User:Jrcarrol/sandbox

The United States of America
The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDARD) was created in 1994 as a subsection of the USDA that implements programs to stimulate growth in rural communities. One of the programs that the USDARD created provided grants to farmers who practiced organic farming through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). During the 21st century, the United States has continued to expand its reach in the organic foods market, doubling the number of organic farms in the U.S. in 2016 when compared to 2011.


 * Organic Farming has grown by 3.53 million acres in the U.S. from 2000 to 2011.
 * In 2016, California had 2,713 organic farms, which makes California the largest producer of organic goods in the U.S.
 * 4 percent of food sales in the U.S. are comprised of organic goods.