USDA recently released the results of its first in-depth survey of organic farming in the United States. The 2008 Organic Production Survey counted 14,540 organic farms and ranches in the country (nearly 20 percent of them in California), comprising 4.1 million acres of land.

After California, the states with the most organic farms were Wisconsin, Washington, New York and Oregon.

U.S. organic farms had $3.16 billion in total sales in 2008, nearly $690 million of that coming from the vegetable category (about 21.9 percent of total sales). Vegetables were the second most profitable category after livestock products ($906 million), according to the survey.

Organic farms had average annual sales of $217,675, compared with $134,807 for U.S. farms overall. The top states in terms of sales were California ($1.14 billion), Washington ($281 million), Pennsylvania ($212 million), Oregon ($155 million) and Texas ($149 million).

Those are just a few tidbits from the survey. To see more, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov.

Lessons Learned
Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO

Events Calendar

Feb. 21-23, 2010
Pesticide & Ag Plastics Stewardship 10th Annual Conference
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Savannah, Ga.
Contact: Kevin Neal
Phone: 765-494-1585
E-mail: nealk@purdue.edu

Feb. 24, 2010
Kankakee Vegetable Growers School
Kankakee County Extention Office, Bourbonnais, Ill.
Contact: James Theuri
Phone: 815-987-7379
E-mail: jtheu50@illinois.edu

Feb. 24-25, 2010
The Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention
Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario
Web site: www.ofvc.ca

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