This publication includes a report that gives agricultural facts and statistics pertaining to Sanpete County

Baker, Dale

Godfrey, E. Bruce

Palmer, Matt

Parkinson, Spencer

English

DigitalCommons@USU

  Economics Department     Sanpete County Agriculture Profile     Sanpete County                                    AG/Econ/county-2005-23  E. Bruce Godfrey, Extension Specialist Matt Palmer, Sanpete County Agent Dale Baker and Spencer Parkinson,       Research Assistants  Area:  1,588 square miles (1,016,320 acres)   Population:  23,689       (U.S. Census Bureau Estimate, 2003)  County seat:  Manti  Location Sanpete County is located in the center of Utah.    Land Ownership The land ownership within the county is divided as follows:  Sanpete County Land OwnershipFederal51%State5%Private42%Water2%     Source: (Utah County Fact Book, 2002)   The majority of the federally-owned ground is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The state owned ground is under the jurisdiction of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Land Administration (SITLA) and a portion is wildlife preserves.  The private ground is primarily farm ground and grazing areas.  The 2002 Census of Agriculture indicated that there were 357,184 acres in farms or ranches in the county with an average size of 471 acres and an average value of $1,220 per acre.  The county had 113,647 acres in cropland of which 48,892 were harvested and 65,367 were irrigated.  The value of livestock and crops produced was listed at $93,600,000.  Agricultural Snapshot Sanpete County is one of the primary agricultural production regions in the state.  In 2003 county production statistics (2004 Utah Agricultural Statistics), the county ranked first in the production of turkeys and had the largest inventory of sheep in the state.  It was second in the production of “other hay” and fifth in barley.  Sanpete County had the largest inventory of sheep and was fifth for milk cows.  The county ranked second in cash receipts from livestock sales and fourth in total revenue from agricultural production.  The major crops grown in Sanpete County with 2004 yields and total acres harvested were (see following page):    Typical ground preparation for planting alfalfa is begun by spraying Roundup in the fall or early spring to kill the quack grass prior to disking.  The ground is then harrowed and planted.  The procedure is the same for planting small grains except Roundup is not typically prior to planting grains.   About 98% of all grain is planted in the spring of the year.  The most prevalent crop rotation that producers practice is to leave alfalfa in for seven years, plant oats for two years, then replant alfalfa.  Producers typically get two to three cuttings of alfalfa each year.  About 25% of all inputs (e.g., seed, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.) are purchased locally while the remaining 75% is bought in a neighboring county.  Sources of irrigation water include the Sevier River and its tributaries.   Growing Season The growing season in Sanpete County averages about four months.  Following are some climatology data for three areas in the county:  The major classes of livestock produced in the county along with their associated inventories as of January 2004 were:  Livestock Type Number of Head All Cattle & Calves 49,000 Beef Cows 18,000 Milk Cows 6,900 Sheep 50,000  For more information visit these Web sites:  http://utahreach.org/sanpete/visitor/about.htm http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/htmlfiles/ut/ut.ppt.html http://climate.usu.edu/utahclim/freeze/default.htm http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/listut.html http://www.utahweather.org/UWC/utahs_climate/climate_of_utah.html http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/gb150.htm  2004 Primary Crops Yields Total harvested acres Average yield/acre All alfalfa hay 138,000 tons 35,000 3.9 tons Other hay 37,000 tons 12,500 3.0 tons Corn silage 54,000 tons 3,000 18 tons Barley 203,000 bu 2,100 97 bu Oats 30,600 bu 400 77 bu Sanpete Climate Characteristics County locations Annual Precip. Last spring freeze First fall freeze Freeze-free period Manti 12.85 in May 21 Sept. 27 129 days Moroni 9.58 in May 30 Sept. 22 116 days Gunnison 8.93 in Jun 2 Sep 15 105 days        Utah State University is committed to providing an environment free from harassment and other forms of illegal discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 and older), disability, and veteran’s status. USU’s policy also prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment and academic related practices and decisions.        Utah State University employees and students cannot, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran’s status, refuse to hire; discharge; promote; demote; terminate; discriminate in compensation; or discriminate regarding terms, privileges, or conditions of employment, against any person otherwise qualified. Employees and students also cannot discriminate in the classroom, residence halls, or in on/off campus, USU-sponsored events and activities.        This publication is issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work. Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jack M. Payne, Vice President and Director, Cooperative Extension Service, Utah State University.

Sanpete County Agriculture Profile

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Sanpete County Agriculture Profile

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