Farm Census

Mitchell County, Georgia

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

367 farms205,689 acres in farms$346 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Mitchell County ranks second for peanuts and third for pecans.

Within Georgia, no other county with a published figure has more orchard land.

Poultry and eggs: 39.3%Poultry and eggs39.3%Withheld groups: 13.4%Withheld groups13.4%Cotton: 13.4%Cotton13.4%Hay and other crops: 12.3%Hay and other crops12.3%Vegetables and melons: 8.0%8.0%Fruit and nuts: 6.9%Fruit and nuts6.9%Grains and oilseeds: 4.7%4.7%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.9%1.9%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Horses and mules: under 0.1%Other animals: under 0.1%Hogs and pigs: under 0.1%Poultry and eggs: 39.3%Poultry and eggs39.3%Withheld groups: 13.4%Withheld groups13.4%Cotton: 13.4%Cotton13.4%Hay and other crops: 12.3%12.3%Vegetables and melons: 8.0%8.0%Fruit and nuts: 6.9%6.9%Grains and oilseeds: 4.7%4.7%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.9%1.9%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Horses and mules: under 0.1%Other animals: under 0.1%Hogs and pigs: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: cattle and calves, milk and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Poultry and eggs$136 million17th of 116
Cotton and cottonseed$46.4 million5th of 72
Hay and other crops$42.5 million1st of 141
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$27.6 million7th of 96
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$23.9 million4th of 120
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$16.4 million11th of 118
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$6.6 million16th of 72
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$78,00028th of 114
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$68,00043rd of 90
Other animals and animal products$29,00043rd of 82
Hogs and pigs$20,00014th of 49

What the fields held

Mitchell County harvested 123,046 acres of cropland in 2022, second of 153 counties in Georgia. Cotton covered acreage equal to 36% of that, peanuts 29%.

CropAcresShare of US
Cotton44,8910.58%
Peanuts35,3732.5%
Orchard land19,1080.31%
of which citrus230under 0.1%
of which pecans18,8723.1%
Corn for grain10,921under 0.1%
Vegetables6,1970.14%
of which potatoes8under 0.1%
Hay and haylage3,061under 0.1%
Corn for silage1,572under 0.1%
Oats8690.10%
Soybeans543under 0.1%
Wheat420under 0.1%
Berries2610.07%

Withheld to protect individual farms: apples and grapes.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms62.8%

Mitchell County ranks seventh of 155 counties in Georgia on this measure.

  • 135,716 acres of cropland, 66% of farmland
  • 16,746 acres of pastureland, 8% of farmland
  • 46,394 acres of woodland, 23% of farmland
  • 75,488 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

Farms in Mitchell County run larger than the national pattern: the median farm has 99 acres against 72 for the US. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 560 acres, 11th-largest of 132 in Georgia. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 30.8% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 15.0% of the total.

1–93%10–4931%50–17925%180–49915%500–99911%1,000–1,9998%2,000+7%
Mitchell County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Broilers sold in 202222,290,9100.24%
Cattle and calves23,907under 0.1%
Goats285under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs236under 0.1%
Horses and ponies109under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs79under 0.1%

Withheld: beef cows, milk cows, laying hens and turkeys.

Who farms here

Decisions on Mitchell County's 367 farms are made by 648 producers. Their average age is 60.5, 1.5 years above the Georgia average. Women are 33.5% of them.

Under 358%35–4411%45–5413%55–6424%65–7425%75+20%
Mitchell County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms425−13.6%
Land in farms, acres189,639+8.5%
Average farm size, acres446+25.6%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$263 million+31.7%
Pecans, acres15,784+19.6%
Peanuts, acres35,280+0.3%
Cotton, acres38,694+16.0%
Orchard land, acres15,798+21.0%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Mitchell County accounts for 2.6% of farm sales in Georgia and 0.9% of the farms in Georgia. Rank Georgia counties for pecans.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.