Rise and Decline of the Family Farm in Central Southern Wisconsin: 1890-1990 A study of the economic, social, and political ramifications of the loss of family farms on the rural communities of Columbia and Dodge Counties, Wisconsin

Abstract

The family farm in America is often referred to as the backbone of the Nation's identity. The number of active farms in Wisconsin has shrunk from a high in 1934 of 200,000 to the current number of less than 68,000 according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. With the loss of these farms, Wisconsin's rural society loses jobs on the farm and throughout the community. When economics change in any one's life his social status, personal well being, and family stability are all at risk. Aside from sociological effects, the dislocation of families on the farm has brought with it a void of local political activists. This research focuses on the negative social, economic and political impact on rural communities resulting from farm loss. Additionally several causes for the farm decline are explored such as the poor profit to effort ratio of farming, the increased productivity of mechanization, and the influence of government actions that actively or inadvertently favored larger more specialized agricultural pursuit.