Going Organic in the Lone Star State: A Descriptive Study of the Geography of Organic Agriculture in Texas

Abstract

Organic farming in Texas has emerged as a solution to the detrimental environmental and economic effects of chemically dependent conventional agriculture. The exploration and analysis of the geography of the organic farms in Texas provides insight into how organic farming may fit into the broader scope of sustainable agricultural. This research illustrates the current geography of organic farms in Texas and provides an exploratory and descriptive study of factors relating to the distribution of organic farms in Texas. Data analysis suggests that organic farm location and characteristics in Texas are related to socio-economic characteristics of urban centers and environmental characteristics of natural regions of the state. Relationships between socioeconomic and environmental variables and the location of organic farms in Texas are discussed.