MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin once again leads the nation in farm bankruptcies according to data from the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Wisconsin had 69 bankruptcies in total, almost double the state with the second most — Kansas had 35.
Western Wisconsin had more than any other region with 39. It also has more bankruptcies than any other region over the past decade with 255. As a state, Wisconsin has seen 401 bankruptcies in the last decade.
In total, Wisconsin had 12 more farm bankruptcies in 2020 than 2019. Nationwide, there were 43 fewer bankruptcies in 2019 than 2020.
Wisconsin also lost 260 dairy farms in 2020 according to USDA data. Those aren’t necessarily lost to bankruptcy, but oftentimes farmers selling herds and getting out of the industry. From 2019 to 2020 Wisconsin lost 818 dairy farms.