DES MOINES, Iowa – A new USDA report showed Iowa farmers are growing more organic corn, soybeans, hay and oats, while gradually increasing the state’s sustainable acreage.

“Iowa organic markets primarily include organic corn, soybeans, hay, milk, eggs, and a growing interest in organic livestock,” said Rosalyn Lehman, executive director of the Iowa Organic Assoc., in Des Moines. “Iowa continues as the top producer of organic hogs in the U.S.”

According to the results of the USDA’s 2019 Organic Survey, released Oct. 22, Iowa had 779 certified organic farms in 2019, with 133,691 acres, which include 47 more farms, and 30,555 more acres than recorded in 2016.

“Iowa produced more certified organic corn and soybeans than any other state, with organic corn being the state’s highest produced commodity at $38 million, and eggs being the second highest at $37 million,” Lehman said.

Moreover, the report said Iowa currently ranks sixth nationally in organic farms, leading the nation in organic corn and soybean production, at 13 percent and 15 percent, respectively, of the total, and provided 30 percent of the organic oats produced, nationally.

The report also said Iowa farmers are growing organic vegetables, apples, berries and strawberries.

“Organic farmers are building healthy soils by using extended crop rotations, diverse production systems, cover crops, and fertilizer sources rich in organic matter, and utilizing practices that reduce soil erosion and disturbances through conservation tillage, cover crop integration and no-till systems,” Lehman said.

She said the increase of organic acres in Iowa is a response to U.S. demand for organic practices and products.  

“Consumers, now more than ever, have greater access to food and health-related information, and are evaluating their food and product choices based on their personal values,” she said.

The USDA survey showed total sales of $9.93 billion in organic products, an increase of $2.37 billion, or 31 percent, from 2016. 

“There were 16,585 certified organic farms, a 17 percent increase from 2016, which accounted for 5.5 million certified acres, an increase of 9 percent over 2016,” the survey said.

The survey asked producers about plans for future production. Twenty-nine percent of farms plan to increase their level of organic production. More than 1,800 certified organic farms have 255,000 additional acres in the three-year transition period required for land to become certified as organic. 

An additional 710 farms not currently certified reported 61,000 acres of land transitioning to organic production.

Sally Worley, executive director of Practical Farmers of Iowa in Ames, said demand for organic continues to increase, and prices for organic crops are approximately double conventional crop prices. 

“This helps farmers increase margins and in turn, profit,” she said. “Consistently low conventional crop prices the last few years has further influenced people to transition to organic. In addition, higher margins allow farmers to make a living on fewer acres.

“Organics require a longer crop rotation, which brings with it more crop diversity,” she added. “This diversity helps increase economic resilience through increased market revenue streams.”

Lehman said the pandemic has also increased organic demand at unprecedented levels as consumers seek local, safe, fresh food options. 

“And while no one knows how much permanent change the pandemic will cause, this shift looks like it may persist because of a renewed awareness among the general public about what was missing, and what is needed in a robust foods system,” she said.

According to the Organic Trade Assoc., 52 percent of people who consume organic products are millennials, she said, and a 2017 Y-Pulse study found that 68 percent of millennials would rather buy locally sourced ingredients, and almost just as many are willing to pay more.  

“There is no equivalent to the USDA organic label – a guarantee that provides consumers with the confidence and assurance about how their food was grown and processed,” Lehman said. “This upward trend of organic demand by future generations will likely continue as more information and access to organic and local food becomes accessible.” 

Kathleen Delate, Iowa State University professor of horticulture and extension organic specialist, said environmental concerns are encouraging producers to examine farming practices that can lead to a reduction in pollution, and building soil quality. 

“Results of this study suggest that organic farming practices, such as the application of composted animal manure, and the use of forage legumes and green manures within extended cropping rotations, can improve water quality in Midwestern subsurface-drained landscapes,” she said.

“Traditionally, we’ve seen greater organic presence in northeast Iowa where more organic dairies are located; in eastern Iowa near Kalona where the Amish and Mennonite organic farmers preside; and in southwest Iowa, but there are pockets all over the state,” she added.

Lehman said the August derecho brought two aspects to the Iowa agricultural landscape: one is short-term, which is that it helped deal with huge inventory of last year’s corn crop, which, in turn, has propped up short-term commodity corn prices. 

“But the more important impact relates to a climate that has become more extreme, and is likely to continue to do so,” she said. “Iowa is an amazing place, with its soils and sunshine and rainfall and people. 

“But to have it flourish into the future, we need to build a resilient agricultural system, and organic farming systems have much to offer.”