In 2014, certified and exempt organic farms in the US sold a total of $5.5 billion in organic products, according to a report published by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The top 10 states in terms of sales accounted for 78 percent of total US organic sales, with California being the leading state with sales of $2.2 billion.
The selection of organic products sold by US farms in 2014 was diverse and ranged from dairy to proteins, fruits & vegetables and grains. Lettuce and apples rank 4th and 5th in the top five commodities in organic sales with a value of $264 million and $250 million respectively. They follow after milk, eggs and broiler chickens.
Organic producers are able to get their products from farm to table more efficiently as their products don’t travel far to the consumer. Almost half was sold within 100 miles of the farm and two percent was sold internationally.
Almost 40 percent of survey respondents indicated they intend to increase their organic production within the next five years.