Organic dairy production is booming in Washington state, as it is in many areas. According to an article in the Puget Sound Business Journal, the Washington Department of Agriculture received a record 20 applications for organic certification, with a similar number expected this year. We hear a lot from small processors who are looking for sources of organic milk locally,” said Katherine Whithey, organic dairy specialist for the state Department of Agriculture.
“That’s what’s happening now. These types of products are making it into the mainstream market” and are no longer just in “little hippie food stores” anymore, she said.
National sales of organic milk in 2005 jumped 24 percent in volume and 27 percent in value, to $499 million, according to figures released by Schaumburg, Ill.-based ACNielsen North America.
Most of the organic milk sold in Washington is produced by farmers who belong to the Northwest Dairy Association.