Total organic product sales by U.S. farms and ranches show substantial growth over the last few years, increasing 83 percent since 2007, reports the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

To learn more about the trends of organic agriculture in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is currently conducting the 2014 Organic Survey.

“The Organic Survey comes in direct response to the continued interest in organics among consumers, producers, businesses, and others,” said Vic Tolomeo, director of the NASS Pacific Regional Field Office.

He added, “This is an opportunity for organic producers to provide more detailed data to help provide the industry with a reliable source of information to use in justifying research projects and fund requests for the continued growth and sustainability of organic farming and ranching in the United States.”

NASS will mail the survey in early January to all known organic producers in the U.S. The survey will look at many aspects of organic agriculture during the 2014 calendar year – from production and marketing practices to income and expenses.

The survey will focus not only on operations currently engaged in organic production, but also those making the transition to organic agriculture.

“The results of the survey will help shape future decisions regarding farm policy, funding allocations, availability of goods and services, and other key issues,” Tolomeo noted.

“In addition, the information can help producers make informed decisions about the future of their own farming operations.”

Producers can complete the survey online via a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov, or return their form by mail.

Federal law (Title 7, U.S. Code) requires all producers who receive a form to respond and requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential. 

Recipients are required to respond by mail by Feb. 13, 2015 or online by April 3, 2015. NASS will publish the results in August 2015.

For more information about the organic survey, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call (800) 851-1127.