The variety of natural farms within the nation has declined by almost 5% over the previous 5 years, from 18,166 in 2017 to 17,321 in 2022, in accordance with the newest Census of Agriculture knowledge launched earlier this 12 months.
Nevertheless, gross sales nonetheless elevated by greater than 32%, rising from roughly $7.3 billion in 2017 to about $9.6 billion in 2022.
Census knowledge consists of each licensed natural operations and smaller entities exempt from certification attributable to gross annual natural gross sales below $5,000. Each licensed and exempt operations adhere to agricultural practices that help useful resource biking, ecological stability and biodiversity conservation.
Natural product gross sales are closely clustered on the West Coast, notably in California, in addition to within the higher Midwest, Nice Lakes areas, southeast Pennsylvania, and central North Carolina.
Among the many varied teams, the natural farms with annual gross sales exceeding $50,000 noticed probably the most important development, rising by 8% over 5 years. In distinction, the farms producing between $5,000 and $9,999 per 12 months from natural merchandise skilled probably the most important decline, with a lower of 29%.
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