A trusted tool that helps Wisconsin farmers make smart financial decisions is getting a fresh start in 2025. The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension now directly conducts the Wisconsin Custom Rate Survey, which shows the average prices charged for farming services across the state.
“This survey gives farmers the power of information,” said Brian Luck, University Extension Agricultural Engineer. “It helps them understand what others are paying or charging for everything from planting to harvest.”
In the past, the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service conducted the survey. But due to rising costs, the Extension team decided to take it on themselves. “The costs just got too high,” Luck said. “So we looked at how other states do it and decided to build our own version in-house.”
This new version still asks about a wide range of services, including spring tillage, planting, manure application, hay harvesting, trucking, and more. “We’ve kept most of the same questions but added a few that are important to us,” Luck explained.
The Extension team includes experts from different departments across campus. “We’re working with Dr. Paul Mitchell in Agricultural Economics and others in Biological Systems Engineering and Extension,” Luck said. “It’s a team effort.”
The survey is now available online. It’s anonymous and user-friendly. “If you only do one or two services, it might take just 10 to 15 minutes,” Luck said. “If you do a lot, it could take up to an hour.”
UW-Madison encourages farmers and custom operators from every corner of Wisconsin to participate—even those who only do a little custom work on the side. “The more data we get, the better we can understand the full picture,” Luck said. “Prices vary by region, so we’re trying to break it down geographically too.”
Feedback is welcome. “If you spot something missing or unclear in the survey, let us know,” said Luck. “We want to tailor this to what’s actually happening on the ground in Wisconsin.”
Results will be analyzed as responses come in. “We’ve got a postdoc ready to dive into the data right away,” Luck said. “We’ll release the information piece by piece—planting first, then fertilizer, and so on.”
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