Overview
The largest volume of organic meat sales is for poultry. Chicken is the most widely available organic meat; it is found in a large number of natural food retailers and conventional groceries. Chicken is also the most popular natural and organic meat, purchased by more than seven in ten shoppers (73%). Organic chicken dominates because of its relatively short production cycle, low price premium and integrated production.

Production
According to USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), the number of certified organic broilers produced in 2008 totaled more than 9.0 million. The number of certified organic layer hens produced that year was more than 5.5 million, and the number of certified organic turkeys produced was 398.5 thousand

Nebraska led the nation in organic broiler production, followed by California, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The largest producers of organic hens were Pennsylvania, California, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio. The largest producers of organic turkeys were California, Pennsylvania, Iowa and MIchigan.  (ERS) 

Broilers
As of December 31, 2008, more than 4.6 million organic broilers were being raised in 35 states. California reported the highest number of organic broilers on hand (nearly 2.8 million), followed by Pennsylvania (more than 537 thousand) and Iowa (more than 224 thousand).

Sales of U.S. organic broilers totaled more than $195.8 million in 2008. Again, California ranked first, with sales of nearly $129.2 million. Pennsylvania had sales of nearly $15.1 million and Iowa had sales of more than $8.8 million. Some statistical information about organic broiler production was not available for Nebraska and North Carolina.  (NASS 2010)

Eggs
In 2008, more than 80.4 million dozen organic eggs were produced on 978 U.S. farms. The organic eggs were valued at $154.8 million. The largest producers of organic eggs were located in California (15.8 million dozen), Pennsylvania (14.4 million dozen), Iowa (4.9 million dozen), Washington (4.4 million dozen) and Wisconsin (4.3 million dozen).   (NASS 2010)

Layers
As of December 31, 2008, nearly 4.1 million organic layer hens were being raised in 46 states. Five states dominated that market: California (778 thousand), Pennsylvania (598 thousand), Iowa (253 thousand), Texas (249 thousand) and Washington (243 thousand). These states accounted for 51 percent of organic layer numbers. Sales of U.S. organic layers totaled nearly $2.2 million in 2008.  (NASS 2010)

Turkeys
U.S. sales of organic turkeys topped $8.7 million in 2008. California reported the highest sales ($2.7 million), followed by Wisconsin (more than $144 thousand) and Washington (more than $35 thousand). However, some statistical information was not available for Michigan, Pennsylvania and Iowa.  (NASS 2010)  April 2011 . . . Organic Poultry

 
 
Marketing

• Accredited Certifying Agents, National Organic Program, USDA - Current listing of certification agencies.
• Chicken Eggs, Table 11. Organic Livestock and Poultry Products Sold on Certified and Exempt Organic Farms: 2008, 2008 Organic Production Survey, NASS, USDA, 2010.
• International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) - This Web site provides access to documents regarding the growing market for organic products.
• Layer Chickens, Broiler chickens and Turkeys, Table 10. Organic Livestock and Poultry on Certified and Exempt Organic Farms: 2008, 2008 Organic Production Survey, NASS, USDA, 2010.
• Layer Hens, Broilers and Turkeys, Table 2. U.S. Certified Organic Farmland acreage, Livestock Numbers, and Farm Operations, 1992-2008, ERS datasets, USDA - Excel table providing number of certified organic poultry.
• Layer Hens, Broilers and Turkeys, Table 5. U.S. Certified Organic Livestock, 2008, by State, ERS datasets, USDA - Excel table providing number of certified organic poultry. 
• National Chicken Council (NCC) - The NCC represents companies that produce, process and market almost 95 percent of America's chicken. Although NCC's primary responsibility involves public affairs/government relations, it also actively promotes the marketing and consumption of safe and nutritious chicken products both domestically and internationally.
• National Organic Program, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA - This program provides information regarding the national standards and organic certification. Only certified foods can be labeled as organic.
• Natural and Organic Foods, Food Marketing Institute Backgrounder, 2008.
• Organic Agriculture at FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations - Provides information on organic agriculture, including international markets, guidelines for exporting and certification.
• Organic Farming and Marketing, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA - The briefing room on organic agriculture describes characteristics of the U.S. organic farm sector, including estimates of organic farmland acreage and livestock, by commodity and by state.
• Organic Livestock Workbook, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), revised 2004 - This publication is designed for use by organic and transitional producers with livestock or mixed crop livestock operations.
• Organic Poultry Gaining in Specialty Market Competition, Amber Waves, ERS, USDA, 2007 - Explains why poultry is among the fastest growing organic food products in the United States, despite high feed costs and other challenges in production and marketing.
• Organic Production, National Agricultural Library, USDA - This collection of resources deals specifically with marketing and trade resources.
• Program Handbook, National Organic Program, AMS, USDA, 2011 - The National Organic Program released an updated version of its handbook, a resource to clarify existing Federal organic requirements and offer best practices to help the regulated industry comply.
• Poultry Market Prices, AMS, USDA - Up-to-the-minute access to poultry market commodities pricing, including broilers/fryers, eggs and turkeys.
• Table 5. Certified organic livestock. Data on cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and other poultry, by State, 1997 and 2000-08, ERS Datasets, USDA. 
• U.S. Poultry & Egg Association - This trade organization promotes the poultry and egg industry.

