Good news. The U.S. is about to do its first detailed survey of organic agriculture. Really…it’s first.
We keep seeing stats that organic ag is on the rise. If you’re like me, you’re seeing more “organic” products on store shelves.
Indeed, according to a 2007 ag census, there were more than 20,000 farms with land in organic production and sales of $1.7 billion. Still just a fraction of farmland in the U.S. But not chump change.
Yet we really don’t have much information about organic practices across the country.
Reuters reports that questionnaires will be mailed next month with responses due by mid-June. The USDA will issue a report on the findings sometime net year.
“This is an opportunity for organic producers to share their voices and help ensure the continued growth and sustainability of organic farming in the United States,” Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said in news release today.
Below are some examples of what info the USDA intends to collect:
— Production practices such as pest management, cover crops, crop rotation, rotational grazing, conservation tillage, water management and buffer zones
— Production expenses
— Marketing practices, including wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer sales
More details can be found on the USDA’s FAQ page here.
Photo is Vilsack earlier this month getting his hands dirty with school children planting the Obama’s Kitchen Garden, an organic garden on the South Lawn of the White House.
Virtual Farmgirl 