*      Wheat harvested for grain which was double-cropped to either cotton or soybeans.

 

   **      Approximately 30 nurseries.

 

 ***      Conservation Reserve Program

 

****     Amount paid by FSA for disaster payments, conservation programs and for participation in voluntary farm programs in cotton, corn, grain sorghum, oats, and wheat.

 

 

Santa Rosa County AG Facts

 

1)  Florida’s leader in conservation tillage. Growers continued to expand the adoption of conservation tillage in 2003 to approximately 26,000 acres (18,000 ac. cotton and 8,000 ac. peanuts).

2)  Florida’s leader in cotton production. In 1993, we were the U.S. leader in dryland cotton production.

3)  Florida’s leader in peanut yields.

4)  Leads the state in farmer participation in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) with over 310 contracts.

5)  Leads the state with the number of acres of Class I prime farmland.

6)  The Santa Rosa County Farm Tour began in 1966 and is the longest running annual farm tour in the state.

 

 

Rainfall was abundant throughout the growing season. Approximately 45 inches was received from May through August. Waterlogged soil conditions during early season resulted in poor plant growth in some fields. Rain was limited from September through November. As a result, growers were able to harvest in a timely manner. Both yield and crop quality were above average.

                                                           

 

                                                         2003 Precipitation in Inches

                                      (West Florida Research and Education Center, Jay Farm)

 

Jan.      Feb.      Mar.     Apr.      May      June      July      Aug.     Sept.     Oct.      Nov.     Dec.

0.04      6.26      6.86      3.57      5.49      17.01    6.96      9.27      5.11      1.69      2.56      4.70

55-yr.

Avg.                 5.34      4.96      6.54      4.70      4.26      7.53      7.77      6.42      6.47     3.70      4.38      4.99

 

Total Rainfall

1995     1996     1997     1998     1999     2000     2001     2002     2003                 55-yr. Avg.

87.17    65.42    70.19    77.29    53.07    52.13    55.02    69.03    69.51                67.07

 

2003 Temperature   ºF

 

Avg.     57.7      64.7      72.0      78.4      85.5      87.0      89.5      90.4      87.1      80.7      74.9      60.2

Max.

Avg.     33.0      41.6      51.7      54.0      65.9      70.4      70.8      71.7      65.7      56.1      48.9      35.3

Min.