Wisconsin Farmers Union released today the full results of the Wisconsin Dairy Producer Survey, which was sent out this fall to every dairy farmer in the state.

During a press call this morning, WFU Dairy Survey Analyst Gabriel Chapman shared highlights from the survey. Among key findings Chapman noted was that “Sixty-three percent of the dairy farmer respondents indicated a negative profit margin, based on cost of production and price received.”

The survey garnered responses from dairy farms of differing sizes across the state, and additional submitted comments offered insight into the issues impacting farmers’ everyday decisions and concerns. Other survey questions dug in on issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Margin Protection Program, supply management programs and the impact milk price volatility has had on farmers.

The average year respondent farmers began farming was 1986, and average milking herd size was 126 cows.

In response to how confident farmers’ felt that they or someone else in their family would still be farming in five years, a score of 1 (not at all confident) was most common. Nearly half of respondents also indicated the unpredictable nature of the markets had impacted their health from undue stress, caused them to consider exiting from dairy farming, and led them to discourage the next generation from farming.

Over 70 percent of respondents favored implementation of overproduction measures, either in the next Farm Bill or through the State of Wisconsin, Chapman noted.

Of the 765 respondents who said they had signed up for the Margin Protection Program, only 93 farms (12 percent) said they had received any payments from the program. Of those, only five farms – less than one percent of all farms who signed up – indicated they considered the program to be supporting their farm.

Respondents were also loud and clear in their stance on the Trans-Pacific Partnership – 79 percent of respondents favored Congress rejecting or placing a moratorium on the trade deal until concerns over low-cost milk imports and protein concentrations are resolved. Seventy-one percent of respondents also indicated a strong sense of concern for currency manipulation among TPP nations.

“The survey results will help Wisconsin Farmers Union bolster our policy decisions here in the state and as we join other farmers from across the United States in March at the next National Farmers Union Convention,” said WFU President Darin Von Ruden, a third-generation dairy farmer from Westby. “These statistics will be useful to us at the state level but also to the folks at National Farmers Union in Washington, D.C. when working with our elected officials.”

“One of our hopes, too, is for the survey to be a spark for thoughtful dialogue between more farmers in the state,” added WFU Government Relations Director Kara O’Connor. “We hope that dairy farmers in particular will find these results interesting and that they may be a catalyst for asking the hard questions about the future of Wisconsin’s dairy industry.”

Later this month, WFU will host a webinar for dairy farmers and other ag industry professionals who are interested in the results. The webinar will be at 11:30am Central Standard time on Dec. 20. Participants can log in from a computer, tablet or smartphone by calling 1-646-749-3112 and entering passcode 484-672-733. The webinar will be viewable via https://www.gotomeet.me/WisconsinFarmersUnion

With 1,050 responses received from the 8,442 surveys mailed, response rates exceeded WFU’s goal of 10 percent. WFU will be mailing a results summary to those farmers who expressed interest in receiving more information. A copy of the survey and the results are also now available online at www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com.

Wisconsin Farmers Union is a member-driven organization committed to enhancing the quality of life for family farmers, rural communities, and all people through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement. Learn more at www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com.