Wisconsin Has 4th-Most Agricultural Cooperatives In Country, Says USDA

The agricultural cooperative movement is alive and well in Wisconsin: According to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state has the fourth-largest number of cooperatives in the nation.

The USDA’s annual list names the top 100 agricultural cooperatives in the country ranked by business volume. Wisconsin made the top five for number of large cooperatives, just behind Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.

Cooperatives bring farmers together to pool resources to produce, market or distribute their products.

Brent Hueth, the director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, said Wisconsin’s strong dairy industry makes it a good environment for this kind of business.

“It’s a big deal for Wisconsin,” Hueth said. “Dairy producers traditionally have organized more cooperative activity than many other agricultural sectors.”

Five Wisconsin cooperatives made the list, one of which is the Baraboo-based Foremost Farms. Joan Behr, director of communications at Foremost, said the cooperative doesn’t really think about “achieving a number on a list,” but that being singled out as one of the most successful coops in the country is nevertheless a point of pride for members.

“They work hard 365 days a year and they work hard to develop strong markets for their products,” Behr said. “So, being on a list among the top cooperatives in the United States does give them a sense of pride and ownership in what they’ve accomplished together.”

According to the USDA, the country’s top 100 coops are growing, posting their third consecutive year of record sales in 2013. Together, they reported revenue of $174 billion.