Iowa ranked sixth in the nation for the total number of certified organic farms with 799 farms in 2021, accounting for 5% of the nation’s total, according a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) survey released last week. 

Corn for grain had the highest total value of sales for organic commodities in Iowa at $88 million, followed by soybeans, eggs, chickens and milk. 

Nationally, organic sales totaled $11.2 billion in 2021, an increase of 13% from two years earlier. California continued to lead the nation in certified organic sales with $3.55 billion, which is 32% of the U.S. total. It also led all states with 3,061 certified farms and 813,710 certified acres. 

Top commodities in value of sales in 2021 were livestock and poultry products, $2.86 billion; fruits, tree nuts, and berries, $2.2 billion; livestock and poultry, $2.2 billion; vegetables, $1.91 billion; and field crops, $1.50 billion.