AGRICULTURE STATISTICS FOR MANITOWOC COUNTY

Manitowoc County Dairy Farmers Reach Production Milestone:

For the first time ever, Manitowoc County dairy farmers produced over one billion pounds of milk in a calendar year.  That milestone was reached in 2007, when the total milk production was 1,030,500,000 pounds.  The previous record was established in 2006, when Manitowoc County dairy farmers produced 934,500,000 pounds of milk. Manitowoc County topped the state in 2007 in total milk produced per cow. Manitowoc County had an average of 22,900 pounds per cow compared to a Wisconsin average of 19,310 pounds per cow.

Manitowoc County has approximately 1,400 farms with a total of 260,000 acres averaging 186 acres per farm. The Wisconsin Agriculture Statistics Service defines a farm as, "Any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the year." Of the 1,400 farms in Manitowoc County, approximately 320 are dairy farms with 45,000 cows for an average of 141 cows per farm.  Many of these farms are multi-family businesses. The average number of dairy cows per farm in Wisconsin is 91.

Manitowoc County ranks 4th in Wisconsin out of the 72 counties in the state, and ranks in the top 30 counties in the United States in annual milk production.

There are a total of 594 square miles in the county, which means there are about 76 cows per square mile. Manitowoc County routinely ranks in the top three Wisconsin counties in the number of cows per square mile.

Milk production per cow in 2007 was 22,900 pounds (up approximately 9% from 2006) for a total of 1,030,500,000 pounds of milk.
In 2007, Manitowoc County ranked first in Wisconsin in milk production per cow; fourth in the state in total milk produced and 5th in the state in the number of dairy cows. Manitowoc County dairy farmers produce enough milk to supply every person in the county with nearly four gallons of milk each day.

In 2007, Manitowoc County farmers harvested 70,000 acres of alfalfa; 72,700 acres of corn; 21,300 acres of soybeans; 16,700 acres of wheat; 6,000 acres of oats; 2,400 acres of snap beans; and 1,000 acres of barley. Manitowoc County ranks among the top ten Wisconsin counties in the following: corn silage production, total forage produced, winter wheat, barley, oats and snap beans. Manitowoc County is also among the top thirty Wisconsin counties in soybean production.

Crop yields for 2005, 2006 and 2007 expressed in either bushels per acre or tons per acre follow:

Using the 2006 figure of $2,928 per acre for agricultural land sales continuing in agricultural use, without buildings and improvements, the value of the 260,000 acres in farms in Manitowoc County would total over $760 million!

The value of the 1,030,500,000 pounds of milk paid to the 320 Manitowoc County dairy farm owners in 2007 was approximately $185 million.  This dollar figure is based on an average milk price per 100 pounds sold of $18.00.
The $185,000,000 of milk sold in 2007 from Manitowoc County dairy farmers is equivalent to:

• $3,557,692 each week
• $506,849 each day
• $21,119 per hour
• $352 per minute

Currently, Manitowoc County is home to 97,000 dairy and beef cattle with approximately 95 percent of the total being dairy cows, heifers and calves.
How important is agriculture to the County's economy?

• Total farm and farm-related employment (i.e. allied industries/businesses) in Manitowoc County equals approximately 15 percent of the total employment.
• Agriculture provides jobs for 6,061 Manitowoc County residents.
• Agriculture accounts for $836.3 million in economic activity.
• Agriculture contributes $213.8 million to the County's total income.
• Agriculture pays about $18.6 million in taxes. This figure does not include all property taxes paid to local schools.

Updated October, 2008 by Scott Gunderson, Manitowoc County UW-Extension Dairy Agent.

Sources of information include: Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service, National Agricultural Statistics Service and University of Wisconsin Extension, Cooperative Extension. Note: Updated County agriculture statistics will be added as soon as they become available.

DAIRY CONVERSION FACTORS

• One quart of milk weighs 2.15 pounds - one gallon 8.6 pounds - 46.5 quarts of milk equals 100 pounds.
• Specific gravity of milk at 60°F is 1.032
• 100 pounds of 4% milk will yield approximately:
  • 10 pounds cheese and 90 pounds whey or
  • 5 pounds butter and 90 pounds skim milk or
  • 13 pounds dried whole and 1 1/4 pounds 40% cream
• 100 pounds skim milk will yield approximately:
  • 16 pounds cottage cheese and 84 pounds whey or
  • 3 pounds casein and 94 pounds whey or
  • 9 pounds nonfat dry milk
• 100 pounds whey will yield approximately:
  • 5 pounds lactose and
  • 1 pound protein and
  • 1/3 pound milkfat

To make one pound of:	Requires:
Butter	21.2 pounds whole milk
Whole Milk Cheese	10.0 pounds whole milk
Evaporated Milk	2.1 pounds whole milk
Condensed Milk	2.3 pounds whole milk
Whole Milk Powder	7.4 pounds whole milk
Powdered Cream	13.5 pounds whole milk
Ice Cream (1 gal)	12.0 pounds whole milk (15 pounds when including butter and concentrated milks)
Cottage Cheese	6.25 pounds skim milk
Nonfat dry milk	11.0 pounds skim milk

If you have any questions regarding these statistics, please Email: scottgunderson@co.manitowoc.wi.us or call 920-683-4168.