Farmland Loss in Dane County
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This document summarizes findings from a study on farmland loss and farm operations in Dane County, Wisconsin between 1980-2030. It analyzes changes in agricultural land use over time, amount of farmland lost to development, and projections for future land needs. Major findings include that 95,000 acres of crop and pasture land were converted between 1980-2000, with 37,000 acres lost to development. An additional 10,000 acres of prime farmland were developed between 2000-2005. The document also examines the diversity of agricultural lands, operations, and economic productivity in the county as well as ecological services provided by farmland.
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Farmland Loss in Dane County
- 1. Farmland, Farmland Loss and Farm Operations in Dane County WLIA conference - February 2011 Capital Area Regional Planning Commission Bridgit Van Belleghem
- 8. Major Findings 2000-2005 Quality 10,000 acres of prime farmland were developed between 2000 and 2005. Rural jurisdictions 3,000 acres Service areas 7,000 acres
- 30. Farmland , Farmland Loss and Farm Operations in Dane County Questions? [email_address]
Editor's Notes
- FLM Key Issues Quantity of Land Land is a finite resource . Land conversion from agricultural to more “profitable ” forms of development. Therefore, it is important to use the land wisely for residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, ecological, and agricultural purposes Quality of Land The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service classifies important farmland as: prime farmland unique farmland farmland of statewide or local importance . [i] Prime farmland has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for agricultural production. [ii] Land chosen for development must be selected wisely so that the most fertile and productive farmland is not lost unnecessarily . FLM 1 Major Findings 37K acres developed, a lot of ag 42,500 acres will be needed based on historic growth and development rates . FLM 2 Key Issues Location-physiographic sub-regions Diveristy of Agriculturl operations While it is important to preserve unique, important, and prime farmlands, it is also important to ensure a diversity of agricultural operations simultaneously so as protect to include small and medium sized family farms and cattle operations that dominate the western portions of the county Ecological Services and Functions Permiable ground that allows water infiltration. Filter the air Support certain types of wildlife Negative effects on the environment also (erosion, nutrient run-off, contamination) Agricultural sector needs FLM 3 Key Issues Historic and existing farmland preservation policy, programs, and practices Future of agricultural sector Planned Future Development Recommendations for policy and policy implementation
- Geographic Information Systems 1980 and 1990 acreages were adjusted by equally distributing the 6,514 additional acres across the various land uses. Prior to 2000, road area was estimated by the Department of Transportation (WisDOT).
- farm dwelling acreage in 1980 and 1990 was removed from the residential category and added to the crop and pasture category. In 2000, these woodlands were separated from agriculture and moved to the woodlands category. Large areas of pasture were categorized as other open land in 2000. Small areas of pasture on land dominated by cultivation remained in crop/pasture.
- Vacant/unused land increased and crop/pasture land decreased. Water : Accounts for a reduction of approximately 3,200 to 3,800 acres of agricultural use area when, in fact, no agricultural area was lost.
- 37,000=1 and one half townships (22,000 acres) Assuming that all development occurred on farmland (may have been vacant/unused/woodlands). The remaining losses in crop and pasture acres went to open space, woodlands, and water (as a correction of the 1980 and 1990 land use inventories). Development: Residential (18k), roadways (8k), indus/comm (6.6k), parks/rec, inst/gov, utilities Towns have developed more acreage than cities, but house only a fraction of people.
- Note that the anal. years have change. Not directly relatable to previous slides
- Frequency analysis Distribution analysis
- The western part of the county, ‘west,’ known as the valley and ridge physiographic area, or the driftless area, is the only part of the county not directly affected by the most recent glaciation (see Map 1). This area is characterized by steep ridges and valleys drained by fast-flowing streams, generally without natural lakes or impoundments. Springs and seeps flowing from water bearing layers of bedrock exposed on hillsides feed most of the streams. An irregular layer of soil (quite thin in many places) overlays fractured dolomite or sandstone bedrock hills. The large valley of the Wisconsin River, also in the western part of the county, consists of deep alluvial deposits of sand and gravel with some organic material, and extensive marsh deposits in the floodplain of the Wisconsin River. The west has six cities and villages and seven entire town jurisdictions