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The following paragraphs provide an interesting historical perspective
as well as current statistics on farming in Gibson County.
In our world of globalization and change, what can we tell a new
neighbor about our county? I could say that I was attracted to Gibson
County when employment opportunities brought my family to Indiana in 1984.
Gibson County has so many of the same attributes as my family farm in
Livingston, Illinois. Gibson County was settled originally by farm
settlers living off of the land. Can you imagine what Gibson County was
like in the late 1700's?
The first settler, John Severns, Sr., is described in "History of
Gibson County, Indiana" by Elia W. Peattie, 1897. After a history of
capture by Indians and service in the Revolutionary War, he settled on the
banks of the Patoka River with a wife and five children. He ran a ferry
across the river and traded with the local Indians. Later settlers
developed Gibson County as a source of grain and forage. Gibson County was
a large agricultural county as is evident by it's size. In the colonial
days the size of the county was determined by a days ride by horse from
the county seat.
The Indiana Agricultural Report 1885 describes the Gibson County
Agricultural Society's 35th fair. Persons from a distance were amazed, and
said, why not call this a State Fair. This statement gives credit to the
influence of agriculture on the local economy in the past. Today, nearly
$100 million is received annually by farmers for commodities sold. Because
most farmers spend their incomes to support local businesses, services and
taxes the multiplier effect to the local economy is nearly $250 million
each year.
Gibson County is recognized as a leading wheat county in Indiana,
ranking 3rd in total bushels produced in 1997. The farmers produced 62
bushels per acre in nearly 35,000 acres. Most wheat acres harvested are
planted to 2nd crop soybeans by July 1 of each season. Southern Indiana
farmers have ample growing season to double crop soybeans following wheat
harvest.
Corn is the number one cash commodity in Gibson County followed by the
sale of soybeans. In 1997, more than 111,000 acres produced an average
yield of 117 bushels per acre. Most of the rail exported corn from Gibson
County finds it's way to Tyson Foods in Georgia for broiler chicken
production. Can anyone imagine what the benefit would be to Gibson County
if all this exported corn was switched to high oil corn with a $.25 per
bushel premium. The future of corn production is directly related to the
acceptance of biotechnology and valued added products.
The Gibson County Plot Committee was formed in 1995 to merge
agribusiness and university resources to provide education and promotion
resources for the corn producer. To date the committee has received over
$76,000 in Indiana Value Added Grants to print publications on food and
high oil corn, attract new value added industry, and provide local corn
variety yield data. The 1999 corn plot contains 33 high oil, 47 yellow
food and 37 white food corn varieties from 20 seed corn companies
marketing in Gibson County. Current efforts are to publish a high oil corn
reference and resource guide for local producers. This book will become a
Purdue University publication and will be available by December - Value
Added Grain Day.
More than 92,000 acres of soybeans are planted each year with a yield
of 42 bushels per acre in 1997. With the plans to develop more soybean
processing at Mt. Vernon the demand for Gibson County soybeans will
increase. An interesting fact collected from grain composition studies
completed throughout Indiana by Purdue University indicates that Southern
Indiana soybeans have better composition values for oil, starch and
protein. At some time, farmers will be marketing grain based on a NIRT
grain analyzer test at the local elevator with premiums given for better
quality grain.
No one can mention Gibson County without discussing the Posey County
melons which are actually raised in Gibson County. More than one million
dollars of watermelons and cantaloupe are raised annually on the sandy
soils associated with the Owensville and Johnson areas of the county. Many
melon farmers are going high tech in the 90's by using satellite images to
forecast the more efficient use of fungicides. Newcomers must visit this
area to find fresh melons and garden produce.
The swine industry has held a historical third row seat in the dollars
sold of farm commodities behind corn and soybeans in Indiana and Gibson
County. Hog producers were stressed by the worst financial prices for pork
since records were kept during 1998 and 1999. Many local swine farmers
gave up the ship in 1998 while other signed contracts with large vertical
producers to survive. At bare bone economics, hog producers needs 35 cents
per pound of live hog (250# sale weight) to cover all costs. Hog prices
dropped to 8 cents last winter forcing many operations out of business.
Hogs were once respected as the "mortgage lifters" by many
farmers in Gibson County. Modern swine operations are costly as they must
be clean as the Gibson General Hospital maternity ward to produce pork
efficiently.
Gibson County dairy farms contain about 1,000 cows with some producing
up to 25,000 lbs. (3,000 gallons) of mild per year. Milk Skyrocketed to 10
cents per gallon last winter but has dropped to 11 cents at the present
time. How many of us would invest this type of money to be confined to a
job 7-days-a-week. Come to the Gibson County Fair July 11-17 to ask our
dairy farmers more about milking cows in the 90's.
Diversity is a goofed term for Gibson County agriculture as one will
find grain, melons, vegetables, fruit, beef, dairy, swine, sheep,
ostriches, chickens and turkeys on farms. Agriculture is the number one
industry in Gibson County with many interesting details. To learn more
about agriculture in modern Gibson County call the Extension office
(385-3491) for a flier.
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