To find the area of a circle, you can use the formula:
\[ A = \pi r^2 \]
where \( A \) is the area, and \( r \) is the radius of the circle.
First, calculate the radius. The diameter of the circle is given as 3 ft, so the radius \( r \) is half of the diameter:
\[ r = \frac{\text{diameter}}{2} = \frac{3 \text{ ft}}{2} = 1.5 \text{ ft} \]
Now plug the radius into the area formula:
\[ A = \pi (1.5)^2 \] \[ A = \pi \times 2.25 \]
Using an approximate value for \( \pi \) (about 3.14):
\[ A \approx 3.14 \times 2.25 \approx 7.065 \]
Now, rounding to the nearest whole number:
\[ A \approx 7 \]
Thus, the area of the circle, to the nearest whole number, is \( \boxed{7} \) square feet.