Still, one in two farms smaller than 10 acres harvested cropland in 2017, and the number of acres of harvested cropland on these very small farms increased more than 36% from 2012. Bussler said some of this increase is likely related to a growing local food movement.

"A lot of those farms are fruit or vegetable growers," Bussler said, including farms that sell directly to local consumers via farmers' markets or community supported agriculture.

Meanwhile, the number of farms over 500 acres grew a more modest 6%, and the proportion of very large farms in Wisconsin, though growing, continues to lag behind neighboring states like Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.

"The small to mid-sized farms are still an important part of Wisconsin agriculture versus some other states where farms are a lot larger and more consolidated," Bussler said.

But a large and growing proportion of cropland in Wisconsin is harvested on these largest farms, showing the effect of ongoing farm consolidation in the state.

4. Organic agriculture grew

With more than 1,500 certified organic farms, Wisconsin maintained its status as one of the top states for organic production. Only California has more organic farms.