Agriculture In Grant County

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Agriculture In Grant County

• Ted Bay
• UW-Extension
• Crops Farm Management Agent

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A Little History
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Soils Topography
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Foundation of Southwest Wisconsin Soils
Silt Blown in by Ice Age Winds
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Landscape of Southwest Wisconsin

• It is fortunate the dolomite bedrock of this
  region was blanketed with wind-blown silt.
  Without it, the area would be a hilly
  wasteland.1
• 1 Geological and Natural History Survey

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Grant County

• Created in 1836/1837

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Grant County

• Created in 1836/1837
• 1,183 sq miles

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Grant County

• Created in 1836/1837
• 1,183 sq miles
• Western Upland
• Oak Savanna Prairie

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Grant County Agriculture

• 1992 Census 2002 Census
• Farms 2,340 2,490
• Land In Farms 620,951
  605,836
• Average Size 265
  243
• Farms by Size
• 1 to 9 acres 115 105
• 10 to 49 acres 204 398
• 50 to 179 acres 645 836
• 180 to 499 acres 1,100 900
• 500 to 999 acres 226 193
• 1,000 acres or more 50 58

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Grant County Agriculture

• 1990 2005
• All Hay 136,300 acre 98,000
• Alfalfa 123,000 89,800
• Corn (grain) 140,000 127,000
• Corn (silage) 12,500 21,600
• Oats 39,000 18,400
• Soybeans 4,600 50,400
• Wheat 650 700

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Grant County Agriculture
Value and economic impact

• 5,943 jobs (22 of Grant County Workforce)
• 489.8 m. in economic activity (26 of total)
• 16.3 m. in local and state taxes
• Each dairy cow generates 15-17,000 in economic
  activity

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Agricultural Resources

• Planning Goals
• Protect economically productive areas, including
  farmland and forests

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Production Potential of SW
Wisconsin

• 1994-2003 2004
• Corn Grain 184 bu 241 bu
• Corn Silage 7.9 ton d.m. 10.1 ton
  d.m.
• Soybean 58 bu
• Lancaster Agriculture Research Station

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Landscape of Grant County

• It is fortunate the dolomite bedrock of this
  region was blanketed with wind-blown silt.
  Without it, the area would be a hilly
  wasteland.1
• 1 Geological and Natural History Survey

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Grant County Agriculture

• 1990 2005
• All Hay 136,300 acre 98,000
• Alfalfa 123,000 89,800
• Corn (grain) 140,000 127,000
• Corn (silage) 12,500 21,600
• Oats 39,000 18,400
• Soybeans 4,600 50,400
• Wheat 650 700

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Corn/Soybean Rotation
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Corn/Soybean Rotation
Protection gt Conservation practices
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Agricultural Resources

• Planning Goals
• Protect economically productive areas, including
  farmland and forests
• Development influences agriculture

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Agricultural Resources

• Planning Goals
• Protect economically productive areas, including
  farmland and forests

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Agricultural Resources

• Planning Goals
• Protect economically productive areas, including
  farmland and forests

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Agricultural Resources

• Planning Goals
• Protect economically productive areas, including
  farmland and forests
• Road regulations influence what can and cannot
  happen
• Custom operations---important part of agriculture

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Agriculture Issues

• Farm Bill
• Commodity oriented
• Conservation oriented

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Agriculture Issues

• Conservation Nutrient Management

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Agriculture Issues

• Loss of Middle Size Farms
• Increase in lifestyle farms
• Increase in Larger farms

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Agriculture Issues

• People Disconnected From Agriculture
• Opposition To Livestock Farming

If it looks like a factory farm it must be a
factory farm!
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Agriculture Issues

• Livestock Facility Siting Law
• Statute and rule that change how local
  governments regulate the siting of new and
  expanding livestock operations.
• Setback requirements
• Odor standard
• Nutrient management
• Manure storage standards

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Agriculture Issues

• Agricultures future in Energy
• Corn based ethanol
• Cellulose ethanol
• Fodder
• estimate went from 35/ton gtgtgt 70/ton
• Carbon Crediting

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Agriculture Issues

• Conservation
• Urban Sprawl
• Loss of mid-size farms
• Agricultures future in Energy

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Thank You