Although Wisconsin remains one of the top-ranked states in terms of organic dairy production, the economic recession has halted the industry's growth over the past year, according to a recent UW-Madison study.
The report revealed organic sales increased by 20 percent annually in Wisconsin since 1990, but this year sales decreased by .3 percent.
According to the market research conducted by the Mintel International Group, many consumers who purchased organic food in 2009 traded down from name brands to ""cheaper organic store brands.""
According to the report, however, the number of organic farms in Wisconsin increased since 2009, allowing organic production to sustain itself.
""Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in the number of dairy farms and the number of organic livestock and poultry farms,"" the report said.
James Baerwolf, the co-owner of a local organic dairy farm said in the report that although the economic recession has hurt his business, there is an advantage to being a local company.
""People who buy organic are more predisposed to look for other factors, like local,"" he said in the report. ""These customers are typically quite aware of the advantages of purchasing from a local farm that they know of or have been to.""
UW-Madison's Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems conducted the survey, which was released this month in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
—Kelsey Gunderson
