Starting in 2007, organic farming sales in Maine more than doubled over the next 15 years, but the last five of those years showed an odd drop in revenue, according to a new report.

The report, released on Aug. 5 by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, examined economic factors surrounding organic farming in Maine and compared them to regional and national trends.

“We’ve seen incredible growth in the sector, in the certified organic industry,” said Sarah Alexander, the association’s executive director.

On the whole, the entire 15-year period the study covered showed roughly 110% of growth in organic product sales. In 2007, according to the report, annual sales added up to more than $23.3 million, and in 2022 the figures stood at just over $49 million.

But the report’s data also indicates at one point sales went higher than that, peaking at just over $60 million in 2017, then dropping steadily until 2022.

“We did see some significant decreases in the dairy sector, some in the vegetable sector, and then also across hay and maple syrup production,” Alexander said. “However, at the same time we did see increases in other areas such as fruits nursery crops and other poultry and small livestock operations that are growing and actually increasing their sales year over year.”

The decline stands out because it doesn’t match regional or national trends. According to the report, national organic product sales increased from 2017 to 2022 by 32%, and sales in the northeastern US went up by 6% in the same period.

Alexander pointed to several factors that could account for the decline. In 2021, she noted, Horizon Dairy canceled all 89 of its contracts with organic dairy farmers in the northeast, including Maine.

“That was a big setback,” she said.

Alexander also said the final five years covered by the report are in the post-COVID period, where production costs have been higher. The report itself also suggested that some farmers may have opted not to get their products certified organic, which would explain why the sales don’t turn up in the data.

Going forward, the report described financial stability for organic farmers in Maine as “a major challenge.” When asked, the report found farmers mentioned “climate change and the availability and affordability of labor” as the key challenges going forward.