 Fond du Lac County
(maps) is located in East central Wisconsin at
the base of Lake Winnebago. It is a leading agricultural county in Wisconsin and ranks as
the nation's 31st largest dairy county. Crops grown in the area are primarily used to
feed the county's 44,000 dairy cows. In 2006, Fond du Lac County
ranked first in the state for average annual production per cow at 21,200
lbs. According to figures from Wisconsin Agricultural
Statistics, there are about 1600 farms in the county. About 400 of these are dairy farms.
Cash receipts from farm marketings total 170 million dollars. Primary crops include corn
for grain (80,000 acres), corn for silage (30,000 acres), alfalfa (60,000 acres), oats
(10,000 acres), soybeans (50,000 acres), winter wheat (15,000 acres), commercial sweet
corn (8000 acres), and green peas (5500 acres). -
- Soil types
in the county range from clays to loams (NRCS
Web Soil Survey). Average corn yields are about 145 bushels per
acre but many soils on the western side of the county routinely average over 180 bushels
per acre. The limestone based, well-drained soils located throughout much of the county
are ideal for growing high yields of alfalfa. The area averages about 32 inches of
precipitation per year
(Fond du Lac weather outlook).
-
- The
agricultural infrastructure in Fond du Lac County is solid. There are competitive markets
for every major livestock and crop commodity. Additionally, there are numerous dealers for
seeds, feeds, equipment, fertilizers, and most agricultural services (nutritionists, A.I.
technicians, crop consultants, farm credit officers, etc.). The local newspapers and radio
stations place a priority on agricultural news.
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