and portions of six other town jurisdictions. In 2008, this area had 178,150 rural agricultural acres. To the east of the driftless region, ‘central west,’ are glacial moraines, located at a major drainage divide where the headwaters of many of the streams in the Wisconsin, Sugar and Rock River basins originate. The moraines include the Johnstown terminal moraine at the western edge of the glaciated area, and the Milton recessional moraine farther east. The moraines include hills and variable deposits of glacial till (including clay, silt, and boulders with sand and gravel lenses) which were deposited and left behind as the glaciers retreated. The central west has five incorporated jurisdictions (city/village), including parts of the cities of Madison and Fitchburg, and two entire town jurisdictions and portions of eleven other town jurisdictions. In 2008, this area had 119,119 rural agricultural acres. East of the moraines, ‘central east,’ in the center of the county, is the Yahara River valley. Here deep glacial deposits dammed up large valleys forming a chain of large lakes and wetlands. The Yahara River valley physiographic area is primarily glacial ground moraine, with extensive peat and marsh deposits. Streams in this physiographic area are generally flatter and more sluggish than those in the driftless area, and fewer are spring-fed. This area is the most urbanized of the four sub-areas. While much of the land is not in agricultural cultivation or animal production, such operations in this sub-region frequently interface with urban development constraints on, and conflicts with, agriculture. While this sub-region hosts the least amount of agricultural parcels, numerous agricultural support systems and services are concentrated in the urban and urbanizing areas in this region. This area has eight entire incorporated jurisdictions (city/village), and the majority of the cities of Madison and Fitchburg. This are also has two entire town jurisdictions and portions of thirteen other town jurisdictions. In 2008, this area had 114,131 rural agricultural acres. The eastern part of the county, ‘east,’ is known as the drumlin and marsh physiographic area, with primarily glacial deposits with extensive marsh deposits. This area includes many small drumlin hills interspersed with shallow glacial deposits, creating an extensive system of interconnected wetlands with poorly defined drainage. Small streams wind slowly through the lowlands and there are few springs supplying stream flow. The only lakes in this area are small stream impoundments, or shallow, marshy lakes. The east hosts eight incorporated jurisdictions (city/village), six entire town jurisdictions and portions of seven other town jurisdictions. In 2008, the east rebounded to 180,891 rural agricultural acres.
- Ownership Five to 50 acres agricultural parcels were analyzed and tagged ex-urban based on the following criteria: 1. Presence of a single-family residence on the parcel. 2. Not designated as ‘meets and bounds,’ indicating that the property was subdivided. 3. Aerial photograph interpretation revealing the land is not being farmed or fallow in any way or farmed on less than fifty percent of the total acreage. 4. Aerial photograph interpretation of context revealing parcels with neighboring residential parcels in rural areas. This will include cluster housing or housing on roadsides. 5. Parcels-zoned ‘residential.’ 6. Property owners including developers, real estate companies, or homeowner associations. Non-residential hunting/gun clubs, quarries, or other non-agricultural related businesses parcels are tagged ‘other.’ Parcels tagged as ‘ex-urban,’ ‘potential ex-urban,’ or ‘other’ were removed from the analysis of agricultural lands.
- Ownership Five to 50 acres agricultural parcels were analyzed and tagged ex-urban based on the following criteria: 1. Presence of a single-family residence on the parcel. 2. Not designated as ‘meets and bounds,’ indicating that the property was subdivided. 3. Aerial photograph interpretation revealing the land is not being farmed or fallow in any way or farmed on less than fifty percent of the total acreage. 4. Aerial photograph interpretation of context revealing parcels with neighboring residential parcels in rural areas. This will include cluster housing or housing on roadsides. 5. Parcels-zoned ‘residential.’ 6. Property owners including developers, real estate companies, or homeowner associations. Non-residential hunting/gun clubs, quarries, or other non-agricultural related businesses parcels are tagged ‘other.’ Parcels tagged as ‘ex-urban,’ ‘potential ex-urban,’ or ‘other’ were removed from the analysis of agricultural lands.
- The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin, Findings, Recommendations, Steps to a Healthy Future , a 2007 Wisconsin Idea Policy Program Report of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters,
