FARMINGTON — Farming is far from dead in Davis County. But it’s not a place filled with large farms and orchards, anymore.

As the county surpasses the 300,000 residents mark, farming in many ways is adapting to changing ways, as is reflected in the 2007 Agricultural Census, released earlier this month.

More urbanization is likely the big reason the number of farms in the county, and acreage farmed, has decreased, said Davis County Utah State University Extension Agent Shawn Olsen.

While some people may believe there are no farms at all, in the county, there were still 496 as of 2007. However, that was down 15 percent from the 582 five years earlier.

But as more homes, roads, stores and schools are built, acreage devoted to farms continues to drop. It has fallen from 65,857 acres in 2002 (or more than 100 square miles in land), to 49,279 acres in 2007 –  a one-quarter drop.

The average farm size, meanwhile, went down from 113 acres in 2002 to 99 acres in 2007.

On a positive note, production value from those farms rose by 23 percent, to $37.2 million in 2007. Of that, crop sales made up 84 percent of the total, at nearly $31.3 million, while livestock sales came to nearly $6 million.

The average production value per farm went up even more, by 44 percent, from $52,211 to $75,093.

Of the land, 69 percent was in pasture, just over one-fourth in crop land, and 5 percent other uses.

Olsen said more farming locally is turning to the nursery and ornamental plant variety. The category nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod, produced $24.9 million in value in 2007, second of the state’s 29 counties.

The second-place category, well down in terms of valuation, went to vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes, at just above $3 million.

The county scored a first place in the category of horses, ponies, mules, etc., valued at nearly $2.1 million.

In terms of top crops, the county was also number one, statewide, in sweet corn, which was valued at $512,000.

As far as top livestock inventory, Davis County took first place for rabbits and their pelts, valued at nearly $1.6 million.

For many in the county, farming is a hobby or second occupation. Nearly one-third of farms, 146, produced a value of less than $1,000 a year.

But 18 farms produced valuations of $100,000 to $250,000, 11 between that and $499,000, and 11 of $500,000 or more.

Only 161 people listed farming as their principal occupation, with males still dominating the field, at 434 (of all involved in farming) to 62 females.

The average age of farmers continued to grow, up to 61.1 years.

“We’re trying to help farmers and agriculture” stay as viable and ongoing in the county as possible, said County Planning Director Barry Burton.

That has included modifying the way agriculture is looked at in formal planning, he said. For example, corn mazes or agriculturally-themed festivals could be part of a farm operation.

Part of it’s aimed at finding ways to “diversify efforts to create new revenue” streams, Burton said, adding, “We want to do what we can to help agriculture.”

As more homes are built, farmers are often faced with either trying to preserve their livelihood or “sell out” to developers who can pay relatively high prices.

The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years. The next one is due to be done for the year 2012.

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com