HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania farms produced and sold $742 million in organic commodities in 2019, ranking it third nationally behind California and Washington in the value of sales, according to the 2019 Organic Survey.
The results of the survey, a special study conducted as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture, were released Oct. 22.
Organic sales were up 12% in the state from 2016, the last time the Organic Survey was taken. Nationwide, sales of organic commodities rose by 31% since 2016, according to the survey.
Pennsylvania leads the country in organic livestock and poultry sales, with $449 million in sales in 2019. Behind it is California with $386 million and North Carolina at $221 million.
Pennsylvania is third when it comes to organic livestock and poultry product sales, which includes cow milk, goat milk and chicken eggs. The number of certified organic farms in Pennsylvania increased 31% to 1,048 farms, placing it fourth in the nation behind California, Wisconsin and New York. Certified organic acres in Pennsylvania increased 15% from 2016 to 107,550 acres.
