MONROE - The old expression "Go big or go home" is losing its effect in Green County, where more than 80 percent of its land is in farms.
After reviewing the 2012 Agriculture Census for Wisconsin, released May 2, Mark Mayer, Green County UW-Extension agent, found Green County is "bucking the state averages" when it comes to losing small farming operations.
"These numbers certainly go against the theory that we now have all large farms," he said in a statement Monday. "The number(s) of smaller farms are growing faster than large farms."
A farm is defined as any place from which $1,000 of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.
Green County saw a drop in the average size of individual farms between 2007 and 2012, from 200 acres to 196 acres. The state average farm size grew from 194 to 209 acres. Green County's median farm size is now 74 acres, compared to 97 acres in 2007.
The 2012 Ag Census shows Wisconsin is home to nearly 70,000 farms, after losing more than 8,700 farms, or 11 percent, since the last census in 2007. The state has lost also more than 620,000 acres, or 4 percent, of its farm land in that time period.
In Green County, however, the number of farms is up slightly. The county had 1,545 farms in 2012, up 0.7 percent compared to 1,534 in 2007. The county lost almost 4,550 acres, or just 1.5 percent, of its farm land in the past five years.
Small farms
trending
The biggest jump in farm numbers in Green County comes from small farms of under 50 acres.
The number of farms with less than 10 acres rose by 84 percent, from 92 farms in 2007 to 169 in 2012. They are contributing about 930 acres, or 422 more acres, to Green County farming than in 2007. In contrast, the state lost on average about 5 percent of these farms.
Farms with 10 to 49 acres in Green County also rose, by 12 percent, from 428 to 480 farms and contributed almost 1,100 more farming acres, to total 11,700 acres. The state lost an average of 10 percent of farms in this size category.
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Ben Brancel said his department was "a little surprised at the drop in smaller farms" for the state averages.
"We thought that number would have remained steady or increased with the growing interest and popularity of local and regional foods and community supported agriculture," Brancel added.
Mayer called the little farms "lifestyle farms." They are sometimes referred to as hobby farms, not intended to produce the principle means of income, if any income, for the owners.
"These are (owned by) people who want a piece of the country," Mayer said.
Green County farm land values during the five-year census interval rose 22.5 percent, from $3,570 to $4,380 per acre.
The percentage of farms with income that is the primary occupation of its owner has dropped from 49 percent to 46 percent between 2007 and 2012.
But needing a gross sale of only $1,000 to call a parcel of land a farm is not too hard, Mayer noted.
The numbers of beef cattle, hogs and sheep farms in the county have all decreased by 13 to 15 percent over the past five years. Dairy farms have fallen from 365 to 263 operations, a 28-percent drop.
But chicken (egg layers) farms have increased by 22 percent, from 156 to 191 farms.
Compared to 2007, more Green County farms had less than $10,000 in gross sales in 2012, up by 36 farms from 776 to 812 farms, or 5 percent. Nineteen more farms, a 9-percent increase from 207 to 226 farms, had gross sales between $10,000 and $50,000. And just six more farms, a 5.7-percent increase from 105 to 111 farms, had sales of $50,000 to $100,000.
But 50 fewer farms reported gross sales of more than $100,000, which was an 11-percent decrease, from 446 to 396 farms.
Mid-sizes farms at a loss
Green County lost 12.9 percent, or 125 farms of between 50 and 1,000 acres, with the state faring about the same percentage.
The county lost about 10 percent of farms with 50 to 180 acres, while the state lost 14 percent.
Of the farms between 180 and 500 acres, Green County lost 14.7 percent; the state lost 12 percent. The county also lost more farms (19 percent) of between 500 and 1,000 acres; the state lost only six percent.
The losing streaks turn around when farm sizes jump past 1,000 acres.
Green County added one farm of between 1,000 and 2,000 acres in the past five years for a total of 27 farms, a growth of just 3.8 percent. The state average rose 13 percent.
To help maintain Green County's total acreage of farm land since 2007, the county's largest farms (more than 2,000 acres) added 23,500 acres to their size category, for a total of 60,400 acres compared to 36,900 acres in 2007.
Green County added seven farms in this size category, to total 16 farms in 2012. The county's 78-percent increase staggers the state average of a 20-percent increase.
Ownership is
personal
Almost 98 percent of Green County farms are owned by families, partnerships or family corporations, Mayer noted.
Eight more farms were owned by families or individuals in 2012, compared to 2007, up from 1,352 to 1,360. Partnership numbers dropped from 120 to 95 farms. Family corporation farms rose from 40 to 53 farms.
Non-family corporation farms rose from 3 to 4, and trusts, estate or other forms of ownership rose from 19 to 33 farms.
Crops trumped
livestock
Total product sales grossed $200.3 million in 2012, compared to $188 million on 2007. Crops and nursery products rose 32 percent from $55 to $72 million. Livestock, poultry and their products grossed $128 million, down 4 percent from $133 million.
Mayer noted the drought and market prices of 2012 impacted these numbers.
The number of farms with irrigation in 2012 was more than double compared to 2007. Fifty-three farms reported using irrigation, up from 22 in 2007.
Farm operators
The average age of Green County's farmers in 2012 was 56.5 years old, up from 55.6 years in 2007. The state average was also 56.5 years old, up from 55 years. Farmers under the age of 45 made up only 16 percent of Green County principal operators. The largest age group in both the county and the state was 55-64 years. That decade was flanked on both sides by just slightly fewer farmers in the 45-54 and the 65-70 plus age groups.
Of the 2,500 farm operators in Green County, one-third, or 842, were women in 2012. In 2007, 789 of the 2,420 operators were women.
