* 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 2002 to approximately 26,000 acres (20,000 ac. cotton and 6,000 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.

Rainfall was limited during late April and early May. As a result, cotton stand establishment was delayed in some fields until mid-May. Rainfall continued to be spotty in the county through August. Some areas had sufficient soil moisture for crop development and others experienced drought conditions resulting in early cotton “cut out”. Excessive rainfall during September and October severely reduced both yield and crop quality of cotton and peanuts. Damage was so severe that some fields were abandoned and never harvested.

2002 Precipitation in Inches

(West Florida Research and Education Center, Jay)

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

4.08 2.30 4.12 3.45 3.22 4.60 7.59 3.16 14.39 8.06 4.97 9.09

54-yr.

Avg. 5.44 4.94 6.53 4.72 4.24 7.35 7.78 6.37 6.50 3.74 4.41 5.00

Total Rainfall

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 54-yr. Avg.

87.17 65.42 70.19 77.29 53.07 52.13 55.02 69.03 67.02

2002 Temperature   ºF

Avg. 63.6 63.8 72.5 81.5 86.8 91.7 93.3 92.3 89.0 79.8 66.1 61.1

Max.

Avg. 39.8 38.3 47.4 59.3 62.9 68.5 70.5 69.5 70.5 64.3 45.1 38.9

Min.