The article in the url link below reports 2007 agriculture census data on the distribution of organic farms across the U.S.:
“The map of organic farms in the United States is clustered into a few geographic centers, a strikingly different pattern than the map of all farms, which spreads densely over many regions, breaking only for the Rockies and Western deserts.”
The article notes that, while there are large numbers of small organic farms in both the NW and NE of the U.S. that sell direct to consumers, large organic farms are located mostly in California. Overall, organic sales in the U.S. have been rising in recent years:
“Organic vegetables now account for 5 percent of all vegetable sales; organic dairies, which are the fastest-growing sector, now produce 1 percent of the nation's milk.”
There is a lag, however, between consumer demand and the ability of farmers to increase their supply of organic products:
“… the Agriculture Department requires a three-year waiting period for farms to win organic certification.”
The graphics that accompany this article can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/05/03/business/03metrics.graf01.ready.html
Take care
David
Bill Werther & David Chandler
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
© Sage Publications, 2006
The Hot Spots for Organic Food
By HANNAH FAIRFIELD
214 words
3 May 2009
Late Edition - Final
