Minnesota's organic farming industry continues to thrive despite inflation's impact at the grocery store.
Minnesota has more than 700 certified organic farms out of the over 17,000 nationwide, and experts say while inflation nationwide has tempered organic sales, it's not expected to impact the industry's long-term growth.
More and more of the state's farmers are converting some of their traditional acreage to organics, including Mapleton farmer Kristin Duncanson, who also works as a sustainability and conservation consultant, and federal farm policy expert.
"So, consumers are interested about where does my food come from, but more importantly, how is my food produced? What is the practice that got me this loaf of bread or this pork chop," Duncanson asks.
She says turning traditional crops into organic farmland is a long, tedious process, often taking years of soil cultivation, hand weeding, labor costs, and lost income due to the gap in production. Not to mention forging those relationships with buyers.
"Some organic farmers are just masters," Duncanson told WCCO's Laura Oakes. "They they either direct-sale or they have a relationship with an organic company that's going to buy from them or sell directly, and that's great. It works really well."
She says organic farming requires a different mindset, and can be a fickle business with a lot of trial and error.
"I really feel for companies trying to figure out, where are we going to put this product out here," she says. "I'll give you an excellent example. So a couple of years ago, we engaged with a company that was going to use more natural coloring in some of their cereal products. So we were lucky enough to work with a company to work on the color purple. No one bought the product. We grew a specific thing for them to replace an expensive purple coloring, and it wasn't natural, that they had used in the past. No one bought it."
What Is Organic?
“Organic” is a guarantee about how an agricultural food or fiber product was grown and handled before it reached the consumer. It’s also a set of standards for farmers who grow plants and animals, and for processors and handlers who turn it into food, clothing, or other products.
Farmers and food processors that make organic claims must meet national organic standards, maintain careful records, and be certified* by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-accredited organization, a process that includes on-site inspection. Certification assures consumers that the product was grown and processed organically. There are stiff penalties for fraud, which means representing a non-organic product as organic.
Meanwhile, critics of large food manufacturers say those companies commonly use chemicals, preservatives, and cheap ingredients in their products to make a profit, especially compared with how foods are manufactured in other countries.
Minnesota also hosts an organic conference each year. They host the conference for farmers and others interested in organic agriculture. The next conference is scheduled for January 11-12, 2024 in St. Cloud.
MORE: You can see a list of all the certified organic farms in Minnesota here.
Duncanson says she believes they do care about consumers' health and environmental concerns, but are simply slower to react. She says if you're concerned, speak up.
"We're in charge here," Duncanson says. "We're in charge. Don't just vote with your money, go to their consumer line and tell them, 'hey, I like this, but I it's not the ingredient list I want to see.'"
As of 2021, there were 17,445 certified organic farms in the United States, a 5% increase from 2019 and nearly double what it was in 2008. California continued to lead the nation in certified organic sales with $3.55 billion according to the USDA, which is 32% of the U.S. total. It also led all states with 3,061 certified farms and 813,710 certified acres.
Washington ($1.14 billion), Pennsylvania ($1.09 billion), Texas ($572 million), and Oregon ($386 million) round out the top five states for value of organic sales.
“The continual rise in interest for updated organics data is consistent with the growth of this important sector,” said National Agricultural Statistics Service Administrator Hubert Hamer. “These comprehensive and essential, national- and state-level data are critical for producers, businesses and policymakers in determining growth and trends in the organic industry.”
Minnesota ranks tenth in the number of organic farms in the U.S. with Wisconsin a surprising second and Iowa sixth.