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A farm in Marquette County. Agriculture is a significant sector in Wisconsin's economy, producing nearly $104 billion in revenue annually. [1] The significance of the state's agricultural production is exemplified by the depiction of a Holstein cow, an ear of corn, and a wheel of cheese on Wisconsin's state quarter design. [2]
The first farms in Wisconsin exclusively produced wheat. At their peak, Wisconsin farms produced 27 million US bushels (950,000 m 3 ) of wheat. [ 22 ] Rapidly, in the 1860s, the wheat farms began suffering mass soil depletion and insect infestations, lowering the quality and yield of the crop. [ 4 ]
In parts of northern Wisconsin, farmers cultivated cranberries and in a few counties in south central Wisconsin, farmers had success growing tobacco, but the most popular replacement for wheat was dairy farming. As wheat fell out of favor, many Wisconsin farmers started raising dairy cattle and growing feed crops, which were better suited to ...
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, from 1995 to 2012, the U.S. federal government paid over $39 billion in wheat subsidies, through direct payments (2003–present) and production flexibility contracts (1996-2002), deficiency payments, crop insurance premium subsidies, price support payments (including loan deficiency payments ...
These conditions forced both wheat agriculture and the lumber industry into a precipitous decline. Beginning in the 1890s, farmers in Wisconsin shifted from wheat to dairy production to make more sustainable and profitable use of their land.
Chester Hazen is regarded as the first cheese factory proprietor in Wisconsin. Dairy farming was uncommon in Wisconsin's early years. [2]: 20-21 Farmers preferred to plant other crops, primarily wheat. [3]: 273 Cows were generally tended to by women on farmsteads, who in turn made cheese and butter from the milk.
Wheat farming dominated the local economy until 1880, when dairy farming became more popular in Richfield and the state at large. [7] [12] The La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad was constructed through the community in 1855, [12] and while it initially led to local economic growth, the company failed in 1861. Many local landowners had taken out ...
[6] [7] The main occupation of this area since the 1840s has been farming. The farming community had always had a focus on growing oats and wheat but as early as November 29, 1899, the Sheboygan Telegram noted that there had been a change in operation. The focus was changed to dairy farming. [6] Today, farming still rules the community.