USDA

piping plover~endangered species~wildlife~birds~North Brigantine Natural Area ~Stone Harbor Point

groundwater;~subsurface;~heterogeneity;~water contamination;~hydrologic models;~water quality;~contaminant transport;~geology;~watersheds;~non point pollution;~water pollution;~pollution control;~stochastic processes;~long term;~river basins;~ watershed management; ~aquifers; ~water flow; ~simulation models; ~three dimensional models; ~water supply

BIOBASED LUBRICANTS SEED OILS HYDRAULIC OILS POUR POINT TRIBOLOGY PETROLEUM ENGINE OILS OXIDATION CLOUD POINT MEMBRANE SEPARATIONS HIGH PURITY FEEDSTOCKS REMEDIATION CHELATION BIOBASED ADDITIVES FATTY ACID METHYL ESTERS FATTY ACIDS HIGH OLEIC SEED OILS CHEMICAL MODIFICATION BIOBASED SOLVENTS BIOBASED BASE OILS POLYMERCAPTANIZED SOYBEAN OIL

01-OCT-15 to 30-SEP-16 Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): Objective 1: Enable, from a technological standpoint, new commercial separation processes for the production of marketable low-cost high- purity fatty acids. Objective 2: Enable new commercial products derived from fatty acid esters. Objective 3: Enable new commercial biobased additives for applications in lubricants. � Sub-objective 3.A. Develop novel and cost-competitive structures of biobased additives and base oils. � Sub-objective 3.B. Investigate tribological property of novel biobased additives and base oils and use results to optimize the respective chemical structures. This project is aimed at developing enabling new commercial technologies, processes, and biobased products for various markets including for: remediation (specifically heavy metal remediation to include water treatment/purification); lubricant additives; lubricant base oils; and chemical additives. The technologies and products from this research will be competitive in cost and performance to those currently in the respective markets. The biobased products targeted in this project will result in significant improvements to the U.S. economy and the environment as well as to the safety and health of the American people. Approach (from AD-416): (1) This approach outlines work to be performed related to a) screening of feedstock oil properties and quality; b) design of the membrane-based process Step 1 to remove polyunsaturated fatty acids and enrich saturated fatty acids/ monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) concentrations in fatty acid or fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) mixtures; c) evaluate two techniques for the design of process Step 2 to efficiently separate and enrich individual MUFA (oleic and erucic acids) with high yield and purity; and d) integrate designs for Steps 1 and 2 into a single process to fractionate fatty acid mixtures to produce valuable MUFA with high yield and purity. These items present a series of decision points that will be addressed during the course of the research project. (2)Recent research within the unit has shown thioalkyl derivatives of vegetable oils can be used in heavy metal remediation applications with the thioalkyl derivatives acting as metal-coordinating agents for silver ions. Building on these successful findings, new compounds featuring sulfur as the source of binding or chelation will be the primary objective. The initial feedstocks to be examined will be monounsaturated fatty compounds. This will be followed by the more chemically challenging di- and tri-unsaturated fatty compounds and, finally, vegetable oils. Emphasis will be placed on industrial oil feedstocks with enhanced sustainability. Additionally, materials from Objective 1, as they become available, will serve as unique, valuable starting materials. (3a) New biobased additives and base oils will be synthesized from commodity oils and their derivatives. Commodity vegetable oils comprise fatty acids with unsaturation that can be used as reactive sites for chemical modification. In addition to commodity vegetable oils, polymercaptanized soybean oil, which is produced in large quantities from abundant soybean oil and cheap hydrogen sulfide will be used. Other biobased feedstocks to be used in the synthesis include: FAME, obtained from the biodiesel process, especially those with unsaturation on their hydrocarbon chains; esters of fatty acid with various alcohol structures; etc. (3b) The new biobased additives will be first investigated for their compatibility with standard base oils. Additives found to be incompatible will be investigated using various approaches to make them more compatible. Only compatible additives will be allowed into the next phase which involves the investigation of their effectiveness at performing the specific tasks relevant to its application. Additives will be investigated relative to commercial reference additives using established tests for each application. Various concentrations of the additives in each base oil will be prepared and subjected to the respective tests. Based on