Table 42. Organic Agriculture: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Item 
Massachusetts 
Barnstable 
Berkshire 
Bristol 
Dukes 
Essex 
Franklin 
TYPE OF PRODUCTION 
USDA National Organic Program certified 
organic production 
farms 
131 
12 
11 
18 
5 
5 
18 
USDA National Organic Program organic 
production exempt from certification 
farms 
100 
1 
5 
15 
2 
1 
19 
Acres transitioning into USDA National Organic Program 
organic production 
farms 
48 
6 
1 
5 
3 
" 
11 
VALUE OF SALES OF CERTIFIED OR EXEMPT 
ORGANICALLY PRODUCED COMMODITIES 
Total organic product sales (see text) 
farms 
198 
8 
15 
32 
6 
6 
34 
$1,000 
26,238 
504 
1,001 
1,652 
48 
845 
8,164 
By value of sales: 
$1 to $4,999 
farms 
103 
4 
4 
20 
3 
2 
18 
$1,000 
181 
10 
10 
30 
9 
(D) 
28 
$5,000 or more 
farms 
95 
4 
11 
12 
3 
4 
16 
$1,000 
26,057 
493 
991 
1,621 
39 
(D) 
8,136 
Item 
Plampden 
Hampshire 
Middlesex 
Nantucket 
Norfolk 
Plymouth 
Suffolk 
Worcester 
TYPE OF PRODUCTION 
USDA National Organic Program certified 
organic production 
USDA National Organic Program organic 
farms 
1 
17 
19 
- 
2 
8 
1 
14 
production exempt from certification 
Acres transitioning into USDA National Organic Program 
farms 
3 
19 
16 
“ 
2 
9 
” 
8 
organic production 
farms 
1 
10 
1 
- 
- 
1 
1 
8 
VALUE OF SALES OF CERTIFIED OR EXEMPT 
ORGANICALLY PRODUCED COMMODITIES 
Total organic product sales (see text) 
farms 
4 
25 
34 
- 
4 
13 
1 
16 
$1,000 
7 
3,054 
1,364 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
(D) 
(D) 
By value of sales: 
$1 to $4,999 
farms 
4 
13 
19 
_ 
2 
6 
1 
7 
$1,000 
7 
26 
17 
- 
(D) 
15 
(D) 
23 
$5,000 or more 
farms 
- 
12 
15 
- 
2 
7 
9 
$1,000 
- 
3,028 
1,346 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
Table 43. Selected Practices: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Geographic area 
Received 
irrigation 
water from 
the U.S. 
Bureau of 
Reclamation 
(farms) 
Practiced 
alley 
cropping 
or 
silvopasture 
(farms) 
Harvested 
biomass 
for use 
in 
renewable 
energy 
(farms) 
Practiced 
rotational 
or 
management- 
intensive 
grazing 
(farms) 
Marketed 
products 
directly 
to 
retail 
outlets 
(farms) 
Produced 
and 
sold 
value-added 
commodities 
(farms) 
Marketed 
products 
through 
community 
supported 
agriculture 
(CSA) 
(farms) 
Raised 
or 
sold 
veal 
calves 
(farms) 
On-farm 
packing 
facility 
(farms) 
State Total 
Massachusetts 
- 
59 
66 
1,005 
1,035 
738 
431 
43 
396 
Counties 
Barnstable 
_ 
_ 
6 
23 
54 
24 
11 
_ 
24 
Berkshire 
- 
8 
5 
102 
87 
55 
27 
11 
18 
Bristol 
- 
1 
- 
78 
64 
36 
25 
6 
34 
Dukes 
- 
3 
- 
21 
22 
14 
- 
3 
7 
Essex 
- 
- 
3 
62 
51 
25 
33 
2 
14 
Franklin 
- 
16 
12 
133 
170 
124 
59 
5 
52 
Hampden 
- 
7 
2 
70 
65 
53 
15 
4 
19 
Hampshire 
- 
8 
9 
119 
129 
77 
67 
2 
58 
Middlesex 
- 
2 
11 
106 
132 
77 
88 
4 
44 
Nantucket 
- 
- 
- 
- 
1 
1 
1 
- 
1 
Norfolk 
_ 
_ 
5 
19 
27 
18 
17 
_ 
16 
Plymouth 
- 
- 
2 
68 
51 
48 
21 
- 
22 
Suffolk 
- 
- 
- 
- 
7 
- 
6 
- 
1 
Worcester 
- 
14 
11 
204 
175 
186 
61 
6 
86 
304 Massachusetts 
2012 Census of Agriculture - County Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
