While most Wisconsin farmers have fewer than 100 cows, a new breed is keeping herds of 2,000, 3,000 even 6,000 cows.

While most Wisconsin farmers have fewer than 100 cows, a new breed is keeping herds of 2,000, 3,000 even 6,000 cows.

According to a recent Associated Press article, these so-called mega-operators represent only 1.3% of the state’s 15,300 farms, yet they produce 16% of its milk. The farms are growing to reach the economies of scale usually associated with counterparts in California, Idaho and New Mexico.

To help farmers in Wisconsin keep pace, the state’s Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters created a panel of farmers, business executives, academics and politicians to study the future of farming and rural life. It is expected to issue a report this year.

Farms with fewer than 50 cows are hardest pressed in the changing market, said Bob Cropp, a dairy economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.