TUE AM News: Agriculture contributing $116B to state economy, report shows; Registered apprenticeships hit a new record high

November 19, 2024

— Agriculture and food processing in Wisconsin had $116.3 billion in industrial revenues in 2022, with the food and beverage industry dominating the sector.

That’s according to UW-Madison’s Contributions of Agriculture to the Wisconsin Economy report, authored by economists economists and Profs. Steven Deller and Jeff Hadachek. It was produced by the university’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

Gov. Tony Evers and DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski yesterday touted the report’s findings, noting the overall impact figure has increased 11% since 2017 and represents 14.3% of Wisconsin’s total economic output for 2022. In a statement, Evers said the state’s farmers, producers, ag industries and rural communities “are such an important part of our state’s heritage and tradition as well as our economy and our future.”

The higher impact comes as fewer farms but more food and beverage processors are operating in the state, report authors wrote. The number of farms dropped from 64,793 to 58,521 between 2017 and 2022 — the latest year for which data are available — while food processors rose from 1,160 to 1,245 over the same period.

At the same time, employment for the sector declined 19.1% from 437,700 jobs in 2017 to 353,900 jobs in 2022,. Labor income fell 5.5% over that time to $21.2 billion, while total income rose from $37.6 billion to $37.78 billion.

Of the $116.3 billion figure, on-farm activity contributes $30.5 billion to industrial revenue, or 3.7% of the state’s total. It supports 143,690 jobs, provides $6.4 billion in labor income and $13.7 billion to total income.

Meanwhile, food and beverage processing contributes $107 billion, or 13.1% of the state’s total for industrial sales and revenues, and supports 298,400 jobs, the report shows. It provides $18.7 billion in labor income and $32.4 billion in total income.

Report authors note both on-farm activity and food processing are “relatively diversified,” noting this “helps protect the Wisconsin food processing industry from outsized shocks to any one part” of the industry.

“While dairy processing (i.e., cheese) and animal processing (slaughtering) accounted for more than half (51.5%) of employment in the food processing sector, food processing in Wisconsin has a wealth of diversity including breweries, distilleries, and wineries,” authors wrote.

Because dairy bridges both parts of the sector, the report includes a separate breakdown of its economic impact. Both on-farm activity and dairy processing, which is “dominated” by cheese production, collectively contribute $52.8 billion to the industrial revenue total, or 6.5% of the state’s total. It supports 120,700 jobs and provides $7.9 billion in labor income and $13.7 billion in total income.

The report also explores the environmental impacts of these industries, with the broad “all agriculture” category contributing 17 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, or 14% of the state’s total emissions.

Report authors acknowledged agriculture’s role in both the state’s economy and its culture, touting Wisconsin’s “considerable comparative advantage” in certain ag sectors such as dairy, grains and vegetables. Still, the report outlines “key challenges” defining the changing industry, as on-farm economic activities decline and contribute less to the state economy over time.

“With this trend, income from on-farm activity has grown smaller and more people have transitioned out of the industry,” they wrote. “But at the same time, food processing in its many unique forms has grown in economic importance … Looking forward, a central challenge is identifying these opportunities to capitalize on this shift and discovering ways for both on-farm activities and food processing to best complement each other.”

See the release and study.

— Wisconsin’s registered apprenticeship program has hit a record-high 17,089 enrollment total, state officials announced.

This is the third year in a row that enrollment has set new records. Yesterday’s announcement was timed with National Apprenticeship Week, according to the release from Gov. Tony Evers and the state Department of Workforce Development. Last year’s total was 16,384.

Evers said “our continued commitment to investing in our state’s workforce” is paying off.

“We’ve worked hard to expand apprenticeship pathways, reduce barriers to work, and bolster our workforce as we continue our efforts to ensure Wisconsin’s workforce and our economy are ready to meet the demands of the 21st Century,” he said.

The state now has 200 different apprenticeship occupations with more than 2,600 participating employers.

See the release.

— Year-to-date shipping totals through the Port of Green Bay are down 9% as activity slowed in October, port officials announced.

