Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection

Wisconsin has a strong agricultural heritage.  Those traditions carry on today making Wisconsin one of the most diverse agricultural states in the nation, producing a variety of dairy, livestock, vegetables and specialty crops.  Wisconsin agriculture also generates $51.5 billion to the state's economy. 

Most people know Wisconsin as America's Dairyland.  As of January 2007, our state's 1.25 million dairy cattle produced more than 2 billion pounds of milk, a national leader next to California.  The milk is then used by our cheese makers, who rely on 160 years of quality and craftsmanship to produce more than 600 varieties, types and styles of award-winning cheese, from traditional cheddar and mozzarella to hand-crafted artisan styles. 

Wisconsin's cranberry bogs lead the nation in production.  Wisconsin also ranks first in the country for mink pelts, corn for silage and snap beans for processing.  The Badger State ranks in the top five for oats, tart cherries, maple syrup, mint oil, and carrots, sweet corn and green peas for processing

Top 5 agriculture commodities, 2006

 

Value of receipts
thousand $

Percent of state total
farm receipts

Percent of US value

1. Dairy products

3,075,492

45.3

13.1

2. Cattle and calves

936,588

13.8

1.9

3. Corn

789,388

11.6

3.6

4. Soybeans

275,120

4.1

1.6

5. Greenhouse/nursery

245,000

3.6

1.5

 

All commodities

6,791,282

 

2.8

 

Farm income and value added data

 

2005

2006

 

Number of farms

76,500

76,000

 

 

Thousands $

       Final crop output

1,888,782

2,136,961

+     Final animal output

5,092,558

4,674,269

+     Services and forestry

1,216,311

1,267,211

=   Final agricultural sector output

8,197,652

8,078,441

 

-      Intermediate consumption outlays

4,308,617

4,416,686

+     Net government transactions

255,913

63,351

=   Gross value added

4,144,948

3,725,106

 

-      Capital consumption

1,151,316

1,203,857

 

=   Net value added

2,993,632

2,521,249

 

-    Factor payments

1,367,898

1,429,865

         Employee compensation (total hired labor)

655,913

663,847

         Net rent received by nonoperator landlords

273,938

269,085

         Real estate and nonreal estate interest

438,047

496,933

 

=   Net farm income

1,625,734

1,091,384

 


http://datcp.state.wi.us