AgricultureID

State · US-WI

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is hot-summer humid continental (Dfa) in the south and warm-summer humid continental (Dfb) in the north, with warm summers, cold, snowy winters, and reliable year-round precipitation. The cooler north favors forage and dairy over long-season grain.

Major crop systems

  • Maize for grain and silage and soybean
  • Alfalfa, hay, and forage for dairy
  • Potatoes, processing vegetables, and cranberries

Major livestock systems

  • Dairy — the core of "America’s Dairyland" and a national leader
  • Beef cattle
  • Confined hogs and poultry

Agricultural land: A landscape of dairy farms, forage, and grain in the south and west gives way to forest, cranberry marshes, and the irrigated Central Sands vegetable district; soils and terrain are varied, including the unglaciated Driftless Area. Irrigation: Most cropping is rainfed, with concentrated center-pivot irrigation on the sandy Central Sands potato and vegetable region.

Agroecological zones: Dfa (Hot-summer humid continental), Dfb (Warm-summer humid continental)

Documented crops & livestock

Official institutions

  • Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) — State department for agriculture, food safety, and consumer protection.
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension — Land-grant research and extension for dairy, crops, and horticulture.
  • USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) — Official state-level crop, livestock, and Census of Agriculture statistics, published through its regional field office network.

Data coverage & limitations

Descriptive profile; subnational statistics for Wisconsin are published by USDA NASS and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and are not reproduced numerically here.

  • Boundaries and administrative classification follow the ISO 3166-2 subdivision system and USDA/state reporting units.
  • No subnational statistics are reproduced here; any official figures are dated, versioned, and periodically revised — read them with their year and source.
  • Dairy links to the "cattle" entry here, but Wisconsin production is overwhelmingly dairy rather than beef — a distinction a broad species link does not convey.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]USDA NASS — National Agricultural Statistics Service (opens in a new tab)

    USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Official state agricultural statistics

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]USDA — U.S. Department of Agriculture (opens in a new tab)

    United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Federal agricultural context

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12