FarmStats_CNTYFARM

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: UVM Extension Service & CDAE, USDA-NRCS, VCGI(comp.)

Publication_Date: 20000425

Publication_Time: Unknown

Title: FarmStats_CNTYFARM

Edition: 2.0

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Series_Information:

Series_Name: Vermont County Farm Data, 1860-1997

Issue_Identification: 2.0

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Burlington, Vermont

Publisher: VCGI

Other_Citation_Details: Tile Structure - STATE

Description:

Abstract:

This datalayer contains Vermont agricultural data describing changes in farming activity (1860-1997), by county, extracted from U.S. Census of Agriculture.
Initial 1969-1992 data was originally collected by Rick Wackernagel, UVM Extension Service, Department of Community Development & Applied Economics (CDAE), then distributed by VCGI as the data product 'FARMDATA' in 1995. VCGI has since updated and added additional years and items to the dataset, and released it as the geospatial database FarmStats_CNTYFARM.
Funding for much of this data was provided by the 'Datashare' agreement between VCGI and The USDA-Natural Resources Consevation Service. Many thanks to Ray Godfrey, USDA-NRCS, for helping to make this datalayer available to the public. One may download Excel spreadsheets or comma-delimited ASCII text files of this data from the VGIS indicators webpage - https://vcgi.vermont.gov/indicators/

Purpose:

County-level agricultural data describing changes in farming activity (1860-1997) extracted from U.S. Census of Agriculture contained within topological county boundaries, derived from the coverage BoundaryTown_TB250 (RF 250,000 scale). The agricultural attribute data includes; Total Number of Farms, Total Cropland, Harvested Cropland, Changes in Agricultural Land Use, Income, Operating Expenses, and Dairy Information. Any suggestions regarding other data which should be included should be submitted to VCGI.

Supplemental_Information:

The U.S. Census of Agriculture was administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census for contained 1860-1992 data, and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) for 1997 data and beyond.
The farm definition has changed several times over the history of agricultural data collection. However, since 1975, a farm has been defined as "any establishment from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were sold or would normally be sold during the year." USDA estimates include institutional farms, experimental and research farms and Indian reservations. They exclude public, industrial, and grazing association land. The Department counts government payments as part of annual farm sales.
The 1959 definition of a farm was stated as; "Places of less than 10 acres in the census year were counted as farms if the estimated sales of agricultural products for the year amounted to at least $250. Places of 10 or more acres in the census year were counted as farms if the estimated sales of agricultural products for the year amounted to at least $50. Places having less than $50 or $250 minimum estimated sales in the census year were also counted as farms if they could normally be expected to produce agricultural products in sufficient quantity to meet the requirements of the definition."
The 1950-54 definition of a farm was stated as; "Places of 3 or more acres were counted as farms if the value of agricultural products in (1949/1954), exclusive of home gardens, amounted to $150 or more. Places for which the value of agricultural products for (1949/1954) was less than these minima because of crop failure or other unusual conditions, and places operated at the time of the census for the first time were counted as farms if normally they could be expected to produce these minimum quantities of agricultural products."
The 1910-1945 definition of a farm was stated as; "enumerators were instructed to report as a 'farm' any tract of 3 or more acres used for agricultural purposes, and also any tract containing less than 3 acres which produced at least $250 worth of farm products in the year (said year), or which required for its agricultural operations, the continuous services of at least one person."
The original definition from the 1870 Statistics of Agriculture, states: "Farms for the purpose of the agricultural schedule, include all nurseries, orchards, and market-gardens, which are owned by separate parties, which are cultivated for pecuniary profit, and employ as much as the labor of one able-bodied work man during the year. No farm will be reported of less than three acres, unless five hundred dollars' worth of produce has actually been sold off from it during the year. The latter proviso will allow the inclusion of many market-gardens in the neighborhood of large cities, where, although the area is small, a high state of cultivation is maintained and considerable values are produced."