these results, optimum concentrations of the additives will be determined. This is the first annual report for the project 5010-41000-175-00D, which was certified in October 2015. This new project aimed at developing new technology for producing high purity fatty acids and their derivatives (methyl esters, etc.) and converting them into value-added products for a variety of applications, including for heavy metal remediation from waste water and for lubrication. In FY16, progress has been made in all key objective areas (listed above) and highlights are given below. A database on the characteristics of membranes for separating fatty acids and esters is being compiled. The contents of the database will be used to evaluate membranes for selectivity in the permeation of different species for separation and purification. Results will then be employed to design and optimize scaled-up membrane-based separation processes. New catalysts and green catalytic procedures were developed for the synthesis of sulfur-containing derivatives of fatty esters. The new materials show promise for heavy metal remediation in aqueous waste streams and/or industrial effluents. In their previous research, ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, have shown that furan cyclic structures can be formed from epoxidized vegetable oil. The furan fatty acids potentially can have many useful properties, but their evaluation is hampered by low product yields achieved to date. The researchers continued the work this reporting cycle by evaluating the use of sulfuric acid as a cheap catalyst, and solvents of different polarity. They succeeded in slightly improving the yields (to ~25%). Modified soybean oil, produced commercially from commodity soybean oil, contains sulfur atoms in its structure. As a result, modified soybean oil could have potential application as a biobased multi-functional lubricant additive capable of providing anti-wear, antioxidant, and extreme pressure properties to lubricant formulations. A preliminary investigation of the as-received modified soybean oil samples from a commercial entity was conducted by ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois. The neat material displayed higher density, higher (> 7-fold) viscosity at 40�C, slightly lower viscosity index, and better oxidation stability and pour point than soybean oil. Modified soybean oil was also investigated as an additive in high oleic sunflower oil (HOSuO) base oil and the property of the blend evaluated as a function of modified soybean oil concentration. It was observed that blending modified soybean oil additive provided improved pour point, improved oxidation stability (at = 10%), lower anti-wear coefficient of friction, wear scar diameter, and almost 3-fold higher extreme pressure weld point than the HOSuO base oil. The result indicates that modified soybean oil, which can be commercially manufactured at low cost, has the potential to be used as low cost biobased additive in lubricant formulations. Further investigation of the as-received, as well as chemically modified soybean oil products is in progress. Accomplishments 01 Vegetable oil-based adsorbents remove mercury and silver ions from wastewater. Heavy metal contamination of natural waters is an emerging environmental problem in the United States. Toxic heavy metals can find their way into lakes and streams from sources such as industrial wastewaters, aging municipal plumbing, or the mining industry. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, developed an adsorbent material from modified corn oil that efficiently removes mercury and silver ions from contaminated water. A very small amount of the modified corn oil was required to reduce mercury concentration by 99.6% and silver concentration by 88.9% after contact with the contaminated water. This research will directly benefit efforts to develop green technologies to clean up wastewater streams without adversely impacting the environment. 02 New heavy metal removal agents based on agricultural products. Removal of heavy metals from aqueous waste streams and/or industrial effluents is a serious environmental and health issue. Compounds containing sulfur are known to often remove such metals. In this connection, a process using new catalysts for making new derivatives of fatty esters containing sulfur were discovered. The fatty esters used for this process can be obtained from common agriculturally-derived plant oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, or others. The new catalysts have the advantages of easy removal, providing the products in high yield, and enabling facile reaction conditions including no use of solvent which makes the production a truly green procedure. Analytical work on these compounds shows that the products are promising agents for heavy metal remediation in aqueous waste streams or industrial effluents and are competitive or better than existing materials. This work also provides a promising new use of agriculturally-derived products such as plant oils, potentially providing an additional market for farmers. 