2,436

626

332

269

222

221

210

187

155

Top States : Certified 

Organic Sales 

 ($ million)

California

Washington

Pennsylvania

Oregon

Wisconsin

New York

Texas

Michigan

Colorado

Arizona 129

About this Survey

The 2015 Certified Organic Survey 

is a census of all farms and ranches 

with certified organic production. 

Certified organic farms must meet 

the standards set out by USDA’s 

Agricultural Marketing Service’s 

National Organic Program (NOP) and 

be certified compliant by an approved 

NOP agent. The 2015 data, as well 

as results of previous NASS organic 

surveys, are available in the NASS 

searchable database Quick Stats and 

as PDF publications. 

The 2014 Organic Survey included 

farms exempt from certification and 

those transitioning to certification, 

but the 2014 data included in this 

Highlights are for certified farms only 

and therefore comparable to 2015 

data.

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov

NASS Highlights September 2016 • No. 2016-8

Sales up 13 percent 

since 2014

In 2015, the United States had 12,818 certified organic farms producing and 

selling $6.2 billion in organic commodities. Only California and Wisconsin 

had more than 1,000 such farms; Washington, Iowa, and several northeastern 

states had more than 500. Except for Florida and Texas, states across the south 

had relatively few certified organic farms. (Fig. 1)

Fig. 1. Number of Certified Organic Farms, by State, 2015

< 50

50 - 99

100 - 499

500 - 999

1,000 +

Certified organic farms operated 4.4 million acres of certified land in 2015, up 

20 percent from 2014. Slightly more than half the land (55 percent) was used 

to produce organic crops; the rest of the land was pasture and rangeland. 

About half of the certified acres were owned by those who operated the 

farm, the rest was land rented from others. Certified farms were transitioning 

151,000 additional acres of land into organic production in 2015, primarily to 

grow crops.

Certified Organic Sales

Organic sales are more concentrated than organic farms. Ten states accounted 

for 78 percent of all certified organic sales, including crops, livestock, and 

livestock products. California, with $2.4 billion in sales, accounted for 

40 percent of the total value of U.S. certified organic sales.

Of the $6.2 billion in organic commodities sold, $3.5 billion, or 57 percent, 

came from organic crops, $1.9 billion (31 percent) from organic livestock and 

poultry products (primarily milk and eggs), and $0.7 billion (12 percent) from 

organic livestock and poultry. (Table 1)

2015 CERTIFIED ORGANIC SURVEY

Farms, Land, and Sales Up
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Table 1. Certified Organic Sales by Product Type, 2014 and 2015

($ billion and percent change)

2014 2015 % change

Crops 3.3 3.5 7

Livestock and poultry products 1.5 1.9 27

Livestock and poultry 0.7 0.7 13

Total 5.5 6.2 13

Milk and eggs were the top two commodities sold, 

valued at $1.2 billion and $0.7 billion, respectively, 

followed by broiler chickens valued at $0.4 billion. Two 

sectors – vegetables grown in the open and fruits, tree 

nuts, and berries – together accounted for 42 percent of 

sales. Among crops, apples, lettuce, and grapes were the 

top-selling commodities, with $302 million, $262 million, 

and $210 million in 2015 sales, respectively. (Table 2)

Table 2. Certified Organic Sales by Sector and Top Commodities, 

2015 ($ million and percent change)

Sector

Total

Commodity 

Sales

% change, 

2014 to 

($ million) 2015

Livestock and poultry products 1,911 27

Milk 1,174 8

Eggs 732 74

Vegetables in the open 1,362 9

Lettuce 262 -1

Spinach 154 32

Tomatoes 87 29

Carrots 83 20

Broccoli 71 -10

Sweet potatoes 71 4

Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 1,203 17

Apples 302 20

Grapes 210 7

Strawberries 151 70

Blueberries 124 80

Raspberries 46 230

Livestock and poultry 743 13

Broiler chickens 420 13

Cattle 233 8

Turkeys 70 41

Field crops 660 -8

Corn  for grain 129 -17

Hay 117 -15

Wheat 109 (D)

Soybeans 63 -13

Tobacco 50 NA

Mushrooms 96 -12

Vegetables under protection 73 -4

Other 115

Total 6,163 13

D = not disclosed to protect privacy of the producer. NA = not available.

Marketing Certified Organic Products

Nationally 71 percent of certified farms sold to wholesale 

markets, 36 percent sold directly to consumers, and

22 percent sold directly to retail markets and institutions. 

Farms may use just one or two of these sales options, or 

they may use all three.

States varied in how organic producers market and 

sell their goods. The percent of farms selling directly to 

consumers was highest in southeastern and northeastern 

states, and lowest in central states. In New England, 

the majority of certified farms sold at least part of their 

production directly to consumers, while in Nebraska and 

North Dakota, 10 percent or less did so. (Fig. 2)

Three fourths of certified farms sold some or all of their 

organic products within a 100-mile radius of the farm, 

with many eastern and southern states, along with Alaska 

and Hawaii, having the highest shares of such farms.

(Fig. 3)

% of certified farms

with this type of sale

Within 100 miles of the farm 75

100-499 miles from the farm 35

500 or more miles from the farm 14

Internationally 3

Fig. 2. Percent of Farms Selling Directly to Consumers, by State, 2015

< 20

20 - 29.9

30 - 39.9

40 - 49.9

50 - 59.9

60 +

percent

Fig. 3. Percent of Farms Selling within 100 Miles, by State, 2015

< 50

50 - 59.9

60 - 69.9

70 - 79.9

80 - 89.9

90 +

percent