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 18600000

Beginning_Time: Unknown

Ending_Date: 19970000

Ending_Time: Unknown

Currentness_Reference: Publication Date

Status:

Progress: Planned

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -73.454162

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.465281

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 45.018361

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.722789

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category

Theme_Keyword: farming

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Tri - Service Spatial Data Standard

Theme_Keyword: Boundaries

Theme_Keyword: Counties

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: agriculture

Theme_Keyword: agricultural

Theme_Keyword: farming

Theme_Keyword: farms

Theme_Keyword: history

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Geographic Names Information System

Place_Keyword: Vermont

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Temporal_Keyword: 1860

Temporal_Keyword: 1870

Temporal_Keyword: 1880

Temporal_Keyword: 1890

Temporal_Keyword: 1900

Temporal_Keyword: 1910

Temporal_Keyword: 1920

Temporal_Keyword: 1925

Temporal_Keyword: 1930

Temporal_Keyword: 1935

Temporal_Keyword: 1940

Temporal_Keyword: 1945

Temporal_Keyword: 1950

Temporal_Keyword: 1954

Temporal_Keyword: 1959

Temporal_Keyword: 1964

Temporal_Keyword: 1969

Temporal_Keyword: 1974

Temporal_Keyword: 1978

Temporal_Keyword: 1982

Temporal_Keyword: 1987

Temporal_Keyword: 1992

Temporal_Keyword: 1997

Access_Constraints:

VCGI and the State of Vermont make no representations of any kind including, but not limited to the warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use, nor are any such warranties to be implied with respect to the data.

Use_Constraints:

The boundaries do not line up well with coincident water features from the Digital Line Graph (DLG) data at RF 100,000 scale. Producing maps at RF 50,000 or larger scale should be done with caution to avoid obvious data accuracy problems.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: VT Center for Geographic Information

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: 1 National Life Dr, Dewey Building, 2nd Floor

City: Montpelier

State_or_Province: VT

Postal_Code: 05620-2001

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (802) 585-0820

Contact_TDD/TTY_Telephone: None

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: vcgi@vermont.gov

Hours_of_Service: 9am - 5pm, M-F

Data_Set_Credit:

- Rick Wackernagel, Extension Service Assistant Professor, CDAE, 1995 - Daryl Benoit, Project Manager, VCGI, 2000 - Ray Godfrey, Resource Inventory Specialist, USDA-NRCS, 2000

Security_Information:

Security_Classification_System: None

Security_Classification: Unclassified

Security_Handling_Description: No security considerations.

Native_Data_Set_Environment: Arc/Info

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Attributes were extracted from the Census of Agriculture - County Data. Some of the data items are based on a sample of farms taken from each county. Attribute values (except for the "Change Values"; that is -> A1001997, A501997, A201997, A101997, F1001997, F501997, F201997, F101997, T701997, T501997, T201997, T101997) of -9999 actually represent N/A or NULL values.
Not all attributes from a census year are strictly comparable to all other census years. Not all discrepancies have been noted in this document. The following is a list of known possible discrepancies among the data attributes. These notes do not necessarily indicate that numbers are not comparable.
TOTAL CROPLAND - 1930-35 Total Cropland is called "Land Available for Crops (Harvested, Failure, Idle, Fallow, and Plowable Pasture)". Some 1940 (Total Cropland) figures are not strictly comparable with those for (or after) 1945, since the 1940 figures include land pasturized, which could have been plowed and used for crops without additional clearing, drainage, or irrigation. This land may not have been plowed within 7 years prior to 1940. The item "Total Cropland" is not reported in the Census year 1959. It was therefore necessary to calculate the "Total Cropland" for 1959 by adding "Cropland Used Only for Pasture (Acres)" to "Cropland Not Harvested and Not Pasturized (Acres)", and then adding the sum to "Harvested Cropland". This method was validated by running the same calculation on 1964 data in the 1964 Census of Agriculture, then checking these totals against the adjusted 1964 "Total Cropland" data which is included in the 1969 Census of Agriculture.
INCOME - Otherwise known as "Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold" has been left out of the Census from 1900-1935. Prior to 1900, this value was stated; 1870 ("Total Estimated Value of all Farm Productions, including Betterments and Additions to Stock"), 1880 ("Estimated Value of all Farm Productions [sold, consumed, or on hand]").
LAND IN FARMS - 1860 and 1870 Land in Farms was calculated by aggregating the reported "Improved" and "Unimproved" lands in acres.
DAIRY COWS - 1860-1900 report only what are called, "Milch. Cows". It is unclear if this number includes beef cows. The 1900 Census reports this number as "Dairy Cows 2 years and over". The 1920 Census reports Dairy Cows as "Dairy Cattle, Cows, and Heifers". The 1925 Census reports as "Dairy Cows 2 years old & older". The 1935 Census reports as "Cows of all kinds milked during all or any part of (year)".
VALUE OF LAND & BUILDINGS - The 1880 and 1890 Census reports this as "Value of Farms including land, fences, and buildings".
MILK GALLONS PRODUCED - These figures were only reported for the years 1870-1945. After this, milk production was only reported in pounds, and eventually left unreported.

Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:

Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 12.7 map units

Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: Fuzzy Tolerance

Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:

Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 317.5 map units

Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: Dangle Length

Logical_Consistency_Report:

The line accuracy of this coverage is questionable due to its uncertain history and modifications. The county boundaries are very approximate and do not line up well with the DLG water features at RF 100,000 scale. Errors of up to 200 meters are common, and errors greater than 300 meters have been observed.

Completeness_Report:

No systematic quality control has been done to this datalayer. The actual map date is Pre-1980.

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

Boundary positional errors of up to 200 meters are common, while errors greater than 300 meters have been observed within this datalayer.

Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 300+ Meters

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: Error possibility of boundary

Lineage:

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: GIS Database Administrator(comp.)

Publication_Date: 19910601

Publication_Time: 00000000

Title: BoundaryCounty_CNTY250

Edition: 1.0

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Series_Information:

Series_Name: BoundaryCounty_CNTY250

Issue_Identification: 1.0

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Waterbury, Vermont

Publisher: VCGI

Source_Scale_Denominator: 250000

Type_of_Source_Media: stable-base material

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 19800000

Time_of_Day: Unknown

Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication Date

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: BoundaryCounty_CNTY250

Source_Contribution:

USGS DLGs at RF 100,000 scale. BoundaryTown_TB250 coverage was used to derive this particular datalayer

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Linework was derived from coverage BoundaryTown_TB250 (USGS DLGs at RF 100,000 scale DLG-based data).

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: BoundaryTown_TB250

Process_Date: 19910601

Process_Time: Unknown

Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: BoundaryCounty_CNTY250

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Added FARMDATA attributes to BoundaryCounty)CNTY250 (extracted from TB250). Added additional Census of Agriculture items to the feature attribute table. - Daryl Benoit, VCGI, 25 April 2000

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: FarmStats_CNTYFARM

Process_Date: 20000425

Process_Time: Unknown

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Added additional 1860-1954 Census of Agriculture items to the feature attribute table. Improved documentation of definition changes for Census data items. - Daryl Benoit, VCGI, 10 May 2000

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: FarmStats_CNTYFARM

Process_Date: 20000510

Process_Time: Unknown

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Indirect_Spatial_Reference: Polygon

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: G-polygon

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 14

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Grid_Coordinate_System:

Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: State Plane Coordinate System

State_Plane_Coordinate_System:

SPCS_Zone_Identifier: 4400 (USGS), 5526 (ESRI)

Transverse_Mercator:

Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 250000

Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -072.500000

Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: +42.500000

False_Easting: 500000

False_Northing: 0.000

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.001

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.001

Planar_Distance_Units: Meters

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 1 / 298.25722210

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: Polygon

Entity_Type_Definition: Closed 2-D representation

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: VCGI

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: CNTY250_ID

Attribute_Definition: FIPS County Code

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 001

Range_Domain_Maximum: 027

Attribute_Value_Accuracy_Information:

Attribute_Value_Accuracy: County FIPS code

Attribute_Value_Accuracy_Explanation:

County Code; 001 is Addison, 003 is Bennington, 005 is Caledonia, 007 is Chittenden, 009 is Essex, 011 is Franklin, 013 is Grand Isle, 015 is Lamoille, 017 is Orange, 019 is Orleans, 021 is Rutland, 023 is Washington, 025 is Windham, 027 is Windsor Counties.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: CNTYNAME

Attribute_Definition: County name

Attribute_Definition_Source: Vermont Common names

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Codeset_Domain:

Codeset_Name: County Names

Codeset_Source: Vermont State

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: FARM1870 ... FARM1997

Attribute_Definition: Number of Farms, 1870-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: ACRE1860 ... ACRE1997

Attribute_Definition: Land in Farms (Acres), 1860-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: INC1870 ... INC1997

Attribute_Definition:

Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold (* $1,000), 1870-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: LBV1870 ... LBV1997

Attribute_Definition: Value of Land and Buildings (Avg. per Farm), 1870-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: TCL1925 ... TCL1997

Attribute_Definition: Total Cropland (in Acres), 1925-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: HCL1925 ... HCL1997

Attribute_Definition: Harvested Cropland (in Acres), 1925-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: MCOW1860 ... MCOW1997

Attribute_Definition: Total Number of Milk Cows, 1860-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: CFRM1925 ... CFRM1997

Attribute_Definition: Milk Cows, Farms Reporting, 1925-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: DARY1900 ... DARY1997

Attribute_Definition:

Market Value of Dairy Agricultural Products Sold (* $1,000), 1900-1997.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: MILK1870 ... MILK1945

Attribute_Definition:

Milk Production (in Gallons), 1870-1945 (unavailable after 1945).