03 Synthesis of phosphonates from soybean oil (SBO) and high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO). Previous research has shown that phosphonates synthesized from methyl oleate display anti-wear properties comparable to zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), a commercial anti-wear additive widely used in high volume lubricant formulations such as motor oils, hydraulic fluids, and gear oils. However, methyl oleate is more expensive than vegetable oils since it is obtained by processing vegetable oils. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, have successfully synthesized phosphonates from SBO and HOSO using free radical initiators without solvents. Three different phosphonate structures were used in the synthesis with each vegetable oil. Good conversion of the vegetable oil double bonds to phosphonates was achieved. The reactions were carried out on a few hundred grams scale and can be easily scaled-up further. The phosphonates were characterized by standard methods to confirm their chemical structures. The vegetable oil based phosphonates synthesized in this work can provide a cost- competitive, environmentally friendly, and biobased additive alternative to ZDDP. The later contains metal, is non-biodegradable, and produced from non-renewable petroleum based raw materials. 04 Biobased phosphonates derived from methyl lionoleate displayed superior anti-wear properties. Biobased lubricants provide numerous economic, environmental, safety, and health benefits. However, to get the maximum benefits from application of biobased lubricants, they must be formulated with biobased base oils and biobased additives. Unfortunately, there are no commercial biobased additives and current formulators have to use petroleum-based additive to produce biobased lubricants. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, investigated biobased dialkyl phosphonates derived from methyl linoleate (MeLin) for antiwear additive properties. MeLin is obtained from vegetable oils using the biodiesel process. Blends of three different phosphonates (dimethyl, diethyl, di-n-butyl) with high oleic sunflower oil as the biobased base oil were investigated. The results showed superior anti-wear and anti- friction properties by the biobased phosphonates relative to the commercial anti-wear additive zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP). The results indicate that biobased anti-wear additives have the potential for replacing ZDDP, which is currently applied in many commercial lubricants including engine oil, hydraulic fluids, and gear oils. ZDDP is not environmentally friendly because it contains heavy metal, is non- renewable because it is produced from petroleum based raw materials, and not biodegradable.

01-OCT-15 to 30-SEP-16 Biresaw, G., Compton, D., Evans, K., Bantchev, G.B. 2016. Lipoate ester multifunctional lubricant additives. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 55(1):373-383. Knothe, G.H. 2014. Biodiesel lubricity and other properties. In: Biresaw, G., Mittal, K.L., editors. Surfactants in Tribology. Vol. IV. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press: Taylor & Francis Group. p. 483-500. Knothe, G.H. 2016. Biodiesel and its properties. In: McKeon, T.A., Hayes, D.G., Hildebrand, D.F., Weselake, R.J., editors. Industrial Oil Crops. 1st edition. Urbana, IL: AOCS Press. p. 15-42. Bantchev, G.B., Biresaw, G., Palmquist, D.E., Murray, R.E. 2016. Radical- initiated reaction of methyl linoleate with dialkyl phosphites. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 93(6):859-868. Harry-O'kuru, R.E., Biresaw, G., Murray, R.E. 2015. Polyamine triglycerides: Synthesis and study of their potential in lubrication, neutralization and sequestration. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 63(28):6422-6429. Dunn, R.O. 2015. Cold flow properties of biodiesel: A guide to getting an accurate analysis. Biofuels. 6(1-2):115-128. doi: 10.1080/17597269.2015. 1057791. Gordon, S.H., Mohamed, A.A., Harry-O'Kuru, R.E., Biresaw, G. 2015. Identification and measurement of intermolecular interaction in polyester/ polystyrene blends by FTIR-photoacoustic spectrometry. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 23(4):459-469. Sutivisedsak, N., Leathers, T.D., Biresaw, G., Nunnally, M.S., Bischoff, K. M. 2016. Simplified process for preparation of schizophyllan solutions for biomaterial applications. Preparative Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 46(3) :313-319. Doll, K.M., Walter, E.L., Bantchev, G.B., Jackson, M.A., Murray, R.E., Rich, J.O. 2016. Improvement of lubricant materials using ruthenium isomerization. Chemical Engineering Communications. 203(7):901-907. Biresaw, G., Bantchev, G.B. 2015. Tribological properties of limonene bisphosphonates. Tribology Letters. 