Davis County Agricultural Profile

Area: 630 square miles (403,200 acres)

Population: 255,597 (U.S. Census Bureau Estimate, 2003)

County Seat: Farmington

Location

Davis County is the smallest county in Utah. It is located in the northern part of the state and borders the Great Salt Lake.

Land Ownership

The land ownership within the county is divided as follows:

Water coverage: 52%
Private: 25%
State: 12%
Federal: 11%
Source: Utah County Fact Book, 2002

The majority of the federally-owned ground, about 85%, is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The remaining federal ground is controlled by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the military.The state owned ground is primarily part of Utah state parks and recreational areas. Portions of the state owned land are wildlife preserves with a small portion under the jurisdiction of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Land Administration (SITLA). The private ground is primarily farm ground and grazing areas.

Agricultural Snapshot

In the 2003 county production statistics (2004 Utah Agricultural Statistics), the county ranked second in the state in the production of nursery and greenhouse crops, potatoes and dry onions. It was third in spring wheat and sweet cherries and fourth in winter wheat corn for grain.

The major crops grown in Davis County with 2004 yields and total acres harvested were:

2004 Primary Crops Yields Total Harvested Acres Average Yield/Acre
All alfalfa hay 34,000 tons 7,000 4.9 tons
Other hay 4,200 tons 1,500 2.8 tons
Corn silage 26,000 tons 900 29 tons
Corn grain 169,000 bu. 1,000 169 bu.
Barley 82,500 bu. 800 103 bu.
Wheat 358,400 bu. 3,800 94 bu.

Greenhouse and nursery crops are grown on four hundred twelve acres and had a market value of $19 million in 2002. The major crops are potted flowering plants, bedding plants, and sod. Vegetables were grown on one thousand seven hundred twenty-six acres and had a market value of $4 million. The major vegetable crops were dry onions- six hundred ninty-four acres, sweet corn-four hundred ninty-one acres, and pumpkins-one hundred sixty-four acres.

The most prevalent crop rotation that producers practice is to leave alfalfa in for seven years, plant wheat for two years, and then replant alfalfa. Producers typically get three to four cuttings of alfalfa each year.

Another rotation is wheat, sweet corn, and then vegetables. A third common rotation is grain corn, snap beans, and then wheat. Most grain is planted in the fall of the year. About 25% of all inputs (e.g., seed, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.) are purchased locally while the remaining 75% is bought in neighboring counties). The majority of the farming and ranching in the county occurs in the Layton, Syracuse, and West Point areas in the northern part of the county.

The majority, about 65% of the irrigation water available in Davis County, is from the Weber River and the Echo and Rockport reservoirs. The other 35% is drawn from local mountain streams.

Growing Season

The growing season in Davis County is one of the longest in Utah. It averages about five and a half months.

The following are some of the details on climatology in three areas of Davis County.

Climate Locations Annual Precip. Last Spring Freeze First Fall Freeze Freeze-free Period
Antelope Island 15.48 inches May 4 October 5 155 days
Bountiful-Val Verda 23.07 inches April 18 October 5 155 days
Farmington USU Field Station 22.28 inches May 2 October 10 162 days

Livestock

The major classes of livestock produced in the county along with their associated inventories as of January 2004 were:

Livestock Type Number of Head
All Cattle & Calves 9,000
Beef Cows 5,000
Milk Cows 500
Sheep & Lambs 800

For more information visit these Websites:

By: E. Bruce Godfrey, Extension Specialist; Shawn Olsen, Davis County Agent; Dale Baker and Spencer Parkinson, Research Assistants