Although this study is concerned largely with the socioeconomic aspects 

 of agriculture, there are other considerations. Many other jobs, businesses, 

 and other sources of income stem from agriculture. Examples are the feed, 

 fertilizer, and machinery industries that support farming and processing in- 

 dustries, transportation, papermills, services and industries, and others that 

 derive their existence from Florida ranchers and farmers. These subjects are 

 discussed in the following section. 



AGRICULTURE IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA 



The northwest Florida coastal region (referred to as Northwest Florida in 

 this report) consists of seven counties. It has a land area of 5,542 mi , 

 which is about 10.2% of the State total. According to the Florida Crop and 

 Livestock Reporting Service (FCLR), Northwest Florida is a major producer of 

 field crops. The FCLR reports data only for counties that are major pro- 

 ducers. Data for no more than four northwest coastal region counties were 

 reported for any one crop. Northwest Florida is a major producer of field 

 corn, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, cotton, poultry, and forest products. For- 

 estry accounts for the major share of the land and income, and forestry and 

 agriculture are among the major industries in this area of the State. 



In 1978, the farm land area of Northwest Florida was 442,291 acres, only 

 3.3% of the State total. Data from Franklin County were excluded because of 

 the virtual absence of farming there. 



The land of Northwest Florida is gently sloping or flat. The climate, 

 soil, and topography is best for growing field crops. The weather is general- 

 ly moderate and and air temperatures range from a high of 90°-95°F in June to 

 August to a low of 20°-30°F in January through March (Florida Statistical Ab- 

 stract 1980). The annual average temperature of the region in 1979 was 

 66.9°F. The average annual precipitation was 60 inches and the precipitation 

 among the counties ranged from a low of 1 to 2 inches in March and June to 7 

 to 20 inches in the rainy season (July - September). The combination of pre- 

 cipitation and air temperatures combined with aquodo soil keeps the soil moist 

 and favorable for pasture, range, woodland, and field crops. 



Based on 1979 statistics, farm acreage in Northwest Florida is less than 

 50% of the potential (Florida House of Representatives Committee on Agricul- 

 ture 1981b). According to the Soil Conservation Service, Florida had 1.4 

 million acres in prime farmlands. Prime land is the best suited for crop 

 farming. It is generally flat or gently sloping land with good drainage, and 

 subject to little or no erosion. According to the National Agricultural Lands 

 Study, prime farmland is highly productive, yet requires the least amount of 

 energy, fertilizer, and labor to cultivate. Four of the seven Northwest Flor- 

 ida counties have prime farm acreage. These counties, in order of acreage and 

 cash farm receipts in 1979, are Santa Rosa (116,335 acres), Escambia (106,170 

 acres), Walton (69,113 acres), Okaloosa (30,962 acres), and Gulf (1,777 

 acres). Combined, they makeup 342,357 acres of prime land. Franklin County 

 contributed a minor portion of prime farmland and farm receipts. 



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