The level countryside around Celina and Grand Lake reflects the founding fathers' dream of a land of bountiful harvests. After initial settlement, Mercer County's farmland expanded rapidly as forests were cleared until only remnant wood lots remained. The county became a continual leader in producing many agricultural products and often ranked at the top of the state in total cash receipts. As the next millennium approached, it faced the same problem as agricultural communities across the country, the loss of farmland to development. The last decades of the 19th century may have marked the high point for the local agricultural community. In the 1980s and 1990s, the number of farms fell from 1,710 to less than 1,450, while the average farm size increased from 167 acres to more than 194 acres. Even so, total farmland declined from a high of 289,000 acres to less than 282,000 acres. Through changing farm practices, the county's total cash receipts rose from $129,562,000 in 1980 to more than $309,055,000. Soybeans and corn are the main crops, accounting for about 74% of planted acreage, while wheat and hay make up another 25% and oats and other crops the remaining 1%. Overall livestock production increased, although the numbers for cattle, milk, hogs, and sheep fluctuated over the years.