Wisconsin farmers were out in full strength Wednesday at the Farm Technology Days in Waterloo despite a two-hour rain delay. Having worked as a seed salesman for 25 years, the Farm Technology Days always have are a special time for me to meet up with old friends. As I walked through the tent city filled with more than 600 exhibitors, I was reminded again of how vital Wisconsin's agriculture industry is to our state's economic strength. According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation:
• Wisconsin's agriculture industry generates $51.5 billion in economic activity annually
• More than 420,000 Wisconsin citizens, 12 percent of our workforce, rely directly on agriculture for their jobs.
• Wisconsin's 14,521 dairy farmers produce more than 13 percent of the nation's milk supply
• Each Wisconsin farmer feeds 144 people
• More than 99 percent of Wisconsin's farms are family-owned.
Few occupations have such unpredictable circumstances to navigate as farming and the current economic downturn has undoubtedly affected the agricultural industry. Fluctuating milk prices, volatile weather patterns, disease outbreaks, a competitive global food market and tighter credit markets all combine to create some serious challenges for our agriculture industry.
Even during a summer filled with adverse conditions, the farmers and people working in the agriculture industry I talked to Wednesday truly encouraged me by their resiliency and steadfast commitment to continuing and strengthening Wisconsin's fine agriculture tradition. Not only is Wisconsin a national leader in the number of farms, cheese and milk production, but we also have a tradition of leading the nation in technological advances:
• Wisconsin farmers were pioneers in soil and water conservation, establishing the first county soil conservation project in the nation.
• Wisconsin leads the nation in the number of on-farm bio-energy technology installation, which converts animal waste to "green energy."
• Wisconsin leads the nation in the number of organic and grass-based farms.
The Crave Brothers Farm, where the Technology Days were hosted, is widely recognized as being on the cutting edge of technology. The 1,100-cow dairy farm was one of the first in the state to utilize free-style farms and features two computer-controlled anaerobic digestion systems that generate electricity. The Craves also constructed their own 6,000-square-foot on-farm cheese factory in 2001.
The economic success of our state hinges on the productivity and strength of our agricultural industry. My visit to the Farm Technology Days renewed my optimism in the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our farmers.
- Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, represents the 32nd Senate District.
• Wisconsin's agriculture industry generates $51.5 billion in economic activity annually
• More than 420,000 Wisconsin citizens, 12 percent of our workforce, rely directly on agriculture for their jobs.
• Wisconsin's 14,521 dairy farmers produce more than 13 percent of the nation's milk supply
• Each Wisconsin farmer feeds 144 people
• More than 99 percent of Wisconsin's farms are family-owned.
Few occupations have such unpredictable circumstances to navigate as farming and the current economic downturn has undoubtedly affected the agricultural industry. Fluctuating milk prices, volatile weather patterns, disease outbreaks, a competitive global food market and tighter credit markets all combine to create some serious challenges for our agriculture industry.
Even during a summer filled with adverse conditions, the farmers and people working in the agriculture industry I talked to Wednesday truly encouraged me by their resiliency and steadfast commitment to continuing and strengthening Wisconsin's fine agriculture tradition. Not only is Wisconsin a national leader in the number of farms, cheese and milk production, but we also have a tradition of leading the nation in technological advances:
• Wisconsin farmers were pioneers in soil and water conservation, establishing the first county soil conservation project in the nation.
• Wisconsin leads the nation in the number of on-farm bio-energy technology installation, which converts animal waste to "green energy."
• Wisconsin leads the nation in the number of organic and grass-based farms.
The Crave Brothers Farm, where the Technology Days were hosted, is widely recognized as being on the cutting edge of technology. The 1,100-cow dairy farm was one of the first in the state to utilize free-style farms and features two computer-controlled anaerobic digestion systems that generate electricity. The Craves also constructed their own 6,000-square-foot on-farm cheese factory in 2001.
The economic success of our state hinges on the productivity and strength of our agricultural industry. My visit to the Farm Technology Days renewed my optimism in the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our farmers.
- Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, represents the 32nd Senate District.
