Agriculture: Dairy farming provides the leading agricultural activity in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a leading producer of milk and its production accounts for about half of the state's farm income. Beef cattle and hogs are, respectivly, Wisconsin's second and third most valuable livestock products. Chickens and eggs are also important. The state's leading field crop is corn. Hay and oats are grown in Wisconsin for livestock feed. Corn is fed to hogs and corn, hay and oats are fed to beef cattle. Other field crops grown in the state are soybeans, tobacco and wheat. Wisconsin leads the states in the production of beets and snap beans and is a leading producer of cabbages, cucumbers, green peas, lima beans, potatoes and sweet corn, most of which ends up in Wisconisn canneries. Wisconsin is also a leading producer of cranberries. Apples, raspberries, strawberries and other fruits are also grown in the state. [Find out more]
Manufacturing: Machinery (engines and turbines, power cranes and other construction machinery, heating and cooling equipment and metalworking machinery)is Wisconsin's leading manufactured product. Transportation equipment (motor vehicles, motor vehicle parts) ranks in second place. Following transportation equipment, food products (butter, cheese, ice cream, evaporated and dried milk, meat-packing, canned fruits and vegetables, beer)form Wisconsin's third-ranked manufacturing activity. Wisconsin produces about 1/3 of the cheese made in the United States and is a leading butter-producing state. Beer is Wisconsin's most valuable processed beverage product.
Services: Community, business and personal services (private health care, law firms, hotels and resorts, repair shops) ranks as Wisconsin's number one service industry group. Generating the second most income in the services industry are the wholesale and retail trade group and the finance, insurance and real estate group. Wholesale trade products include farm products, groceries and machinery. Important retail income sources are automobile dealerships, discount stores and food stores. Milwaukee is one of the Midwest's important financial centers, home to the two largest banking companies in Wisconsin and one of the biggest insurance companies in the United States. Government services (operation of public schools and hospitals, military facilities, Indian reservations) comprise the third-ranked services group.
Mining: Used in the construction industry, Wisconsin's most important mined products are sand and gravel and crushed stone.
Natural Resources: The natural resources of Wisconsin are comprised of rich soils, minerals, large forest stands and abundant supplies of water. There are 1,690 square miles of inland water as well as borders on two of the Great Lakes; Michigan and Superior. Rainfall is plentiful. Almost half the state is forested with hardwood trees (ash, aspen, basswood, elm, maple, oak, yellow birch) making up about 80% of the growth. Softwood timber includes balsam fir, hemlock, pine, spruce, tamarack and white cedar.
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