Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC Certifies 500th Organic Farm

Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC Certifies 500th Organic Farm
Richmond - Vermont is home to over 500 organic farms and processors, and that number is growing. Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC (VOF) has announced it has certified 543 certified organic producers with over 90,400 acres in production. 2008 showed a 10% increase in the number of certified producers and processors compared with 2007. Total gross sales for certified organic producers and processors were $103,205,052, a 10% increase compared with 2007.
"This was the year of the maple tree," said Nicole Dehne, VOF Administrator. "We saw many maple producers apply for organic certification this year given the organic premium on syrup prices." The number of certified organic maple producers more than doubled in the past year, from 39 to 82.
Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC is the USDA accredited organic certification program of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA Vermont). VOF's purpose is to provide a credible program to verify organic food production and to assist Vermont farmers and processors to achieve the highest possible organic standards. Farmers that participate in this program go through an annual inspection and record keeping process that helps assure the consumer that the organic standards are being followed.
VOF certifies 209 dairy producers. With the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets reporting that Vermont has 1,119 dairy farms, as of August 5th, 2008, 18.7% of Vermont dairy producers are certified organic by VOF.
Comparing the VOF Annual Statistics to the Vermont State Agricultural Overview 2007 published by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 7% of the farmland acreage in Vermont is certified organic while 8% of the farms are certified.
To view the full Vermont Organic Farmers 2008 Statistics on Organic Agriculture please visit www.nofavt.org.
NOFA Vermont recently released the 2008-2009 Farm & Food Guide, a directory of all the certified organic producers and processors in the state along with listings of farmers' markets and CSAs. To request a copy please contact the NOFA Vermont office or to view a searchable directory of farms, please visit www.nofavt.org.