Wisconsin land prices climb big

Strong dairy and crop prices drove up land prices in Wisconsin's top 10 dairy counties during 2008. In the entire state, land continuing in agricultural use rose 12 percent to $3,940 an acre. These numbers are solid as each land sale is reported to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue thanks to land use taxation passed by the legislature earlier in the decade.

According to published reports by the state, land prices in Wisconsin's most populated dairy cow county — Clark — rose 10 percent for all ag land continuing in agricultural use. When splitting out sales for only crop ground, prices were up 16 percent. Clark County's neighbor rose similar amounts for ag ground without buildings, as did third-ranking Dane County. However, ag land selling with buildings fell 22 percent as the economy and nonfarm competition dropped in Dane County which is home to the state government and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In other top 10 dairy counties such as Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, and Outagamie, prices rose much more sharply. These counties have seen great dairy expansion and have over 50 cows per square mile. In these three counties all ag land rose 26 to 50 percent, while ag land without buildings rose 34 to 37 percent