60(11). doi: 10.1007/s11249-015-0578-2. O'Neil, G.W., Knothe, G., Williams, J.R., Burlow, N.P., Reddy, C.M. 2016. Decolorization improves the fuel properties of algal biodiesel from Isochrysis sp. Fuel. 179:229-234. Liu, Z., Chen, J., Knothe, G., Nie, X., Jiang, J. 2016. Synthesis of epoxidized cardanol and its antioxidative properties for vegetable oils and biodiesel. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 4(3):901-906. Bantchev, G.B., Doll, K.M., Biresaw, G., Vermillion, K. 2014. Formation of furan fatty alkyl esters from their bis-epoxide fatty esters. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 91:2117-2123. Knothe, G.H., Razon, L.F., Madulid, D.A., Agoo, E.M., De Castro, M.E. 2016. Fatty acid profiles of some Fabaceae seed oils. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 93:1007-1011. O'Neil, G.W., Williams, J.R., Wilson-Peltier, J., Knothe, G., Reddy, C.M. 2016. Experimental protocol for biodiesel production with isolation of alkenones as coproducts from commercial Isochrysis algal biomass. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 112:e54189. doi: 10.3791/54189. Bantchev, G.B., Cermak, S.C., Biresaw, G., Appell, M., Kenar, J.A., Murray, R.E. 2015. Thiol-ene and H-phosphonate-ene reactions for lipid modifications. In: Liu, Z., Kraus, G., editors. Green Materials from Plant Oils. 1st edition. Cambridge, UK: RSC Publishing. p. 59-92. Harry-O'kuru, R.E., Biresaw, G. 2015. Lubricity characteristics of seed oils modified by acylation. In: Liu, Z., Kraus, G., editors. Green Materials from Plant Oils. lst edition. Cambridge, UK: RSC Publishing. p. 242-268. Knothe, G. 2016. Biodiesel: A fuel, a lubricant, and a solvent. In: Sharma, B.K., Biresaw, G., editors. Environmentally Friendly and Biobased Lubricants. Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. 391-405.

BIOBASED TRIBOLOGY METALWORKING PETROLEUM LUBRICANTS STARCH SEED OILS ENGINE OILS HYDRAULIC OILS OXIDATION POUR POINT CLOUD POINT

09-AUG-10 to 03-AUG-15 Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): 1. Develop and apply modeling and experimental tools for the investigation and prediction of the tribological properties of farm-based raw materials. 2. Apply tribological knowledge to the development and commercialization of biobased lubricants for use in automotive and related applications. Approach (from AD-416): (1) Review existing oxidation and cold flow literature as well as existing models for predicting oxidative stability (OS) and cold flow properties (CFP). Predictive models will be developed and used to design chemical structures that could provide improved OS and CFP without sacrificing biodegradability. Model compounds will be synthesized and evaluated using a variety of cold flow and oxidation tests such as: RBOT, PDSC, PP, CP, cryogenic DSC. Models will be further modified as needed and applied in development of new bio-based raw materials and promising structures will be synthesized in large quantities for bench- and pilot- scale evaluations. Tribological and tribochemical properties of model bio- based structures will be investigated and used in model development. Structures to be investigated include: polarity, unsaturation, branching, chain length, cyclic rings (mono- and poly-cyclic aromatic and aliphatic structures), and various combinations of structures. Model structures will be evaluated for boundary, hydrodynamic, mixed, EHD, traction, and tribochemical properties. (2) Develop database on lubricating and hydraulic fluids to set-up target specifications and also to develop predictive structure-property relationships. Various grades of lubricating and hydraulic fluids will be developed using variety of in- house tests such as: RBOT, PDSC, PP, CP, EHL film thickness, TC, foaming, corrosion, volatility, viscosity, viscosity-index, pressure-viscosity coefficient, friction and wear (AW and EP), biodegradability, etc. Promising formulations will be further developed using appropriate bench tests. Examples of bench tests used in lubricating oil development include: Thin Film Oxygen Uptake Test; Cold Cranking Simulator; Mini- Rotary Viscometer; gas emission tests; Thermo-Oxidation Engine Oil Simulation Test; Corrosion Bench Test; Distillation; Piston cleanliness; etc. Bench tests to be used in biobased hydraulic fluid development include: vane pump; corrosion; foam; oxidation; water separability; thermal stability; hydrolytic stability; and sludge formation. Promising biobased formulations will be further subjected to qualification tests and long-term evaluations for specific applications. Starch modified by steam-jet cooking or chemical modification will be used to develop starch- based metalworking lubricants. The effect of various structural and formulation variables on performance will be investigated, including starch chemical structure; type and degree of chemical modification; oil chemical structure; oil-to-starch ratio; lubricant additives chemistry and concentration. Tests to be used in these evaluations include: friction and wear; product quality; tool life; productivity; lubricant batch life; ease of lubricant handling; compatibility with machine components; etc. The results will be used to select formulations for further development on small- and pilot-scale equipment. This is the final report for Project 5010-41000-155-00D, which has been replaced by new Project 5010-41000-175-00D. