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USDA organic survey shows Wisconsin losing acres, gaining sales

 

Wisconsin continues to increase organic farm product sales, even with fewer certified organic farms. The USDA’s Certified Organic Survey shows the Badger state remains 2^nd for the largest number of certified organic farms and the second highest organic acreage totals in America.  The 2015 survey also shows there were 28 fewer Wisconsin farms with sales and almost 19-thousand fewer certified organic acres than the year before.  While Wisconsin was losing acres, the U.S. average organic farm gained 80 acres to 340 acres.

There are now 209-thousand acres of certified organic farmland on more than 12-hundred certified organic farms in Wisconsin.   Farmers sold around 222-million in organic products last year, up 22-million from a year ago.

The survey showed 61% of Wisconsin’s organically grown farm products were sold within 100 miles, much of that on the wholesale market.

California remains number-one by a large margin with nearly 800-thousand acres of certified organic acres on twice as many farms as Wisconsin.