Washington County Agriculture Profile Economic Importance Past Trends Futur e Patterns Growth Management Implications Pr epared by: Jack Trzebi at owski W ashington County Farm Management Educator
Family Farms Own most of the land they farm. However, as farms get larger, more farmers are renting land from others. Own the buildings, livestock, and machinery to produce the crops. However, today many farms are having their crops planted and/or harvested by others. Provide most of the labor to operate the farm. Family members all contribute to the labor needs
Family Farms Make decisions on what to plant, how to plant, what livestock to raise and how to care for them. Make management and marketing decisions They are also at risk for profit or losses from their farm Many family farms also depend on off farm income for family living and insurance
Washington County Ag Statistics Year: 1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Number of Farms 1,230 1,100 1,040 1,030 1,030 950 920 900 885 Average Size of Farms - Acres 161 146 156 155 153 148 151 150 151 Land in Farms - Acres 198,000 161,000 162,000 160,000 158,000 141,000 139,000 138,000 137,000 Corn Acres 28,500 29,000 30,000 31,200 29,400 28,700 27,900 27,000 26,900 Yield per Acre - Bu 99 101 115 111 101 127 139 137 131 Corn Silage Acres 14,700 11,000 9,700 7,000 11,200 10,300 9,800 10,100 9,800 Yield Per Acre - Tons 12.6 13.7 14.6 16.0 12.0 13.0 15.0 15.0 16.0 Soybean Acres 500 2,000 3,200 9,800 10,700 24,500 16,300 19,000 20,300 Yield per Acre - Bu 33 32 38 43 35 45 47 46 36 Wheat Acres 1,950 5,750 7,450 3,700 3,800 4,600 4,100 4,200 4,500 Yield per Acre - Bu 45 50 54 59 50 57 52 57 61 Forage Acres 43,100 45,000 41,800 37,700 36,500 35,000 35,600 33,500 26,200 Yield per Acre - Tons 3.1 5.0 4.4 4.7 3.7 3.0 4.0 5.1 4.7 Barley Acres 310 1,600 600 1,600 1,600 1,400 1,400 1,300 1,000 Yield per Acre - Bu 53 61 61 49 56 60 35 48 72 Oats Acres 14,500 12,000 12,000 5,300 4,600 4,900 4,300 4,200 3,700 Yield per Acre - Bu 64 71 76 62 68 71 71 69 84 Sweet Corn 2,200 2,000 2,600 2,400 2,200 1,600 1,500 1,500 1,300 Yield per Acre - Tons 5.2 5.3 6.0 4.9 5.6 7.0 7.0 6.7 6.0 Peas 2,800 1,200 1,200 NA NA 800 700 550 750 Yield per Acre - Tons 2.0 1.8 1.8 NA NA 1.0 1.0 1.7 1.8 Dairy Herds 475 454 360 261 245 225 210 208 189 Dairy Cows 22,500 24,800 23,700 19,100 18,500 16,000 15,500 15,500 16,000 Production Per Cow - Lbs. 12,700 13,500 13,700 15,900 15,600 16,500 17,000 17,200 18,000 Cattle and Calves 42,000 47,900 49,300 40,500 39,500 37,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 Hogs and Pigs 16,100 9,100 8,600 3,700 3,200 3,700 3,500 2,500 2,800 Acres ag land sold for ag use 1,456 1,725 2,226 1,559 598 842 527 1,222 799 Value for ag use $2,030 $1,760 $2,378 $2,948 $2,135 $3,445 $3,021 $2,919 $5,186 Acres ag land sold for other uses 431 290 865 1,087 308 990 242 949 898 Value for other uses $4,997 $3,198 $3,925 $4,175 $5,241 $7,253 $6,163 $6,947 $10,791
Year: 1980 2000 Washington County Wisconsin 1980 VS 2000 1980 VS 2000 Change % Change 1980 2000 Change % Change Number of Farms 1,230 885-345.0-28.05% 95,000 77,000-18,000-18.95% Average Size of Farms - Acres 161 151-10.0-6.21% 197 210 13 6.71% Land in Farms - Acres 198,000 137,000-61000.0-30.81% 18,700,000 16,300,000-2,400,000-12.83% Corn Acres 28,500 26,900-1600.0-5.61% 2,980,000 2,750,000-230,000-7.72% Yield per Acre - Bu 99 131 32.1 32.46% 103 132 29 28.16% Corn Silage Acres 14,700 9,800-4900.0-33.33% 900,000 720,000-180,000-20.00% Yield Per Acre - Tons 12.6 16.0 3.4 26.98% 12 16 4 33.33% Soybean Acres 500 20,300 19800.0 3960.00% 295,000 1,450,000 1,155,000 391.53% Yield per Acre - Bu 33 36 2.9 8.76% 34 40 6 17.65% Wheat Acres 1,950 4,500 2550.0 130.77% 54,000 135,000 81,000 150.00% Yield per Acre - Bu 45 61 16.3 36.47% 40 62 22 55.00% Forage Acres 43,100 26,200-16900.0-39.21% 4,030,000 3,100,000-930,000-23.08% Yield per Acre - Tons 3.1 4.7 1.6 51.61% 3.3 3.8 0.5 14.55% Barley Acres 310 1,000 690.0 222.58% 24,000 50,000 26,000 108.33% Yield per Acre - Bu 53 72 18.8 35.34% 49 64 15 30.61% Oats Acres 14,500 3,700-10800.0-74.48% 980,000 280,000-700,000-71.43% Yield per Acre - Bu 64 84 20.2 31.66% 57 68 11 19.30% Sweet Corn 2,200 1,300-900.0-40.91% 121,400 92,900-28,500-23.48% Yield per Acre - Tons 5.2 6.0 0.8 15.38% 4.6 6.2 1.6 35.00% Peas 2,800 750-2050.0-73.21% 1,096,000 50,000-1,046,000-95.44% Yield per Acre - Tons 2.0 1.8-0.2-10.00% 1.6 2.1 0.5 28.75% Dairy Herds 475 189-286.0-60.21% 45,000 18,693-26,307-58.46% Dairy Cows 22,500 16,000-6500.0-28.89% 1,815,000 1,344,000-471,000-25.95% Production Per Cow - Lbs. 12,700 18,000 5300.0 41.73% 12,331 17,306 4,975 40.35% Cattle and Calves 42,000 35,000-7000.0-16.67% 4,280,000 3,400,000-880,000-20.56% Hogs and Pigs 16,100 2,800-13300.0-82.61% 1,803,000 570,000-1,233,000-68.39% Acres ag land sold for ag use 1,456 799-657.0-45.12% 283,301 65,843-217,458-76.76% Value for ag use $2,030 $5,186 3156.0 155.47% $1,190 $1,633 $443 37.23% Acres ag land sold for other uses 431 898 467.0 108.35% 24,346 31,730 7,384 30.33% Value for other uses $4,997 $10,791 5794.0 115.95% $1,695 $3,993 $2,298 135.58%
