Organic acreage way up in Cali

The Packer's sister publication, The Grower, reports organic acreage is way up in Calif. From the story:


The Santa Cruz-based California Certified Organic Farmers report that the number of acres it has certified as organic has surpassed 500,000 since it was started in 1973.

During the past two years, the group reported 129 percent growth in certified organic acreage along with a 141,317-acre increase in 2007 alone.

The group's 501,066 organic acres is split roughly evenly between livestock and produce operations.

Certified pasture and field acreage has risen from just 38,611 in 2004 to 241,511, reflecting the growth in the organic dairy and livestock sector.

The main areas of growth in crops have been oats, rice, table and winegrapes, wheat and alfalfa.
Table grape acre, for example, increased by 39.3 percent.

The number of small to medium-sized growers who are expanding their operations to include post-harvest activities, such as organic processing, handling or packaging, also has grown.

"Much of our current growth is attributed to existing members adding acreage, facilities and products", says Peggy Miars, CCOF executive director.

In 2007, CCOF completed more than 2,300 on-site inspections of land and facilities to ensure comply with the National Organic Program. That's about 10 inspections per work day, says says Jake Lewin, certification services director.

In addition, the organization expanded its geographic reach to 29 different states, as well as five foreign countries.