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Who’s Buying Nebraska? Philly-based organic farmer is state’s No. 2 buyer of ag land

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A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Who’s Buying Nebraska? Philly-based organic farmer is state’s No. 2 buyer of ag land

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Organic farm /COPYRIGHT RESTRICTED

Belltown Farms regional manager Eddie Clevenger walks through a field of no-till corn near Holstein on July 31. Belltown, a Philadelphia-based organic farm that operates in several states, spent $41 million buying Nebraska farmland between the years 2018 and 2022, making it the No. 2 buyer of Nebraska farmland by cost in that time frame. 

Organic farm /COPYRIGHT RESTRICTED

The Weed Zapper is driven through a field of Belltown Farms beans near Holstein on July 31. The machine uses electricity to help control the weeds. 

Belltown Farms, an organic farm operation, farms 9,000 acres near Holstein where they grow corn and soybeans using natural weed barriers like alfalfa, vetch and rye. 

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YANQI XU and EVELYN MEJIA Flatwater Free Press

ADAMS COUNTY — At first glance, the sight of this south-central Nebraska farm is not much different from its counterparts in the corn belt. But the corn here grows on a natural diet of animal manure. No synthetic fertilizer or pesticides. The crop stands alongside alfalfa and trees in the corners of the fields.

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The US states with the most organic farms

U.S. States With the Most Organic Farms

Photo Credit: veeterzy / Shutterstock

As the force that feeds and nourishes the population, agriculture is one of the most vital industries in the U.S. economy. To accommodate the country’s growth over the years, agricultural practices have evolved to become more efficient, capable of reliably meeting the population’s daily needs. But these efficient practices also come with environmental costs, and many farmers and consumers are increasingly seeking out more sustainable alternatives.

Organic farming is an approach to agriculture that attempts to mimic nature and natural processes when raising crops and livestock. Rather than using techniques of larger-scale industrial agriculture, like genetic modifications, monoculture farming, and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, organic farmers seek to conserve biodiversity and natural resources on their farmland.

Organic products have seen a boom in demand in recent years, and there are a number of reasons why consumers might be seeking out organic products. Organic techniques appeal to environmentalist consumers who value a more sustainable approach to agriculture that promotes biodiversity, limits pollution, and increases carbon capture. For meat and dairy consumers, livestock production on organic farms is considered to be a more ethical and humane way to raise animals because they are given more access to the outdoors, better feed, and fewer hormones and antibiotics. Health-conscious consumers can point to evidence that organic products have health benefits like greater nutrient density and lower levels of toxic metals and pesticide residue than conventional agricultural products.

Whatever the reasons, organic farming has increased substantially over the last decade or so. In 2008, the U.S. had 10,903 organic farms covering around 4 million acres of farmland. In 2019, there were nearly 16,500 organic farms on 5.5 million acres. And these farms have grown alongside consumer demand: the sales of organic products have more than tripled over the same span, rising from $3.1 billion to $9.9 billion.

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Organic food sales have more than tripled since 2008

Within the nearly $10 billion organic food market, milk, chicken, and eggs are the top-selling products. Organic milk leads all products with sales of more than $1.5 billion per year, while chicken sees $1.1 billion in sales annually and eggs generate $887 million. Apples are the top-selling form of organic produce, with $475 million in annual sales.

Milk and chicken are the top two organic commodities

While the organic farming industry has seen tremendous growth, not all farmers are adopting organic practices. Many large-scale agricultural operations in the Midwest and South have relatively low numbers of organic farms and acreage devoted to such operations. But one location where organic agriculture has taken hold deeply is California. California is home to more than 3,000 organic farms—more than twice the next-highest state—and the total acreage of organic farms in the state totals nearly 1 million acres.

California accounts for nearly 20% of US organic farms and acreage

California is the nation’s top state for agricultural sales overall, so it is unsurprising that the state is also the leader in organic production. In relative terms, several other states devote a greater share of their farmland to organic farming than California, where organic farms represent only about 4% of the state’s agricultural acreage. Instead, the list of top states for organic farms on a relative basis is led by northeastern states including Maine, New York, and Vermont—the runaway leader, where organic acreage accounts for nearly 17% of its total.

The data used in this analysis is from the USDA. To identify the states with the most organic farms, researchers at Commodity.com calculated the total certified organic acres operated as a percentage of total farmland in each state. In the event of a tie, the state with the greater number of organic farms as a percentage of total farms was ranked higher. Only states with available data from the USDA were included in the analysis.

Here are the states with the most organic farms.

15. Ohio

Photo Credit: Ronald E Grafe / Shutterstock

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14. Maryland

Photo Credit: kallen1979 / Shutterstock

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13. Utah

Photo Credit: Dmitry Pichugin / Shutterstock

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12. Oregon

Photo Credit: Joshua Rainey Photography / Shutterstock

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11. Michigan

Photo Credit: Luis-Fernandez / Shutterstock

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10. Pennsylvania

Photo Credit: Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

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9. Idaho

Photo Credit: B Brown / Shutterstock

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8. Nevada

Photo Credit: SNEHIT PHOTO / Shutterstock

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7. Massachusetts

Photo Credit: Christian Delbert / Shutterstock

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6. Wisconsin

Photo Credit: James.Pintar / Shutterstock

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5. New Hampshire

Photo Credit: RaulCano / Shutterstock

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4. California

Photo Credit: veeterzy / Shutterstock

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3. Maine

Photo Credit: KWJPHOTOART / Shutterstock

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2. New York

Photo Credit: redtbird02 / Shutterstock

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1. Vermont

Photo Credit: haveseen / Shutterstock

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Organic farm /COPYRIGHT RESTRICTED

Belltown Farms regional manager Eddie Clevenger walks through a field of no-till corn near Holstein on July 31. Belltown, a Philadelphia-based organic farm that operates in several states, spent $41 million buying Nebraska farmland between the years 2018 and 2022, making it the No. 2 buyer of Nebraska farmland by cost in that time frame. 

The Weed Zapper is driven through a field of Belltown Farms beans near Holstein on July 31. The machine uses electricity to help control the weeds. 

Belltown Farms, an organic farm operation, farms 9,000 acres near Holstein where they grow corn and soybeans using natural weed barriers like alfalfa, vetch and rye. 

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