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You are here:   Home → Built Environment → Number of Farms in Organic Production
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Indicator: Number of Farms in Organic Production

Number of Certified Organic Farms, King County, 1995-2004

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Upstream Indicators

There are currently no published Upstream Indicators.

Downstream Indicators
  •   Adequate Food --- Previous surveys carried out from 1995 to 1999 showed a much lower rate of concern among King County residents over having enough food than did the 2003 survey findings on whether household food money lasted. As the survey questions differed, trend data are not available. In 2003, King County had a lower rate of food insecurity than the state average of 11.9%, and Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap Counties had rates equal to or higher than the average (Children’s Alliance, Hungry in Washington, 2006).   (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:

There has been a strong 20%-a-year growth rate in organic production since 1990 (Organic Trade Association, OTA) and more land is going into organic production all the time. In Central Puget Sound, the number of certified organic farms tripled between 1995 and 2004.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Number of farms in certified organic production in King County.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

All organic foods are grown and processed according to strict national standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To meet these standards, organic crops must be produced without conventional pesticides (including herbicides), synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Organically raised animals must be given organic feed and kept free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Organic farm animals must have access to the outdoors, including pastureland for grazing. If a food has a "USDA organic" label, it contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients, and a government-approved expert has inspected the farm where it was produced to make sure the farmer follows USDA requirements.

The number of certified organic farms in King County has tripled from 7 to 23 between 1995 and 2004 (Figure 1). Many farmers in King County practice organic farming but do not certify their farms due to associated costs and legalities. Certified organic farms are required to meet the Organic Foods Production Act standards, which prohibit the use of chemicals, genetic engineering, and growth hormones.

The total number of farms in King County has increased from 1,498 in 1987 to 1,548 in 2002. Agriculture made up nearly 4% (52,257 acres) of the total county area (1,400,117 acres) in 1997 and 3% (41,769 acres) in 2002.

Data Source and Limitations

The following data are from the 2002 US Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service: number of acres treated with chemicals and total number of farm acres. Information in the Census was collected through the use of a survey which was distributed to all farms in King County. There were a total of 1,548 farms that received the survey and approximately 5% did not respond. Statistical estimations were used to account for the people who did not respond. In 2002 the National Agricultural Statistics Service used a different statistical methodology from 1997 to account for non-responses in 2002. This is one limitation to the data.

Farms were defined as any place where $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced, sold or normally sold during the census year. The number of acres treated is based on the farmers’ estimation. Data regarding number of total King County acres was identified by Jeff Hepinstall at the University of Washington Department of Urban Ecology.

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