News of the North . net
MADISON – Gov. Jim Doyle announced that Wisconsin is second in the nation in the number of organic farms, according to numbers released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural (USDA) Statistics Service.
“Farming is the heritage and the future of Wisconsin, and we’ve worked hard to strengthen and diversify agriculture across the state,” Doyle said. “Organic farming is one of the areas that Wisconsin is leading the way, and I am proud to support these efforts.”
According to the USDA’s survey, Wisconsin has 1,222 organic farms, the second highest in the nation, behind California. Wisconsin organic farms use 195,603 acres of land. Organic sales in the state total $132.8 million, including $30.1 million in crops sales and $102.6 million in sales of livestock, poultry and their products. Sixty-four percent of total organic sales in Wisconsin were from milk from cows.
Organic farms in Wisconsin had average sales and production expenses similar to all farms statewide. Organic operations had average sales of $115,247 in 2008, compared with average sales of $114,288 for all types of farms, as reported in the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Production expenditures averaged $77,760 per organic farm, compared with the average of $86,011 for all farms.
Most Wisconsin organic producers sold their products locally, with 56 percent of sales occurring less than 100 miles from the farm. In Wisconsin, 7 percent of sales were direct to consumers via farm stands, farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, and other arrangements, while over 75 percent of Wisconsin organic sales were to wholesale channels. These percentages are consistent with those seen at the national level.
Doyle said incentives to help modernize the dairy industry have helped increase milk production to record levels and have strengthened the state’s status as the number one producer of cheese in the country. At the same time, efforts to strengthen diversity in agriculture have made Wisconsin a leading producer of cranberries, specialty cheeses, organic vegetables and many other products.
Nearly 20 percent of the nation’s certified and exempt organic farms are in California. The top 10 states were:
1. California with 2,714
2. Wisconsin with 1,222
3. Washington with 887
4. New York with 827
5. Oregon with 657
6. Pennsylvania with 586
7. Minnesota with 550
8. Ohio with 547
9. Iowa with 518
10. Vermont with 467
Complete results of the 2008 Organic Production Survey are available HERE