Number of Farms Average Size of Farms - Acres Land in Farms - Acres Corn Acres Yield per Acre - Bu Corn Silage Acres Yield Per Acre - Tons Soybean Acres Yield per Acre - Bu Wheat Acres Yield per Acre - Bu Forage Acres Yield per Acre - Tons Barley Acres Yield per Acre - Bu Oats Acres Yield per Acre - Bu Sweet Corn Yield per Acre - Tons Peas Yield per Acre - Tons Dairy Herds Dairy Cows Production Per Cow - Lbs. Cattle and Calves Hogs and Pigs Loss greater than state average Some large farms, but also more small specilaized farms Loss greater than state average Similar to state average Greater loss of corn silage, relates to less livestock Major increase in soybeans as a cash crop Increase less than state average, but an expanding crop Greater loss of forage, relates to less livestock Large % increase, but few acres planted Reduced acres due to less use as a cover crop and low value grain crop Loss of contractad acerage, urbanization has an impact Loss of contractad acerage, urbanization has an impact About same as state average, could expected more in urban County About same as state average, could expected more in urban County About same as state average, could expected more in urban County About same as state average, could expected more in urban County More than state average
Farms by Size Farm Size in Acres Acres Number Percent 1-9 61 7.8% 10-49 182 23.1% 50-69 52 6.6% 51.6 % of farms are under 100 acres in size 70-99 111 14.1% 100-139 77 9.8% 140-179 68 8.6% 180-219 51 6.5% 220-259 51 6.5% 260-499 90 11.4% 500-599 30 3.8% 5.6% of farms are over 500 acres in size 1,000-1,999 12 1.5% 2000 + 2.3%
Farm Market Value of Agriculture Products Sold by Farms Farm Value of Sales Value of Sales Number Percent < $1,000 91 11.6% $1,000 2,500 57 7.2% $2,500 5,000 60 7.6% $5,000 10,000 79 10.0% $10,000 20,000 97 12.3% $20,000 25,000 34 4.3% 53% of farms sold less than $25,000 of farm products $25,000 40,000 57 7.2% $40,000 50,000 37 4.7% $50,000 100,000 104 13.2% $100,000 250,000 114 14.5% 7.3% of farms sold More than $250,000 Of farm products $250,000 500,000 39 5.0% $500,000 + 18 2.3%
Acres of Washington Co. Agriculture Land Sales 2,500 2,226 Acres Sold 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 1,456 431 1,725 290 865 1,559 1,087 598 308 990 842 527 242 1,222 949 898 799 0 1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Year Agriculture Use Non Agriculture Use
Value of Washington Co. Agriculture Land Sales $12,000 $10,791 $10,000 Value Per Acre $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $4,997 $3,198 $2,030 $1,760 $3,925 $4,175 $2,378 $2,948 $5,241 $2,135 $7,253 $3,445 $6,163 $6,947 $3,021 $2,919 $5,186 $0 1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Years Agriculture Use Non Agriculture Use
Washington County Total Surface Area is 276,480 Acres
Importance of Farmland Value of farmland = $579,779,750-156,317 acres at $3,709 average value of farmland sold for farm use 1998 through 2000 Amount of farmland in county 156,317 acres - 56.6 % of county total area in farmland Amount of cropland in county 125,317 acres - 45.5% of county total area in cropland
Past Trends Transition from dairy and livestock agriculture to cash crop agriculture Dairy herds have increased in size and production per cow Increased interest in small-specialized agriculture focusing on direct marketing Increase in nursery, landscape, and greenhouse production Increase in farm/rural non-farm concerns Increased concern about the environmental impact of agriculture
Future Patterns The decline in the number of dairy and livestock farms will continue Dairy farms will modernize and increase in size to use current technology Increase in nursery, landscape, and greenhouse production Increased interest in small-specialized agriculture focusing on direct marketing Increased concern in environmental impact of agriculture
Growth Management Implications Growth management plans should include a strategy to protect farmland and agriculture Education of decision makers about agriculture and how their decisions impact agriculture Providing opportunities for dairy and livestock farms to modernize and increase in size Provisions for small-specialized farms to exist in urbanizing areas Providing opportunities for viable agriculture will help support the vision of Open space, and rural character