Wisconsin Agribusinesses Support Traditional Farms and Bolster the Economy

In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Wisconsin is home to 58,500 farms, growing and producing the state’s top commodities. But there’s another sector of the industry that’s contributing significant dollars to the economy: agribusinesses. Encompassing everything from food processing to feed and grain production, a large number of diverse, profitable agribusinesses call Wisconsin home.

Advocating for Agribusiness

“Agribusinesses are sometimes overlooked because we’re known as America’s Dairyland. People think of dairy operations when they think of Wisconsin, but agribusinesses are vital to keeping those operations running and successful,” says Grace Howe, executive director of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association. “A lot of them work with on-farm operations directly.”

Formed in 2012, the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association has a mission to grow the prosperity of agribusinesses through advocacy, education and engagement. Using those three pillars, it supports member businesses by engaging in the legislative process and policy issues, providing educational programs, and partnering with other agencies like the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and more.

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“We have approximately 260 members throughout the state,” Howe says. “It’s so important that we support them as they support their communities, providing jobs, goods, services and dollars.”
Howe says the association focuses largely on the workforce, especially in the legislative realm.
“Like any other industry, agriculture needs good workers,” she says. “We work a lot with Wisconsin youth and organizations like FFA to educate them on potential careers in agribusiness. Investing in the future of the industry is a top priority for us.”

Two agribusinesses that formed out of traditional farming operations include Cowsmo Inc. in Cochrane and Hartmann Farms in Lodi.

Cowsmo Inc.

“Cowsmo Inc. actually started as an afterthought. We had to get rid of lots of manure after we expanded,” says fifth-generation farmer John Rosenow, who owns the compost company with his wife, Nettie.

The pair operate a dairy, which generates plenty of raw material for their flourishing organic compost business. They flush their barns with water and separate the liquid and solids.

“Composting the solids and selling them made sense,” he says. “The first year, we just gave it away and found that people liked it. We increased our price, and now, our bags are selling for up to $30 at retailers in areas of the Twin Cities.”

Rosenow says that because it began as a side project, they didn’t spend much time marketing the product. But after merging their farm with a neighbor in 1997, they built a specific compost pad on 2 acres with the intent of making it a business.

“I took over the marketing, and Nettie took over compost production in 2001,” Rosenow says. “Our sales have increased 15-fold since then.”

Marketing was key to growing the business, sharing the unique product many people didn’t know existed before. The Rosenows had to learn this through time and investment, as it didn’t come naturally to them.

Today, Cowsmo Inc. products are sold in 22 states and four countries. The company employs 18 people for the dairy farm and agribusiness, including immigrants. Rosenow and his interpreter started a nonprofit, Puentes Bridges, that builds a connection between those who come to the U.S. to work and their families back in Mexico.

“Our employees really appreciate that and do a great job,” Rosenow says. “I advocate for immigrants as often as I can.”

Hartmann Farms

Hartmann Farms is a robust operation that began as a traditional farm growing corn, soybeans, wheat and some livestock. Over time, they’ve expanded to include several agribusiness avenues.

“Our primary business is farming approximately 7,000 acres of corn and soybeans,” says farm owner Howard Hartmann. “We’re also involved in the grain business buying and selling corn and soybeans, trucking primarily used for hauling commodities related to the farming and grain business, and custom farming. This ranges from specific tasks like crop spraying to fully managing the entire crop cycle including marketing.”

To attract and retain a strong workforce, Hartmann says it’s important to create a workplace where employees enjoy coming to work.

“We want to foster our family-run business environment where personal connections go beyond work,” he says.

Hartmann Farms is also a member of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, which Hartmann says has provided great support that’s been crucial as they’ve expanded.

“They’ve helped us a lot through navigating regulations and laws, developing a safety program, and through programs for developing future leaders,” he says.