Organic Farming is Booming...But Industry Growth Varies Across the United States

Slowly but surely our nation’s food and farming system is changing. Certain produce items are seeing greater demands, decades-old family farms are being sold into larger systems and environmental changes continue to force farmers to adapt. One change that has garnered lots of national attention is the push towards organic farming.

You may have noticed an increase in the size of the organic produce or meats section at your local grocery store, and, to be sure, the growth in organic farming is quite striking. The Pew Research Lab recently reported that from 2011 to 2016, there was a 56% increase in the number of organic farms operating in the United States. This new market presents opportunities for farmers and consumers alike.

For many, the nature of organic farming is unclear. In fact the term “organic” does not describe food, but instead certifies a method of farming, which, in its simplest terms, requires several years of farming without the use of pesticides or other substances as measured by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Despite the fact that the number of farms with qualified organic practices has grown recently, this growth has been uneven across different parts of the country, due largely to differences in market demand, varying capacities to produce profitable yields with organic methods and difficulty in understanding USDA policies.

A new report recently shared the best and worst states for organic produce, based on the number of organic produce operations in each state. The report reflects the uneven rise in organic farming in different parts of the country.

Interestingly, the region with the most organic produce farms per capita was the Northwest part of the country. States like Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho were all among the top ten states for organic produce. This may be surprising to some, who would think that the South or Midwest, the leading regions in American agriculture, would similarly lead in organic food production. Still, demand in major cities like Seattle and Portland is notably high, leading more local farmers to grow organic.

However, it is interesting to note that, far from the organic farms of the Pacific, the top state for organic produce is Vermont, with nearly 82 organic produce farms per capita. According to the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, the state has some of the oldest establishments dedicated to helping farmers achieve organic certification. Further, the group consistently dedicates efforts to helping organic farmers grow their acreage, increasing the amount of organic land in Vermont, and helping reduce instances of pesticide runoff into organic farmers’ crops.

Areas in the country with less organic farming include the Southeast, South and Midwest parts of the country. Though, with more pushes for organic livestock and non-produce organic goods like cotton, there may well be increases in organic farming in those regions soon.

So, what’s ahead for the organic food market? Organic farm advocates are optimistic. According to the Organic Trade Association, despite economic devastation from COVID-19, organic goods sales actually increased in the early months of the pandemic, with sales of organic produce increasing by 20% during the spring months of 2020. The Organic Trade Association reasons that, as our country faces hardship, investing in healthy foods will become more important to many Americans, leading them towards the organic sections of their local supermarkets.

Just as it is impossible to predict the yields of a crop every year, there’s no certain path for organic goods success in the future. Still, it will be important to watch how American farmers from all across the country navigate this growing organic sphere.