E-mail: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov
(518) 457-5570

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Keith Miller
Wednesday, July 8, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny

                              ORGANIC FARMING

The 2007 Census of Agriculture showed 20,437 farms engaged in organic
production in the United States, according to Steve Ropel, Director of
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office.  In
New York, there were a total of 1,137 farms engaged in organic production
on 131,796 acres.

Total organic production sales totaled $54.2 million in 2007.  Sixty-three
percent of organic sales were from livestock and poultry products, while 34
percent came from the sale of crops, including nursery and greenhouse
crops.  The remainder came from sales of organic livestock and poultry.

New York ranks fourth nationally in the number of organic farms, behind
California, Wisconsin and Washington.  In New York, St. Lawrence County
ranked first with 62 organic farms.

The Census, which is conducted every five years, provides facts and figures
on virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture, including number and types
of farm operations, the economic aspects of farm production and the
demographics of U.S. farm operators.

Details on this and other Census data can be found on-line through the New
York NASS website: www.nass.usda.gov/ny/. U.S., State and County tables are
available in PDF, Text, and CSV files. Printed copies will be available
along with the CD-ROMS and a searchable database.  For further information
or assistance, please call the New York office at 800-821-1276 or send an
e-mail to: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov.

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7-08-09