John Freitag
Executive Director
(608) 833-7177
MADISON, Wis. (October 27, 2014)—Fall is the time of year when a majority of Wisconsin beef producers are weaning their calf crop and taking stock of their future. Just as those calves will have a significant impact on that producer’s business, collectively the nearly 15,000 beef producers and supporting industry have a significant impact on Wisconsin’s general economy. Even as cow numbers decline nationwide, the Wisconsin beef industry is one of only ten states to have increased beef cow numbers over the past 10 years.
“Wisconsin benefits from a strong beef industry. Nearly $7 billion in revenue is pumped into the economy annually, and the industry creates more than 35,000 jobs,” says John Freitag, executive director of the Wisconsin Beef Council. “The Wisconsin beef industry is poised to continue this growth that positively impacts the local and state economy, creates jobs and allows consumers to continue to shop local.”
The Wisconsin beef industry impacts state and local economies in a number of ways:
For every $100 of income generated by beef farms, an additional $117 of income is created elsewhere in the Wisconsin economy
More than $200 million is provided annually to state and local governments through income, sales and property taxes
More than $2 billion is provided to those who work in the beef industry through wages, salaries, dividends and other personal income drivers
The Wisconsin Beef Council is a producer-funded, producer-directed organization dedicated to building demand for beef and veal through promotion, consumer education and research.
To find out more fun facts about the Wisconsin beef industry—including an infographic showing beef’s impact in the state—or to gather beef-filled recipes, visit www.beeftips.com.
