From: Joe and Ellen Hecksel <jhecksel@voyager.net>
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Agricultural Census
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 15:35:14 -0500
At one time, the USDA used $1000 gross sales or 4 or more horses as the
dividing line between hobby and farm.
As far as figuring 1/10s of acres: A pretty easy rule of thumb is to
figure 120 semi-dwarf apple trees per acre by the time you figure in
lanes, ends of rows, parking, etc. So, you can add up your semi-dwarf
apple trees (and peaches, plums, apricots, sour cherry trees) and divide
by 12.
For dwarf apples, I would estimate 25 to the 1/10 acre. Dwarfs can be
packed MUCH more tightly, so measure them if it is really important.
The form requires me to report what I'm growing by the 1/10 of
an acre. Don't know for sure how I was lucky enough to get on
this survey :-)