Magro-industrial" corn production. on many smaller family farms, diversity still predominated. Small farms tended to have mixed livestock herds with but a few purebred stock, unirrigated corn, and mixes of modern and older equipment.
The 1970s have proven to be a critical decade for
agriculture in the region. Strong export markets, rising land values (related to migration into the area by former urban-dwellers), and accessible Credit encouraged farmers to further capitalize their operations. In the late 1970s, a series of droughts, stabilization of land values, declining agricultural prices brought about by excessive national production, declining world demand and consequent credit restrictions reversed the trend, and farmers faced debt and disturbing market prospects.
The early 1980s further saw changes in the tobacco and peanut allotment systems, wbi-c--Eave forced additional small farmers from producing these crops. Corn production dropped with continued weather problems and low prices, although the P.I.K. program is expected in 13984 to result in increased acreages planted compared to the past three years. Soybeans and wheat acreages are on the rise but soybeans is a capital intensive crop. Farmers are still learning how to raise both crops. Many farm households have off-farm income and have had to pay debts through selling land, equipment or other farm goods.
The local Chambers of Commerce and county commissions are soliciting light industry capable of employing semi- and unskilled labor, but industry has hesitated to locate there because of limited infrastructure, poor schools,. and related factors. Economic.indicators suggest that the region will strengthen its dependency upon industrial, as opposed to agricultural, employment. Yet in the meantime, agriculture remains important, and for many families it is a critical source of income and a preferred lifestyle.
There were 1,140 farms in Suwannee and 589 farms in
Columbia according to the 1978 Census of Agriculture. Both counties have experienced population increases in the rural areas over the past decade. Suwannee's rural population increased 78.2% between 1970 and 1980, and Columbia's increased 102.1% over the same time (U.S. Census of Population). Part of this increase represents people establishing farms, mostly of small acreage and the "hobby* type. These population influxes helped to raise land values against which farmers borrowed money. They have also led to the adoption of more restrictive development legislation in the counties. In general,'the counties' established farm populations have been declining since the end of World War II, a trend expected to continue.
The average age of the farm household head (as defined by the census) was 50 years for Suwannee and 50.4 years for Columbia. Average farm size, respectively, was 217 and 240 acres. These averages have remained relatively unchanged over the past decade. Less than 15% of the farm households in either county are black; black farm households tend to be concentrated in small farm communities centered about old churches, and many