The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent farm census report says Wisconsin’s overall farm numbers dropped along with their net cash income in the five years since the previous census.
The 2017 census report released late last week said Wisconsin had 64,793 farms in 2017, compared with 69,754 farms reported in the 2012 census; those farms operated on 14.3 million acres in 2017, compared with 14.6 million acres in 2012.
Wisconsin’s net cash farm income also dropped, at $2.4 billion in 2017 compared with $3.1 billion in 2012; the per-farm average net income was $36,842 in 2017, compared with $44,058 in 2012. State farmers’ receipts from government programs also decreased.
Net expenses increased meanwhile, to $9.7 billion, compared with $9.4 billion in 2012.
Despite those figures, Wisconsin’s agriculture secretary said the census shows the state’s overall agriculture foundation is strong.
“The census data demonstrates what many of us have long known: Wisconsin agriculture is broad, diverse and strong,” state ag secretary Brad Pfaff said in a news release. “Each farm enterprise is unique, and our state still provides opportunities for operations of all types and sizes.”
In looking at the state’s positives from the census, Pfaff pointed to the findings that more than 10 percent of state farmers are aged 35 or younger, and their farms have an average annual value of almost $319,000. He also said that the finding of 22 percent of farmers being new or beginning farmers shows optimism for Wisconsin agriculture’s future.
William Lynch says
This wont get better until the demand is greater than the supply.