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Indicator: Organic Farm Trends

Data and Data Discussion provided by Communities Count

Figure 1: Certified Organic Farm Trends

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Upstream Indicators

There are currently no published Upstream Indicators.

Downstream Indicators
  •   Adequate Food --- Compared to 2003, fewer adults (6.8% of the population) in 2007 reported that household food money often or sometimes did not last. Fewer people in East Region said their household food money often or sometimes did not last compared to Seattle, South Region or King County as a whole.  (view data graph)
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Related Goals

Concerns for the planet, environmental justice and our own are promoting the sale of local organic food but the availability of such food on the shelves of grocery stores is limited by availability of agricultural land and whether the land has been certified organic.

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Sustainability Snapshot:

Organic food is safer and contains substantially more vitamins and minerals than does commodity food. It also tastes better. Organic production is better for the environment and healthier for farm workers because fewer chemicals are used for cleaner groundwater, rivers and soil. In Central Puget Sound, dead zones (areas of low oxygen water) are now year round in Hood Canal in part due to fertilizer run-off.

Sustainability Trend:

The number of certified organic farms in King County has more than tripled from 7 in 1995 to 23 in 2002, and remained relatively constant since then. The amount of acreage in organic production increased substantially in 2007.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Number and acres of farms in certified organic production in King County.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

The number of certified organic farms in King County has more than tripled from 7 in 1995 to 23 in 2002, and remained relatively constant since then. (Figure 1) The amount of acreage in organic production increased substantially in 2007. In addition, many farmers in King County practice organic farming but do not certify their farms due to associated costs and legalities.

Pesticide usage is an important indicator with regards to human health risk. Use of chemicals for agricultural purposes declined from 10.4% in 1997 to 7.4% in 2002. The next report of chemical usage on King County farmland is due February 2009 (data not shown).

Data Source and Limitations

Data on number of acres treated with chemicals, total number of farms, and total number of farm acres were derived from the 2002 Census of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/). Farms were defined as any place where $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold or normally sold during the census year. The number of total King County acres in 2005 comes from the King County Benchmarks Program (http://www.metrokc.gov/budget/benchmrk/bench05/landuse/LandUse2005- final_all.pdf#Ind39).

Certified organic farm trends were provided by Elizabeth Kirby, Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources, Washington State University,

Limitations with the data include that the number of acres treated with pesticides and chemical fertilizers is based on the farmer’s estimation. Furthermore these data do not include the types of chemicals used, amount applied to the land or information on its threat to human health.

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Additional Resources

  • Washington State Organic Farm Statistics
    This 2006 report by the Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources shows the increasing number of organic farms and acres of organic farmland in Washington. The report covers both crops and livestock, as well as county and statewide distributions of organic farmland.