California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) reports good news for the Golden State’s organic industry, as organic acreage was up 14.3% last year, based on an increase from 488,340 acres in 2007 to 558,137 acres in 2008. Even more impressive, total organic vegetable acreage was up a whopping 46%, to 29,365 acres. The vegetables that led the list in gains in organic acreage were carrots, sweetpotatoes, and garlic.

Organic fruit acreage was up almost as much, as acreage increased 43%. The organic fruit crop that saw the biggest growth was berries.

CCOF, which now certifies farmers, processors, handlers, retailers, and private labelers in 35 states and four countries, also reports that the number of operations it has certified has surpassed the 2,000 mark, with 199 new operations certified in 2008, an 11% increase.

Along with the trend of converting more and more acres to organic production, there is a growing number of small- to medium-sized growers expanding their operations to include postharvest activities — storage, packaging and handling — adding value to their organic production. As a result, more than 30% of CCOF members handle produce in some manner, representing an increase in the grower/handler category of certification by 33.8%.

In addition to the fruit and vegetable gains, organic wine and tea production saw expansion, with 28 new operations certified by CCOF in 2008, a 61% increase in growth to a total of 45 operations. The number of certified tea producers, including herbal tea processors, also increased, reaching 29 operations in 2008 from 20, a 44% growth rate.