Agricultural impact
Meet with and celebrate Wisconsin farmers at this year’s State Fair
There’s a farmer behind every meal we eat, and in Wisconsin there are farmers in every corner of the state. Every August, they make their way to the Wisconsin State Fair for 11 days. It’s a bit like a farm family reunion, but the whole state is invited to wander in and out. ♦ None of this would be possible without the state’s farmers. Wisconsin agriculture provides $88.3 billion to the economy, with 68,900 farms covering 14.4 million acres in the state, according to Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and 2016 Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics. One out of every nine jobs in Wisconsin is related to agriculture.♦ It can be easy for us to forget just how much farming goes on in the state, and that our neighbors grow the food we eat. It all comes together at the fair, where we can meet the farmers and try the foods. ♦ “We all eat, therefore we are all impacted by agriculture,” said Amy Eckelberg, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest general farm organization representing farms of all sizes. ♦ As you plan your visit to this year’s fair, chew on these 26 A-to-Z fun facts. And don’t forget to thank a farmer.
Apple trees are the most widely planted fruit trees in Wisconsin, which is home to more than 300 commercial apple orchards. Picking happens in September and October. To find a local orchard, check waga.org.
Bison burritos are on the menu at this year’s fair, with meat provided by some of the 100 members of the Wisconsin Bison Producers Association.
Wisconsin is the top producer of cranberries in the nation. Despite what many people think, the tiny but mighty state fruit doesn’t grow in water. Cranberries grow on vines in sandy bogs and marshes that are flooded when the fruit is ready for harvest.
America’s Dairyland is home to 1,200 licensed cheesemakers crafting more than 600 varieties and types of cheese, and we’re the only state with a Master Cheesemaker Program. Last year, Wisconsin produced 774 million pounds of specialty cheese.
In 2016, Wisconsin hens laid more than 1.6 billion eggs. Most of the eggs are produced in south central to southeastern Wisconsin from Lake Mills to Whitewater. On the other hand, almost all of the broilers for chicken meat production are in western Wisconsin near Arcadia, where they produce nearly a million chickens per week.
Wisconsin has more than 9,000 dairy farms, far more than any other state, and 96% of those dairy farms are familyowned.
Goats are a growing industry, with 44,000 calling Wisconsin home at last count. Wisconsin has more dairy goats and sheep than any state. Montchevre, the nation’s largest producer of goat cheese, is located in Belond mont.
Happy cows might just be the secret to the state’s milk production, which topped 30 billion pounds for the first time last year.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison established the first dairy school in the country in 1890. Today the university offers an ice cream makers short course and will host the next Frozen Dessert Center Conference Oct. 23 to 24. It takes approximately 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of ice cream.
Agriculture contributes $88.3 billion annually to our state’s economy. About one in nine people working in Wisconsin hold a job related to agriculture. That includes everything from running a farm to working the line in a pickle processing plant.
King Arthur Flour may be based in Vermont, but this year the 227-year-old company is sponsoring the most lucrative culinary competition at the fair with a top prize of $250. Look for winning entries to this year’s culinary competitions during a visit to the Grand Champion Hall.
The phrase “America’s Dairyland” was added to Wisconsin license plates starting in 1939.
Wisconsin’s 2016 maple syrup production was 235,000 gallons, marking the state’s second highest production on record. All the more reason to try the once-a-year treats of maple cotton candy, maple root beer and maple syrup-topped sundaes in the Wisconsin Products Pavilion.
Mother Nature isn’t always kind or consistent, but Wisconsin farmers have grit and staying power. If you need proof, consider the 131 farms that are marking a century of operation this year, and the 51 farms that made it to 150 years. They’ll all be celebrated at this year’s annual Century Farm Breakfast.
Wisconsin is home to 1,205 organic farms, sec- in the nation. However, the state ranks first in the number of farms raising organic corn, oats and barley. We’re also home to Organic Valley, a cooperative of Midwestern farms headquartered in La Farge, which helps us lead the nation in organic dairy farms.
Potatoes are the most consumed vegetable nationwide. Wisconsinites do our part, eating between 52,000 and 55,000 baked potatoes prepared
by volunteers from the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary during the 11-day fair. They have four ovens going at a time, turning out 80 to 100 potatoes every 15 minutes, said Kathy Bartsch, president of Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary.
Alice in Dairyland is the closest we’ll get to a queen in Wisconsin. Crystal Siemers-Peterman of Cleveland, Wis. gets to wear the tiara traveling the state this year as the 70th anniversary “Alice.”
Wisconsin’s record for award-winning cheeses is hard to beat, and in 2016, Wisconsin claimed the World Champion Cheese. Wisconsin cheesemakers also swept the top awards and 31 competition classes at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, with Mike Matucheski’s Sartori Reserve Black Pepper BellaVitano named the top cheese at the 2017 contest.
Squeaky cheese curds are always in good taste. Deep-fried curds are a favorite appetizer throughout the state, and at A&W Restaurants in Wisconsin, cheese curds even outsell french fries, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
Tart cherry production for Wisconsin’s fall harvest is forecast at 238 million pounds, and processed cherries account for 99% of the state’s cherry production, according to the USDA. The majority of the state’s crop comes from Door County, where harvest season began in July.
We’ve embraced urban agriculture here, with Growing Power, Michael Fields Agriculture Institute, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Victory Garden Initiative and Urban Ecology Center making food accessible and fun.
“Eat your veggies” isn’t just a catch phrase around here, it’s what we do. Wisconsin is the top grower of carrots and green beans for processing. We’re also tops when it comes to growing cabbage for sauerkraut. Overall, our farmers harvest the second-highest amount of vegetables for processing in the country.
Only 13 permitted wineries operated in Wisconsin in 2001, while today there are more than 130. Nearly three-fourths of them are located in rural areas, and over 80% of their sales are from their tasting rooms. Almost all the wine made in Wisconsin stays here. You can sample several varieties sold by the glass and bottle at the fair’s Wisconsin Wine Garden.
Wisconsin agricultural eXports of everything from cheese and corn to ginseng and bacon go to 150 countries, with Canada, Mexico and China topping the list.
Only 9% of Wisconsin farmers are under age 34. Meet some young and aspiring farmers serving up sundaes at the Washington County Future Farmers of America’s yearly booth, and talk to other future farmers as they tend to their animals in the barns.
Wisconsin’s 54,000 honey bee colonies produced 3.35 million pounds of honey in 2016. For the local buZZ, check out the Urban Apiculture Institute, operated by the University of WisconsinExtension. It began Wisconsin’s first certified beekeeper program and holds classes at a community garden in Wauwatosa.