After reviewing the 2012 Agriculture Census for Wisconsin, released May 2, Mark Mayer, Green County UW-Extension agent, found Green County is "bucking the state averages" when it comes to losing small farming operations.
"These numbers certainly go against the theory that we now have all large farms," he said in a statement Monday. "The number(s) of smaller farms are growing faster than large farms."
A farm is defined as any place from which $1,000 of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.
Green County saw a drop in the average size of individual farms between 2007 and 2012, from 200 acres to 196 acres. The state average farm size grew from 194 to 209 acres. Green County's median farm size is now 74 acres, compared to 97 acres in 2007.
The 2012 Ag Census shows Wisconsin is home to nearly 70,000 farms, after losing more than 8,700 farms, or 11 percent, since the last census in 2007. The state has lost also more than 620,000 acres, or 4 percent, of its farm land in that time period.
In Green County, however, the number of farms is up slightly. The county had 1,545 farms in 2012, up 0.7 percent compared to 1,534 in 2007. The county lost almost 4,550 acres, or just 1.5 percent, of its farm land in the past five years.
Small farms
trending
The biggest jump in farm numbers in Green County comes from small farms of under 50 acres.
The number of farms with less than 10 acres rose by 84 percent, from 92 farms in 2007 to 169 in 2012. They are contributing about 930 acres, or 422 more acres, to Green County farming than in 2007. In contrast, the state lost on average about 5 percent of these farms.
Farms with 10 to 49 acres in Green County also rose, by 12 percent, from 428 to 480 farms and contributed almost 1,100 more farming acres, to total 11,700 acres. The state lost an average of 10 percent of farms in this size category.
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Ben Brancel said his department was "a little surprised at the drop in smaller farms" for the state averages.
"We thought that number would have remained steady or increased with the growing interest and popularity of local and regional foods and community supported agriculture," Brancel added.
Mayer called the little farms "lifestyle farms." They are sometimes referred to as hobby farms, not intended to produce the principle means of income, if any income, for the owners.
"These are (owned by) people who want a piece of the country," Mayer said.
Green County farm land values during the five-year census interval rose 22.5 percent, from $3,570 to $4,380 per acre.
The percentage of farms with income that is the primary occupation of its owner has dropped from 49 percent to 46 percent between 2007 and 2012.
But needing a gross sale of only $1,000 to call a parcel of land a farm is not too hard, Mayer noted.
The numbers of beef cattle, hogs and sheep farms in the county have all decreased by 13 to 15 percent over the past five years. Dairy farms have fallen from 365 to 263 operations, a 28-percent drop.
But chicken (egg layers) farms have increased by 22 percent, from 156 to 191 farms.
Compared to 2007, more Green County farms had less than $10,000 in gross sales in 2012, up by 36 farms from 776 to 812 farms, or 5 percent. Nineteen more farms, a 9-percent increase from 207 to 226 farms, had gross sales between $10,000 and $50,000. And just six more farms, a 5.7-percent increase from 105 to 111 farms, had sales of $50,000 to $100,000.
But 50 fewer farms reported gross sales of more than $100,000, which was an 11-percent decrease, from 446 to 396 farms.
Mid-sizes farms at a loss
Green County lost 12.9 percent, or 125 farms of between 50 and 1,000 acres, with the state faring about the same percentage.
The county lost about 10 percent of farms with 50 to 180 acres, while the state lost 14 percent.
Of the farms between 180 and 500 acres, Green County lost 14.7 percent; the state lost 12 percent. The county also lost more farms (19 percent) of between 500 and 1,000 acres; the state lost only six percent.
The losing streaks turn around when farm sizes jump past 1,000 acres.
Green County added one farm of between 1,000 and 2,000 acres in the past five years for a total of 27 farms, a growth of just 3.8 percent. The state average rose 13 percent.
To help maintain Green County's total acreage of farm land since 2007, the county's largest farms (more than 2,000 acres) added 23,500 acres to their size category, for a total of 60,400 acres compared to 36,900 acres in 2007.
Green County added seven farms in this size category, to total 16 farms in 2012. The county's 78-percent increase staggers the state average of a 20-percent increase.
Ownership is
personal
Almost 98 percent of Green County farms are owned by families, partnerships or family corporations, Mayer noted.
Eight more farms were owned by families or individuals in 2012, compared to 2007, up from 1,352 to 1,360. Partnership numbers dropped from 120 to 95 farms. Family corporation farms rose from 40 to 53 farms.
Non-family corporation farms rose from 3 to 4, and trusts, estate or other forms of ownership rose from 19 to 33 farms.
Crops trumped
livestock
Total product sales grossed $200.3 million in 2012, compared to $188 million on 2007. Crops and nursery products rose 32 percent from $55 to $72 million. Livestock, poultry and their products grossed $128 million, down 4 percent from $133 million.
Mayer noted the drought and market prices of 2012 impacted these numbers.
The number of farms with irrigation in 2012 was more than double compared to 2007. Fifty-three farms reported using irrigation, up from 22 in 2007.
Farm operators
The average age of Green County's farmers in 2012 was 56.5 years old, up from 55.6 years in 2007. The state average was also 56.5 years old, up from 55 years. Farmers under the age of 45 made up only 16 percent of Green County principal operators. The largest age group in both the county and the state was 55-64 years. That decade was flanked on both sides by just slightly fewer farmers in the 45-54 and the 65-70 plus age groups.
Of the 2,500 farm operators in Green County, one-third, or 842, were women in 2012. In 2007, 789 of the 2,420 operators were women.