Tracking the Organic Sector in Washington State

The organic agriculture sector in Washington achieved an estimated $776 million in farm-gate sales in 2019. Regular, accurate statistical data on this sector are not available from the standard government sources, thus WSU has been compiling data continuously since 2004. Growers, processors, consultants, businesses and others in the organic sector need solid data upon which to base their decisions. This proposal would support conducting the gathering, analysis, and dissemination of organic sector data for 2020, using data directly from the three certifiers that account for 98% of the certified organic farms in the state. We will create an overall organic sector state report plus a detailed tree fruit report, both in PowerPoint format, as well as an updated Excel file containing all the data from previous years. We will prepare lecture slides for WSU Organic and Sustainable Agriculture degree classes. The WSU organic sector reports will be available online and results will be presented to industry individuals and meetings upon request.