- Table 1: General Land use by Sub-Region 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 West Central West Central East East Agricultural 177,483 174,544 123,219 115,882 112,901 109,307 182,282 178,896 Developed City/Village 3,029 3,612 19,500 23,392 32,870 36,744 8,446 10,392 Town 12,920 14,881 14,504 16,160 17,532 18,883 18,146 19,520 -------------------------------------------------------- Agricultural Land 2000 2005 2008 Acres Parcels Acres Parcels Acres Parcels County land in parcels 499,270 17,626 485,870 17,341 498,662 17,855 Sub-region West 153,995 5,275 152,007 5,274 157,138 5,479 C. West 96,862 3,521 92,038 3,400 93,635 3,512 C. East 84,453 2,929 82,358 2,891 84,866 2,976 East 163,960 5,901 159,467 5,776 163,023 5,888 ______________________________ Number and Size The USDA counts the number of farms headquartered in Dane County. In 2002, 2,887 farms operated in the county and the number increased to 3,331 farms in 2007 . Average parcel size in 28 acres v. Commonly owned group parcels 75 2000 2005 2008 Total Mean Max. Total Mean Max. Total Mean Max County 6,406 78 1,756 6,567 74 1,725 6,737 74 1,811 West 1,774 87 846 1,891 81 1,041 1,965 80 1,293 C. West 1,383 70 631 1,394 65 598 1,441 65 641 C. East 1,124 75 549 1,151 71 549 1,186 72 546 East 2,125 77 1,756 2,131 74 1,725 2,144 76 1,811
- Table 5: Contiguous Parcel Data 2000 2005 2008 Blocks Mean Max. Blocks MeanMax. Blocks MeanMax. County 1,856 269 3,137 1,900 265 3,137 1,456 342 3,955 West 498 309 2,350 512 296 2,193 347 453 2,347 C. West 384 255 1,869 390 239 1,762 323 296 1,956 C. East 416 203 1,650 426 192 1,643 333 253 1,644 East 558 292 3,137 572 278 3,137 453 357 3,955
- 61 percent of agricultural land is owner-operated owned and operated 3,908 parcel groups in 2000, 4,006 parcels in 2005, and 4,110 parcels in 2008 holding lands or speculative lands, amount to approximately 18,000 acres divided amongst 195 parcel owners Across all urban service areas approximately 6,500 acres of agriculture are being cultivating outside city or village boundaries Other types of landowners, including trusts, sporting clubs, equipment dealers, and mineral companies hold agricultural land amounting to approximately 5,300 acres
- 2008, 51 percent of county agricultural land is used for pasture (grassland and hay) for livestock, and 48 percent was dedicated to row crops, grains, or seed production. The remaining one percent was other crops, with a small portion of the county land dedicated to vegetable and fruit production. 100,000 acres in cultivation 40 percent of all the row crops, grains, hay, and seed Less than 1,000 acres are devoted to vegetable, fruits, and other crops 29 are organic producers forest lands add an additional 1,200 acres Row, Grains, Hay, Seeds Veg & Fruits Pasture Other Crop Barren County 237,803 48% 248 <1% 251,723 51% 647<1% 1,136<1% West 36,521 29% 36 <1% 89,579 71% 1<1% 111 <1% C. West 47,168 43% 70 <1% 60,999 56% 59 <1% 209 <1% C. East 51,288 54% 75 <1% 43,991 46% 58<1% 402 <1% East 102,825 64% 67 <1% 57,116 35% 529 <1% 414 <1%
- 2,100 livestock premises across the county 357 dairy farms in the county, about one-third are in the west sub-region (115 Of the 357 dairy operations, six operations meet this standard
- Urban ag 20,000 acres 50 community gardens, covering more than 30 acres City of Fitchburg (with about 10,650 acres used for agriculture
- 2000 2005 2008 Total Mean Max. Total Mean Max. Total Mean Max. County $10,880,343 $1,699 $31,214 $16,768,253 $2,553 $51,554 $27,561,061 $4,092 $98,944 West $2,378,207 $1,342 $19,126 $4,150,924 $2,197 $35,856 $6,931,580 $3,531 $72,991 C. W $3,229,514 $2,327 $27,757 $4,642,635 $3,321 $51,554 $7,580,797 $5,243 $55,071 C. E $2,003,007 $1,785 $31,214 $2,930,707 $2,560 $50,412 $4,693,895 $3,974 $98,944 East $3,269,615 $1,538 $14,755 $5,043,987 $2,364 $35,490 $8,354,789 $3,895 $64,659
- 2000 2008 Total Mean Max. Total Mean Max. Co $395,431,950 $2,645 $167,437 $841,076,400 $6,634 $294,344 W $102,291,950 $1,758 $44,972 $219,852,400 $5,273 $130,395 CW $91,388,800 $3,411 $167,437 $193,400,000 $8,362 $258,503 CE $78,570,600 $2,836 $166,427 $174,393,800 $7,362 $294,344 E $1,736,050 $2,786 $93,760 $253,430,200 $6,316 $144,936
- 3,300 farm operators 30 operators of Asian decent, three of American Indian decent, and nine identify as multi-ethnic. The majority are also male, with just over 500 female operators. Fifty-five is average Dane County farm operator’s the average age in 2000 nearly 30,000 people in Dane County are employed
- LESA Class County West C. West C. East East I 133,301 11,715 24,846 36,056 60,683 II 97,297 12,232 21,675 21,227 42,163 III 51,331 24,859 12,452 6,152 7,867 IV 96,172 22,216 27,385 19,539 27,032 V 51,693 16,950 18,840 7,454 8,449 VI 42,725 35,863 2,708 1,667 2,487 VII 56,758 19,458 4,190 9,106 24,004 VIII 100,643 47,475 14,580 13,967 24,621
- Processing 18 dairy plants 16 meat plants 97 food processing Storage 75 food warehouses Farm inputs and equipment sales 18 total
- 135,540 acres of agricultural land The west, especially the northern portion, has the greatest opportunity for protection because of the many steep slopes, narrow floodplains, and the Wisconsin River covering 52,305 acres, while the east contains large amounts wetlands and floodplains amounting to 38,353 acres. Even greater opportunities for preservation arise when also including historic wetlands, or wetlands that have been drained for cultivation.
- See paper for figures