mobile Home
1.1%
Commercial
13.2%
Motor Vehicle
7.2%
Public Utility
3.7%
Primary data source:
GA Dept. of Revenue
Industrial
11.6%
40% Assessment Value of Property
Gross Digest = $800,170,017
COUNTY Homestead & Property Exemptions = $133,353,112
Net M&O Digest = $666,816,905
Value of exempt property = $97,787,879
* Timber taxed at 100% based on previous year sales
County Property Tax Digest Comparisons: 2007
County
% Resi- % Agri- % Comdential cultural mercial
% Industrial
% Mo%
%
% UtilMotor bile
Timity
Veh Home ber
STEPHENS
56.7
6.4
13.2 11.6
3.7
7.2
1.1
.05
BANKS
36.6
35.9
12.6
3.6
3.2
6.7
1.2
.04
FRANKLIN
31.8
38.5
14.3
5.1
2.3
6.6
1.2
.02
HABERSHAM
58.6
14.6
10.9
4.8
3.4
6.7
1.0
.01
HART
57.1
20.3
5.9
7.5
2.8
5.5
.8
.05
RABUN
57.1
6.5
5.7
1.8
25.6 2.9
.3
--
Avg. GA Co.
42.4
23.8
12.7
7.0
5.0
1.1
.9
Primary data source: GA Dept. of Revenue
7.2
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 2007 Farm Gate Value was
$11.6 billion. Adding the value of
landscape services increased the total
agricultural production value to $13.6
billion.
¾ Total food and fiber production and
directly related businesses account for
a $59 billion output impact on
Georgia's $735 billion economy.
Production Agriculture: 2007
Georgia Total
Agricultural
Production Value
$13.6 Billion
Landscape
services
Fruits & Nuts
15.3%
1.8%
Poultry &
Eggs
39.8%
Forestry &
Products
4.4%
Other Income
4.5%
Livestock &
Ornamental
Aquaculture
Horticulture
9.8%
Vegetables
5.6%
6.6%
Row &
Forage Crops
12.3%
$0 - $20
$20 - $45
$45 - $80
$80 - $200
$200 - $390
2007 Farm Gate
Value by County
in Millions of Dollars
What We Know
about Stephens County
¾ 2007 Farm Gate Value in Stephens
Co. was $64.8 million. Adding $1.6
million of landscape services
increased the total agricultural
production value to $66.4 million.
¾ The highest value commodity group
was poultry/eggs, representing
78.8% of the total agricultural
production value.
Stephens County
2007 Agricultural Production Value
2007 Agricultural Production
LivestockAquaculture
17.1%
Veges-Fruits- Forestry
Nuts
0.3% Other
0.2%
0.2%
Landscape
Orn Hort
services
0.2%
2.4%
Row-Forage
crops
0.8%
2007 Top Farm Gate Commodities
Hay
0.8%
Layers
9.2%
Beef
15.7%
Deer hunting
leases
Timber
0.2%
0.3%
Container
Nursery
0.1%
Horses
1.6%
Poultry-Eggs
78.8%
Total AG Value = $66.4 million
Goats
0.1%
Field Nursery
Rest of
0.1%
commodities
0.4%
Broilers
71.5%
Trends in Stephens County:
Number of Farms & Average Farm Size
Number of Farms, Stephens County
300
Stephens Co.
Georgia
218
200
Acres
82
100
238
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
R
02
20
97
92
19
19
87
19
78
82
19
19
69
74
19
19
59
64
19
19
49
54
19
1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997R 2002
19
45
0
19
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Average Farm Size
Trends in Stephens County:
Land in Farms & Farms by Size
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Percent of Farms by Size, 2002
50
Stephens Co.
Georgia
40
30
20
19.527
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
Acres X 1,000
Land in Farms
Stephens County
10
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 Stephens County
Number of Farms by Commodity
151
160
1987
1992
1997
2002
140
120
100
82
80
60
40
24
20
8
0
Beef cows
Layers 20+ wks
Source: 1987-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
Broilers
Hay
How Do We Compare ?
Georgia, Stephens and Surrounding Counties
Farm Gate Value
$ Per Farm (thousands)
$8,000
$7,000
$6,000
$5,000
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
$0
$ Per Acre
$7,754
$4,324
$4,269
$4,076
$3,317
$1,076
$272
$235
ia
ns
g
e
r
o
ph
e
Ge
t
S
$2,037
$407
$426
$578
ks
lin
am
n
k
h
a
n
s
B
er
Fra
b
Ha
$492
$139
n
rt
a
bu
H
a
R
Sources: 2002 Census of Agriculture and 2007 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?
Stephens County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
66.360
.801
82.357
555.253
37.740
147.971
69.708
263.988
171.882
Percent
4.8
.06
5.9
39.8
2.7
10.6
5.0
18.9
12.3
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total County Economic Output = $1.4 billion
Stephens County Economy
Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
Percent
68.856
4.9
Agriculture + Direct
.801
.06
Mining
82.357
5.9
Construction
552.757
39.6
Manufacturing
37.740
2.7
Trans-Utilities-Info
147.971
10.6
Trade
69.708
5.0
Finance-Ins-Real Est
263.988
18.9
Services
171.882
12.3
Government
Total County Economic Output = $1.4 billion
Stephens County Employment
Total Jobs = 12,696
Construction
Mining
768
4
6.0%
0.03%
Manufacturing
2,372
18.7%
Trans-UtilitiesInfo
279
2.2%
AG + Directly
Related
542
4.3%
Trade
1,985
15.6%
Finance-InsReal Est
466
3.7%
State & Federal
Government
769
6.1%
Public
Education
1,276
10.1%
Other Services
2,434
19.2%
Professional
Services
1,800
14.2%
Primary data source: Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, UGA
An Economic Snapshot
of Stephens County
¾ How much of Stephens County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
¾ AG value alone of $66.4 million consisting
of Farm Gate Value and landscape
services comprises 4.75% of the county’s
economy.
¾ AG plus directly related businesses (ex.
logging, etc.) comprise 4.93% 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%
Stephens Co.
4.9%
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
Stephens County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
Indirect $ Millions
66.360
0
Construction
0
.156
Manufacturing
0
.764
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
1.674
Trade
0
3.598
Finance-Ins-Real Est
0
1.541
Services
0
4.354
Government
0
1.823
Agriculture
66.360
13.910
Total
Total Impact of Production AG = $80.3 million
5.75% of total economy
Stephens County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
Indirect $ Millions
68.856
0
Construction
0
.158
Manufacturing
0
.779
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
1.697
Trade
0
3.722
Finance-Ins-Real Est
0
1.608
Services
0
4.450
Government
0
1.896
Agriculture + Direct
68.856
14.361
Total
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related = $83.2 million
6.0% of total economy
Stephens County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Industries
Employment IMPACT
Direct
Indirect
542
0
Construction
0
2
Manufacturing
0
3
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
14
Trade
0
44
Finance-Ins-Real Est
0
12
Services
0
75
Agriculture + Direct
0
3
Government
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related Employment = 695 Jobs
5.5% of total employment
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
¾ Direct impact is $68.9 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
¾ Indirect impact from the Trade sector is
$3.7 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.
Stephens County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
¾ The total impact of food and fiber
production, processing and direct
manufacturing is $83.2 million.
¾ The total county output is $1.4 billion.
¾ Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 6.0% of the
total county output.
Food and Fiber Production and Directly Related
Manufacturing IMPACT as % of Total Output
0 - 10%
10 - 25%
25 - 40%
40 - 60%
60 - 84%
Stephens Co.
6.0%
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
#0822A
June, 2008