STATE OF THE MARATHON COUNTY RURAL ECONOMY

• Agriculture is an important but suffering segment of Marathon County 's economy. Two major parts of the agricultural economy, dairy and ginseng, are currently in a downturn.
  
• Farms and rural families are an important part of the county identity and culture.
  
• Marathon County residents place a high value on open space and agricultural land. Participants in the comprehensive planning process have identified a preference to preserve the 'rural character' of their communities in public opinion surveys and planning group meetings.
  

• Farmland preservation cannot occur without profitable farms. When farms are not profitable, farmers have a harder time competing for the land base. As a result, farmland is increasingly diverted to other non-agriculture uses, contributing to urban sprawl and increasing government's cost of delivering community services.
  

• There are bright spots in agriculture. Producers are trying different techniques to improve profitability and quality of life, with varying degrees of success and community acceptance. Managed Intensive Rotational Grazing (MIRG) is one example.
  

• There is a perception that rural communities can be improved as centers of economic activity, producing employment opportunities for non-farm income and retaining young people in the communities.
  

• Some rural areas in Marathon County have per capita income less than half that of the county per capita income. Fewer high-quality job opportunities exist in rural parts of Marathon County.
  

• Rates of uninsured and underinsured for health care coverage are increasingly higher in rural parts of Marathon County. Health care insurance is usually associated with better job opportunities.

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