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Dunn County Extension educator outlines dairy and beef trends, local workshops and outreach
Summary
An Extension educator presented USDA and state agriculture statistics showing stable cow counts but falling farm numbers, differences between dairy and beef reporting, and a range of Extension workshops, farm visits and outreach intended to support local producers.
Brian, an Extension educator, presented county-level agricultural statistics and programming to the Community Resources and Tourism Committee, focusing on dairy and beef. He said dairy counts are easier to track because dairy farms are permitted; he reported 69 permitted dairy farms in Dunn County (April figure referenced) and described broader regional comparisons within the Chippewa Valley.
On beef, Brian said the reporting is less structured but cited roughly 304 beef farms in Dunn County and noted multiple ways cows are counted—"cow/calf" (breeding cows), cattle on feed destined for finishing, and animals that fall between definitions. He described counts in the county as: about 5,500 breeding cows, roughly a similar number of feedlot animals, and a combined total figure for cattle and dairy that he cited as about 67,000 (county + regional aggregates discussed).
Brian reviewed recent Extension activities: a second-year online beginning‑beef school, forage council meetings with beef topics, beef quality assurance training, farm succession workshops, field visits, tabling at the Eau Claire Farm Show, and cross‑county collaboration with other livestock educators. He described outreach experiments such as holding workshops in sale‑ring facilities to meet producers where they work.
Committee member Larry expanded on market conditions outside the presentation, describing strong calf prices and lower national cow herd numbers: "The United States cow herd, that's the lowest since 1950, and then the price of meat and how the inverse happens with cow numbers down, beef prices up." Larry urged committee members and residents to visit local sale barns to observe markets firsthand.
Discussion vs. decision: the presentation was informational; committee members asked follow-up questions and suggested compiling historical comparisons and additional market-sourced data for future reports. No formal county action resulted from the presentation.
