Coffee County Listed as One of Nation’s Best Farming Counties

Coffee County has been listed by the Census of Agriculture as one of the top 100 most successful counties in the nation for farming.

The census data, reported in Farm Futures Magazine, ranks Coffee County 90th among 3,000 counties nationally. Coffee County was the only Alabama county listed in the census. (See the Enterprise Ledger article below.)

Stan Windham, coordinator of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Coffee County Office, attributes his county’s standing to the astonishing level of farm diversification.

“It’s pretty rare in Coffee County to find a farm doing only one thing,” says Windham, a Coffee County native who returned to the southeast Alabama county after spending his formative years in Huntsville and, later, Colorado.

“It’s hard to name a farming enterprise that’s not diversified,” he says. “We even have some catfish, although this is not a big enterprise in this region of the state.”

Another factor, Windham believes, is the adaptive mindset of Coffee County farmers.

“Farmers in the county have shown time and again that they’re not going to stick with something that’s not profitable,” he says. “They’re simply going to move to something that is.”

As a third factor, Windham cites the county’s strong tradition of farm leadership, reflected by the large number of producers who have served as presidents of statewide organizations such as the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Peanut Producer’s Association.

“We have a strong tradition of leadership in the county, not to mention excellent youth programs.”

“It’s just an awfully good county to live and work for someone in my profession.”

Coffee County in top 100 as best and most profitable places to farm

By Carole Brand

Ledger Staff Writer

Coffee County, according to the Census of Agriculture, has been listed among the top 100 in the United States as one of the most successful counties for farming.

According to Farm Futures magazine, the census data, taken from 1987 to 2002, listed Coffee County as 90th in the nation competing against 3,000 counties. Coffee was the only Alabama county listed in the rankings.

“We’re really proud of this,” said Coffee County Extension System Coordinator Stan Windham. “This shows how profitable in farming and how diverse our county really is. We’ve got everything from cattle, poultry, timber, hogs, peanuts, corn and cotton, and the farmers are making their business productive. With countless challenges, the farmers still remain some of the best in the nation.”

Windham said the results didn’t surprise those who knew U.S. agriculture.
“The 100 most successful farm counties include well-known hotbeds of profitability that read like a shopping list for a hungry nation and world. We found far more diversity at the top than many expected,” according to the magazine.

Thanks to a dramatic, if at times controversial increase in pork and poultry production and some mainstay crops receiving plenty of government support, Southern states dominated the list of the most profitable places to farm.

“We’ve become successful in Coffee County because we’ve got farmers who diversify,” Windham said. “To maintain a farm business, you have to diversify in productivity and gain. I believe our farmers focus on high value businesses that generate cash and they learn to leverage their investments to earn more.”

Farmers also have to manage wisely. Management in farming is essential for long-term profits, whether it’s through diversification or advanced marking techniques, according to the magazine. Also, success requires a community that’s behind agriculture and vice versa.

Rankings of the top 100 were based on dates from 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002. Profitability, as measured by return on assets, was the factor that weighted the heaviest. Farm Futures also looked at net profits per farm, sales growth, asset growth and profit growth in addition to asset turnovers and profit margin.

The Ag Census is a snapshot taken every five years, but cattle producers may be underweighed in the rankings due to low profitability in 2002.

“Out of 3,000 counties in America, Coffee County was picked as one of the top, so I think the farmers and the community is doing something right,” Windham said. “We’re thrilled because this is a big deal. It shows how our county has produced profits and has the knowledge of being diverse and profitable in farming production.”

Posted by Jim Langcuster at September 13, 2005 04:32 PM | TrackBack