State of organics
Eight Mile Creek Farm, a certified organic farm in Westerlo.
Agriculture fact of the day: New York State had the third most certified organic farms* in the nation in 2011, with 597 -- according to the USDA. The two states ahead of it: California, with 1,898; and Oregon, with 870. New York ranks 4th in total acreage for organic farms. [USDA]
The state's certified organic farms produced products worth about $107 million. But almost half those farms had sales of less than $50,000 a year. About 40 had sales of more than $500,000.
The number one product from New York organic farms, by total sales value: organic milk, which makes up more than half of organic sales by farms (about $60 million). Certified organic milk represented about 1.5 percent of the state's total milk production by volume, and more than 2 percent by sales. [TU] [USDA]
* There are farms that adhere to many organic practices, but aren't necessarily certified organic. This number doesn't include them.
Earlier on AOA:
+ The organic milk shortage
+ Touring the Hilltowns, a farm at a time
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Comments
This is great news. Let's hope fracking doesn't ruin it.
... said chrisck on Dec 18, 2012 at 11:15 AM | link
I love the photo with this post. That farm looks so peaceful.
... said Kristi on Dec 19, 2012 at 10:31 AM | link
@Kristi: When I visited that farm earlier this year, Pam McSweeney -- the owner -- described it as her "oasis" and talked about how it makes her feel calm and close to nature. The place is like something out a kids book about farms.
... said Greg on Dec 19, 2012 at 10:52 AM | link