A total of 139,76 tons of cargo moved through the port last month, bringing the year-to-date total to 1,404,633 tons, according to a release from the Brown County Port and Resource Recovery Department.

Dean Haen, director of the Port of Green Bay, said September was a “busy shipping month” with 26 vessels visiting the port, followed by a slower October with 19 ships. So far this shipping season, the port has had 147 ships enter, including 13 Canadian ships and six foreign vessels. Over the same period of last year, that total was 141, the release shows.

“Like any other shipping season, it’s common to have fluctuations month-to-month as tonnage ebbs and flows, based on regional, national and global demand,” Haen said in a statement.

The top cargo category for the month was cement with nearly 61,000 tons, followed by limestone with just over 60,000 tons. Others included petroleum products, coal and wood pulp.

See more shipping data for the port here and watch an earlier Talking Trade podcast with Haen.

— UW Health’s Eastpark Medical Center has now begun providing integrated specialty care for women, through the first program of its kind in Wisconsin.

The 475,000-square-foot, seven-story facility opened in mid-October, and is now offering care for gynecologic cancers, pelvic floor disorders and therapy for sexual health issues.

“Stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, for example, are conditions many women experience for far too long before they seek care,” said gynecologic oncologist Dr. Ellen Hartenbach. “They may be embarrassed to talk about their issues and think these experiences are inevitable for women or mothers.”

The health system previously created a women’s pelvic wellness program about a decade ago, according to Dr. Sarah McAchran, a urologist and urogynecologist for UW Health. Its team includes doctors in her specialty areas as well as colorectal surgeons and physical therapists to treat related conditions.

“Now at Eastpark, this team is together in one place and can serve our patients in a coordinated way at a scale I couldn’t have imagined,” McAchran said in a statement.

The program will expand this year to include care for endometriosis, pelvic pain, fibroids and more, according to yesterday’s announcement.

See more in the release.

— Houston-based Nutex Health has announced a new hospital opening in Milwaukee, its second in the state.

The opening of the Milwaukee ER & Hospital follows the Green Bay ER & Hospital opening earlier this year, according to a release. The company now has 23 “micro-hospitals” and hospital outpatient departments across 10 states.

The 20,000-square-foot Milwaukee facility has eight emergency room beds, six inpatient beds, a procedure room, an in-house pharmacy as well as lab services and imaging.

“We are excited to provide concierge level medical care to the south Milwaukee market, which historically has been underserved,” Nutex Health Chairman and CEO Dr. Tom Vo said in a statement.

See the release.

— The Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association has named Scott Stewart as its new CEO.

Stewart will lead the organization starting Jan. 6, 2025 following an “extensive national search,” according to the announcement. He previously worked as chief strategy officer at Honor Community Health, a federally qualified health center in Michigan.

“My work has centered on advancing health equity and ensuring that every individual, regardless of background, has the opportunity not just to survive, but to thrive,” Stewart said in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with our dedicated members to eliminate barriers to care and create lasting, equitable solutions for all Wisconsinites.”

Current CEO Stephanie Harrison plans to step down at the end of this year after leading the WPHCA for nearly 20 years, the announcement shows.

See more in the release.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he’s fully backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Health and Human Services secretary.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

— WEDC has announced 16 finalists for the 2024 MARKETPLACE Governor’s Awards, recognizing businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans and those that support them.

Award winners will be announced Dec. 12 at the 43rd annual MARKETPLACE: the Governor’s Conference on Diverse Business Development in Milwaukee, according to a release from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

See the list of finalists and more event details in the release.

Sun Prairie to take up $7M incentives package for development at site of 2018 explosion

Eyes on federal agencies after state issues permits for Line 5 reroute

TOPICS

AGRIBUSINESS

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BANKING

– Associated Bank eyes growth with $300 million stock offering

EDUCATION

– Join the 2024 Dairy Summit at UW–Madison on November 20

– Proposed Madison charter school would train for ‘high-demand’ careers