Agriculture Historical patterns of cultivation in Wisconsin Connection between agriculture and transportation Connection between milk districts and population centers

Background Cultivation of crops for at least the past 2,000 years. Tribal peoples: grew corn, squash, and beans and harvested maple sugar and wild rice. European settlers (1840s) – many were full-time farmers Transformed prairies and forests into agricultural farmland Raised grain crops to feed people and livestock 1860s wheat became southern WI primary cash crop In the 1880s, wheat growing began to move to the more expansive prairies of the Great Plains.

Dairy As wheat declined, dairy agriculture rose dramatically. Depended on farmer’s ability to store grain for cow feed over the long winter Silo – 1890s Dairy cows ate feed crops (corn, oats, and hay) stored in silos to make silage (green grains fermented in an enclosed space). Wisconsin became the leading state in milk, butter, and cheese production (unchallenged until recently)

Dairy continued Butter became a major homemade product in western WI, but initially its quality was so low that it was often used as “western grease” to lubricate wagon wheels. Cheese was more difficult to manufacture in the home, and milk often spoiled on long trips over poor roads to the cheese factory. 1910s, roads began to improve, making it easier to transport milk within WI. Refrigerated railroad cars made it easier to transport dairy products outside the state. 1930s (WI recognized as the national dairy center) Fluid milk production was concentrated closer to the cities that consumed the bottled milk More financially lucrative than cheese, with a shorter distance to travel to urban markets.

Cheese Culture Diary agriculture reveals much about the origins of WI settlers. Different breads of dairy cows originate from different countries Holsteins from the Netherlands, Brown Swiss from Switzerland, and Jerseys from the British Isles. Different types of cheese also came from different places Swiss cheese, English cheddar cheese, and Colby cheese (invented in the Wisconsin village of Colby). Fond du Lac County had the nation’s first cheese factory in 1864.

“America’s Dairyland” Wisconsin’s position is threatened by the rise of large-scale dairy farm operations, particularly in California. 1996 – CA overtook WI in fluid milk production But our state remains the leader in cheese production.

Cash Crops Farmers planted a variety of cash crops as agriculture developed in different eras and areas of Wisconsin. Many spread elsewhere where they continued to be grown commercially, while some other crops declined. Historic Wisconsin Crops Timeline Which 7 crops that were grown commercially but declined? Hops and barley were produced for the brewing industry but later declined in production.

Growing Seasons Wisconsin has a wide range of growing seasons (number of days in which crops will grow in one year). WI crops tend to grow better in areas with warmer temperatures and in areas near moisture of the Great Lakes. Orchard Crops (cherries) – best near the Great Lakes – Door County? Colored Map – Crops Grown for Market More cash crops were first grown in southern and eastern WI Rather than in cooler more forested northern WI or drier western WI

Canning Industry Wisconsin is among the top-ranked states in raising vegetables for canning. Canneries (factories where produce is canned) process locally grown crops, turning them into familiar foods. Pickles from cucumbers, sauerkraut from cabbage. They also process crops from outside the state and are major employers in some rural communities. Some of Wisconsin’s migrant (seasonally present) farm workers found work in canneries and settled permanently in the state. Besides processing vegetable crops, canneries are also important to some fruit crops. WI is one of the leading cranberry-producing states (raised in watery bogs). Colored map