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: MEQP1969 ... MEQP1997

Attribute_Definition:

Estimated Market Value of All Machinery & Equipment (Avg. per Farm), 1969-1997 (unavailable prior to 1969).

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: TPFE1969 ... TPFE1997

Attribute_Definition:

Total Farm Production Expenses, Average per Farm ($), 1969, 1974, 1987, 1992, 1997. (unavailable for 1959, 1964, 1978 & 1982).

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: A1001997

Attribute_Definition: 100-year Change in Acreage of Land in Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc ACRE1997 - ACRE1900

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: A501997

Attribute_Definition: 50-year Change in Acreage of Land in Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc ACRE1997 - ACRE1950

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: A201997

Attribute_Definition: 20-year Change in Acreage of Land in Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc ACRE1997 - ACRE1978

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: A101997

Attribute_Definition: 10-year Change in Acreage of Land in Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc ACRE1997 - ACRE1987

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: F1001997

Attribute_Definition: 100-year Change in Total Number of Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc FARM1997 - FARM1900

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: F501997

Attribute_Definition: 50-year Change in Total Number of Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc FARM1997 - FARM1950

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: F201997

Attribute_Definition: 20-year Change in Total Number of Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc FARM1997 - FARM1978

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: F101997

Attribute_Definition: 10-year Change in Total Number of Farms for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc FARM1997 - FARM1987

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: T701997

Attribute_Definition: 70-year Change in Total Cropland for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc TCL1997 - TCL1925

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: T501997

Attribute_Definition: 50-year Change in Total Cropland for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc TCL1997 - TCL1950

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: T201997

Attribute_Definition: 20-year Change in Total Cropland for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc TCL1997 - TCL1978

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: T101997

Attribute_Definition: 10-year Change in Total Cropland for 1997

Attribute_Definition_Source: Calc TCL1997 - TCL1987

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

Attribute values of -9999 actually represent N/A or NULL values (except for the "Change Values"; that is -> A1001997, A501997, A201997, A101997, F1001997, F501997, F201997, F101997, T701997, T501997, T201997, T101997).

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: VCGI

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: VT Center for Geographic Information

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: 1 National Life Dr, Dewey Building, 2nd Floor

City: Montpelier

State_or_Province: VT

Postal_Code: 05620-2001

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (802) 585-0820

Contact_TDD/TTY_Telephone: None

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: vcgi@vermont.gov

Hours_of_Service: 9am - 5pm, M-F

Resource_Description: FarmStats_CNTYFARM

Distribution_Liability:

VCGI and the State of Vermont make no representations of any kind, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use, nor are any such warranties to be implied with respect to the data.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: SHP

Format_Specification: ESRI Shapefile format (compressed to ZIP format)

Format_Information_Content: geospatial data

File_Decompression_Technique: ZIP decompression software

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

https://maps.vcgi.vermont.gov/gisdata/vcgi/packaged_zips/FarmStats_CNTYFARM.zip

Access_Instructions: Download from web site.

Offline_Option:

Offline_Media: USB drive

Fees:

No charge when downloading from the internet, and when no custom processing is required.

Ordering_Instructions: Send an email describing data request to vcgi@vermont.gov

Turnaround: About 5 days.

Custom_Order_Process: Send an email describing data request to vcgi@vermont.gov

Technical_Prerequisites: GIS Software

Available_Time_Period:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 20001023

Time_of_Day: Unknown

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 19940608

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: VT Center for Geographic Information

Contact_Person: GIS Database Administrator

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: 1 National Life Dr, Dewey Building, 2nd Floor

City: Montpelier

State_or_Province: VT

Postal_Code: 05620-2001

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (802) 585-0820

Contact_TDD/TTY_Telephone: None

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: Local time

Metadata_Access_Constraints: None

Metadata_Use_Constraints: None

Metadata_Security_Information:

Metadata_Security_Classification_System: N/A

Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified

Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: No security considerations