Processing/Manufacturing

• American Association of Meat Processors - This national trade association has been in existence since 1939.
• American Meat Institute Foundation - A nonprofit research, education and information foundation established by the American Meat Institute to study ways the meat and poultry industries can produce better, safer products and operate more efficiently.
• Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA.
• Organic Meat and Poultry Processing Basics, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 2005.
• Organic Trade Association - Established in 1985, this association represents growers,shippers, processors, certifiers, farmer associations, brokers, manufacturers, consultants, distributors and retailers in Canada, the United States and Mexico.It offers many publications on the organic industry and workshops, such as retailing practices for organics.
• Rules and Regulations, FSIS, USDA.

Production

• Avian Influenza in Free-Range and Organic Poultry Production, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), NCAT, 2006.
• Dietary Yeast Extracts Tested as Alternative to Antibiotics in Poultry, ARS, USDA, April 2011.
• Organic Poultry - Meat Birds, Maritime Certified Organic Growers, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2002.
• Organic Production, ERS, USDA.
• Organic Poultry Production, University of Minnesota - This Web page provides an extensive list of links and resources for organic poultry production, including fact sheets.
• Organic Poultry Production: an introductory guide, Soil Association, United Kingdom - This booklet provides a perspective on organic poultry production in another country.
• Organic Poultry Production in the United States, ATTRA, NCAT, 2008 - This publication discusses organic poultry production systems including living conditions, health, genetics and origin, feed and processing as specified under the livestock requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program.
• Poultry Your Way: A Guide to Management Alternatives for the Upper Midwest, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 2005 - This guide is for anyone interested in commercially raising, processing and marketing poultry. It is designed to help future poultry producers consider alternatives and make decisions about which alternative(s) will be most compatible with their family and business goals.
• Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture, Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, 2006.
• Transitioning to Organic Poultry Meat Production, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service.

Businesses/Case Studies

• Alpine Chicken Tour, Rodale Institute, 2002 - A photo tour of a Swiss organic poultry farm, with a detailed look at innovative production techniques.
• Consumer Preferences for Organic/Free Range Chicken, Kansas State University, 2002.
• NorthStar Neighbors: Neighbors and Friends Working Together, North Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability - A Nebraska meat-marketing cooperative has a successful, informal equipment-sharing strategy.
• Organic Egg Production, Rodale Institute, 2003 - Medium-scale organic egg producer describes his operation and analyzes his costs on a small Wisconsin farm.
• Organic poultry production: a fledgling industry in New Zealand, Rodale Institute - Jake and Leigh-Ann Heuvel, currently raising and processing 2,600 free-range, certified organic “chooks” each week, are the only larger scale organic producers in New Zealand.
• Raising Poultry Organically, New American Farmer, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), 2005 - A Texas family markets 300 organic pastured chickens per month.
  

Links checked January 2011.