2-21-14 agriculture census

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A new federal report shows Wisconsin has lost thousands of farms and, perhaps more disturbingly, thousands of acres that were once farmed are no longer.  The data come from the Census of Agriculture conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The census shows Wisconsin lost 8,700 farms from 2007 to 2012.  It also lost more than 620,000 acres of farmland during that time.  The USDA classifies both losses as among the most significant in the nation.  At the same time, Wisconsin remains among the top 10 agricultural states in number of farms and agricultural sales.  The state had 69,756 farms covering nearly 14.6 million acres in 2012.