Small family farms drive U.S. organic acreage with more owned than rented land across farm sizes

In 2024, the majority of organic acres in the contiguous United States were farmer owned and operated, rather than rented by farmers. To market products as organic, producers need to be certified by USDA unless their gross annual sales of agricultural products are less than $5,000 a year. Certification ensures that production and handling follow USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards, and the certification process requires a 3-year transition period, during which the land must be managed according to NOP standards but cannot be marketed as certified organic. Small family farms operated over 40 percent of organic land, including acreage that is either certified organic or transitioning to organic, with a larger proportion owned by the farmer. Midsize and large family farms each operated 19 and 24 percent of organic land, respectively, with higher proportions owned. Nonfamily farms operated under 15 percent of organic land, divided almost evenly between rented and owned acres. This chart appears in the ERS report America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance, published February 2026.