Despite the number of farms dropping from 1950 to 1960, income from agriculture increased. Agricultural income for all farm products sold increased from $3,954,613 in 1954 to $6,365,035 in 1959, according to the U.S. Agriculture Census Report of 1959. This includes dairy, poultry and other livestock products.
There were 1,368 farms in Henderson County in 1959. Of this total, 597 were defined as commercial farms.
The proportion of land in Henderson County in farms was 39.8 percent. The average farm was 86.8 acres. The average commercial farm was 131.7 acres.
A total of 1,259 people were employed in agriculture.
As in the 1940s, the dairy industry brought in the most agricultural income to Henderson County. Income from dairy products was $1,650,905 in 1959, an 84.6 increase from $894,165 in 1954. There were 111 dairy farms in Henderson County in 1959. But, a total of 343 farms were selling dairy products. Henderson County had the largest dairy in the state and was consistently No. 2 in dairy production in the state from about 1940 to 1980.
Fruit sales rose from a ranking of No. 3 in income in Henderson County in the 1940s to No. 2 by 1960. Farms defined as fruit orchards totaled 216. But, 637 farms in the county grew and sold fruit, with 632 growing and selling apples. The No. 1 fruit grown and sold was apples. Income from fruit sales was $1,463,865 in 1959, up from $951,840 in 1954.This was a 53.79 percent increase. Henderson County was No. 1 in the state in the production of apples and among the top five apple producers in the nation.
In 1954, the N.C. Apple Growers Association originated in Henderson County. Edneyville apple grower William Dalton was the first president. The highlight of the N.C. Apple Festival Parade in 1957 was actor Robert Mitchum as the grand marshal. Mitchum was in the region filming the movie Thunder Road. The star of “Captain Kangaroo,” Bob Keeshan, was the highlight of the 1954 N.C. Apple Festival.
Apples were not the only fruit grown and sold. There were 92 farms growing and selling grapes. Other fruits grown and sold, in order of farms and sales, included cherries, strawberries, pears, peaches, and plums.
The third largest farm income was from horticulture and forestry. Income from horticulture and forestry totaled $819,389 in 1959, up from $263,716 in 1954. Of the 1959 total, $655,227 was from horticultural sales. Of that total, $596,165 was from the sale of cut flowers, potted plants and bedding plants. Much of this was from the flower farms, primarily gladiolus farms, in the Mills River community. There were 27 farms in the county selling cut flowers and some potted and bedding plants in 1959. Only nine of these had flowers and plants under glass, meaning in a greenhouse. There were 31 farms selling nursery products that included trees, shrubs, vines and ornamentals. Sales from these products in 1959 totaled $29,901. Only six farms were growing vegetable plants, seeds and bulbs for sale. About $29,000 was from the sale of forestry products such as fence posts, logs, pulpwood, firewood, etc.
Vegetable sales decreased, dropping from No. 2 in the 1940s to No. 4 by 1960. Prior to the 1940s, vegetable sales were the largest agricultural income producer in the county. This is true from the early 1800s until the 1940s. In 1959, vegetable sales totaled $749,758, up from $570,999 in 1954. Vegetable sales and farms did not include corn and potatoes. There were 70 farms in the county classified as vegetable farms. But, 225 farms were selling vegetables. Farms growing vegetables for home use totaled 1,083. The No. 1 vegetable crop in the 1950s was snap beans, including bush and pole beans. Cabbage was the second largest vegetable crop. Other crops grown and sold, in order of sales, included squash, tomatoes, sweet corn, sweet peppers, cucumbers, lima beans and okra.
Poultry and poultry products brought in $676,830 to Henderson County in 1959. This is up from $490,590 in 1954. Sixty farms in Henderson County were defined as poultry farms in 1959. But, 302 farms were selling poultry and poultry products. These were chicken farms and the majority of sales were chicken eggs.
Sales of livestock totaled $558,272 in 1959, up from $428,362 in 1954. This total does not include dairy or poultry. This was sales from cattle, horses, mules, hogs and sheep. There were 43 farms in Henderson County defined as livestock farms. But, other farms also sold cattle, hogs and other livestock. There were 428 farms listed as having cattle and 293 farms had hogs. Hogs were the No. 1 livestock sold, totaling $89,610. Cattle sales, not including milk cows in dairies, totaled $43,295.
Sales from field crops totaled $446,016 in 1959, up from $354,941 in 1954. This includes corn, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and other grains and field crops, such as soybeans. Sixteen farms in the county were defined as field crop farms. But, again, other farms also grew and sold these crops. There were 834 farms growing corn, 96 farms growing soybeans, 494 farms growing white potatoes and 131 farms growing sweet potatoes.
There were 20 farms classified as general farms (combination of crop and livestock) and 847 farms listed under miscellaneous or unclassified (combination of crop, livestock, poultry, dairy).
There was still one grist mill in Henderson County, McFadden’s Mill on King Street. Three stores were listed as specializing in feed and seed, Community Mill, Hatch Feed and Seed and Francis & Wright. Four businesses were selling tractors and farm equipment. There was also a garden supply store in town.