I recently received a copy of the 2014 Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. While it might not seem by the title to be a good read, it definitely shows agriculture in the spotlight as Wisconsin's number one industry.
This report, which highlights 2013 statistics, illustrates just how diverse our agricultural industry is on both the state as well as the county level.
Did you know that more than a one-third of the land in Wisconsin is designated for agricultural use? About 14.6 million acres are used for growing crops or raising livestock on our state's 70,000 farms. All farms — no matter the size — make valued contributions to our state's economy.
My favorite part of the report are the many ways Wisconsin sorts its way to the top in individual agricultural fields. There are numerous categories where Wisconsin ranks at the top or in the top 10 in the U.S.
When we think of Wisconsin agriculture we naturally think dairy. So it's fitting that Wisconsin ranks near the top when it comes to our dairy industry. With 1.27 million dairy cows, Wisconsin ranks second behind California with the total number of dairy cows. The Badger state also claims the runner-up spot (again behind the Golden State) in milk production, producing 27.5 billion pounds of milk in 2013.
Wisconsin rises to the top when it comes to cheese production, producing 25.7 percent of all cheese in the U.S. We produce more American and cheddar cheese than any other state as well, and rank second in production of mozzarella cheese.
Our No. 1 ranking in dairy goats also contributes to the greatness of our dairy industry. Some people may be surprised to learn that Wisconsin is home to 13 percent of the nation's milk goats with 46,000 goats.
But dairy isn't all that makes Wisconsin agriculture great. The Badger State also claims the top spot in mink pelt production. Last year Wisconsin produced 1.13 million mink pelts, which represents a 7.6 percent increase from the previous numbers.
Wisconsin also ranks No. 1 in corn for silage use, with 16 million tons harvested — an increase of 14 percent in production. Last year producers planted over 4.1 million acres of corn, with the majority of it being used for grain.
By now everyone should know that Wisconsin ranks as the top producer of cranberries, with 2013 being a record production year. Last year producers harvested more than 21,000 acres, an increase of 1,400 acres. Our state's cranberry production also increased with more than 6 million barrels produced, an increase of 1.9 million barrels. With these production increases, Wisconsin now produces about 67 percent of the nation's supply of cranberries.
Wisconsin also retained its No. 1 ranking in the production of snap beans for processing, processing 45 percent of the nation's supply. Our state also continues to rank high when it comes to vegetable processing, being third in harvested acres and second in production and value of production, according to the report. Our second and third place finishes in the production of carrots, peas, sweet corn and cucumbers also contributes to our state's overall ranking.
So you can see there are more commodities beyond milk and cheese produced in our state. You can find all of the information to compare our state to many others by visiting the report at tinyurl.com/wistats. We will be sharing all of these interesting facts as part of the Fond du Lac Area Agricultural Ambassador Program, visiting with thousands of students to expand their knowledge on the importance of Wisconsin agriculture.
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