USDA report shows Vermont holding its own in organic production

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A new USDA report on organic production is out and Vermont continues to hold its own on the national stage.

Results from a 2021 Certified Organic survey show the number of Vermont organic farms increased by 6% to more than 690 farms.

That positions Vermont as eighth in the country for certified organic acreage at more than 200,000.

The state accounted for roughly 60% of New England’s certified organic sales, as well as 55% of the nation’s organic maple syrup.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture says these numbers are a good start.

“We want to focus on that consumers know that product is out there and it’s important, so marketing is important, but also making sure that our farmers have the resources and some of the infrastructure that is needed to take care of animals and their land,” Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said.

The agency says organic milk continues to be a pinch point in Vermont’s organic production, something they have planned investments for in the new year.

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