Sales of organic farm products rose 56 percent statewide from 2008 to 2014 with $164 million in sales that year, as New York ranked third nationwide in the number of certified organic farms, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. In 2015, New York’s organic sales rose another 35 percent.

"Organic farming is not a fad, but a robust sector of our economy," DiNapoli said "As demand soars for organic and locally-grown products, New York's farmers are competing at a national level and preserving our agricultural landscape."

New York’s top product – organic cow milk – ranked second nationally in both sales, at $93.6 million, and in the number of farms, at 402, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2014 Organic Survey. 

Crops, meanwhile, constituted 60 percent of all organic sales across the country. In New York, sales of organic crops were $52.7 million, with vegetables and melons the largest sellers, followed by apples, strawberries and blueberries.

Sales of organic livestock and poultry more than doubled from 2008 to 2014, DiNapoli’s report found. Maple syrup drew sales of $2.7 million, ranking New York third in the country behind Vermont and Maine. 

As of 2015, 934 certified organic farms were operating across the state. New York rated fourth in land acreage, with 213,000 acres of land dedicated to organic farming, exceeded only by California, Wisconsin and Montana, which boast larger-sized farms. 

Read the Organic Farms report here: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/other/organic_farm2016.pdf