county profile

Originally part of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory prior to statehood, Carter County is located on the "sunny side of the Arbuckle Mountains" in south-central Oklahoma.

Forages, beef cattle and pecan production dominate agriculture in Carter County. Of the 373,000 acres of farmland, 214,000 acres are in permanent pasture or native range, 38,800 acres are wooded and 110,000 acres are dedicated cropland.

The 110,000 cropland acres are predominately small grains, used primarily for winter grazing and hay. Small acreages are devoted to peanuts, corn, sorghum and soybeans.

The soil profile is mostly loamy, sandy, nearly level to sloping soils on uplands but ranges from very shallow, steeply sloping soils with rocky outcrops in the Arbuckle Mountains, to deep, loamy soils located on the flood plains of the Washita River, Caddo, Hickory, Walnut and Wildhorse creeks.

Agriculture is a very significant sector of the local economy, approaching approximately $30 million in sales of agricultural inputs and production annually. The secondary or indirect impact of associated sales and purchases, such as transport, distribution and employment has been shown to more than double the direct impact on the local economy. Factor analysis and other mathematical techniques show that a little less than 36% of the total employment and 29% of the total income in Carter County is attributed to agriculture.

Carter County Agriculture Statistics
Number of Farms	1,353	Estimated Market Value of Land and Buildings
Farms by Size Group		Average per Farm . . . . . . .	$ 282,551
1-9 acres . . . . . . . .	35	Average per Acre . . . . . . .	$ 763
10-49 acres . . . . . . . .	294
50-179 acres . . . . . . . .	528	Estimate Market Value of machinery and Equipment
180-499 acres . . . . . . . .	314	Average per Farm . . . . . . .	$ 27,806
500-999 acres . . . . . . . .	109
1,000 acres or more . . . . . . . .	73	Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold	$23,847,000
Total Land in Farms	430,706	Average per Farm . . . . . . .	$ 17,625
Total Cropland . . . . . . . .	149,792	Crops . . . . . . .	$ 1,750,000
Total Woodland . . . . . . . .	44,243	Livestock . . . . . . .	$22,097,000
Pasture Land . . . . . . . .	210,369
Other Land . . . . . . . .	9,330	Total Farm Production Expenses	$63,871,000
Average Size of Farm	318	Average per Farm . . . . . . .	$ 52,139
Approximate Land Area	527,266
Proportion in Farms . . . . . . . .	81.6%	Net Cash Return from Agricultural Sales	$28,481,000
Average Age of Operator	56.2	Average per Farm . . . . . . .	$ 23,250
Source: 2002 Census of Agriculture

Livestock Inventory
All Cattle & Calves	Beef Cows	Sheep & Lambs
60,000	29,000	600

Alfalfa Production
Acres Harvested	Average Yield	Total Production
1,000	3 tons/acre	3,000 tons

All Other Hay
Harvest Acres	Average Yield	Total Production
40,000	1.40 tons/acre	50,000

Wheat
Acres Planted	Acres Harvested	Yield	Total Production
9,500	500	24 bu./acre	12,000 bu.