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, are engaged in a multi-disciplinary research effort to develop biobased lubricants from farm-based raw materials that are competitive in performance and cost compared to petroleum-based lubricants currently on the market. Key areas of the program include: development of novel biobased ingredients from agricultural raw materials using thermal, chemical, and enzymatic methods; investigation and optimization of their tribological properties using available or newly developed methods; application of structure-property and other models to understand and optimize their structures; explore potential non-lubricant applications for the novel biobased products developed in this program. During FY15, progress has been made in all these key areas and highlights are given below. Vegetable oils possess a number of highly desirable properties as well as serious weaknesses for application in lubricant formulations. Currently, there is a great deal of effort aimed at countering their weaknesses while preserving their desirable properties. A wide range of strategies are employed in this effort, including the chemical modification of the structure of the vegetable oils and their derivatives. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, applied chemical modifications on soybean oil, milkweed oil, and their fatty acid and methyl ester derivatives. One example of progress in this area is given below. Soybean and milkweed oils were chemically modified by converting their unsaturated bonds (C=C) first to epoxides, which is then functionalized further to one or more of the following: polyesters; polyhydroxides (or polyols); polyketones; polyimines; polyamines; and polyformates. In general, the chemical modifications provided biobased oils with a broad range of viscosity grades above the value (30-40 cSt at 40�C) possible with the unmodified vegetable oils. In addition, the elimination of the double bonds and the insertion of branches with a functional group to the fatty acid chains produced oils with significantly improved oxidation stability and cold flow properties. Differences in tribological properties among the derivatives with different functional groups is under investigation, and results will be used to construct structure- property relationships to aid in further development and optimization. Development of biobased lubricant ingredients requires understanding their performance under a wide spectrum of lubrication conditions. These conditions (commonly referred to as lubrication regimes) are defined by the speed, pressure, temperature, friction material property, lubricant property, and other conditions encountered by the lubricant during its use. Understanding how ingredients perform at various points in the spectrum will provide a clue as to what lubricant application (e.g., metalworking, grease, engine oil, etc.) is best suitable for the ingredient. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, developed a procedure for evaluating the properties of biobased lubricant ingredients in the entire spectrum of lubrication conditions using the high frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR). The HFRR, which is routinely used to test the �lubricity� of petro- and biodiesel at a single set of conditions, is capable of running at a wide range of speed, load, temperature, and time. Taking advantage of these features, procedures were developed to scan the performance of lubricant ingredients in the entire lubrication regime. Application of the method was demonstrated by comparing a model biobased (high oleic sunflower oil) vs. model petroleum-based (polyalphaolefin) base oils of similar viscosity. The method showed superior performance (lower friction, lower wear, higher film thickness) of the model biobased oil in the entire lubrication regime. The procedure will be used to investigate the effect of chemical, thermal, and enzymatic modifications on the tribological properties of biobased ingredients in the entire spectrum of the lubrication regime. Knowledge from such investigations can be used to develop biobased lubricant ingredients with optimized structures and performance. Accomplishments 01 Bio-based oil with cyclic structures for potential high-traction fluid application. Automotive lubricants account for more than a 60% share of the global lubricant market. Lubricants under this category include engine, hydraulic, gear, and traction oils. Traction fluids, unlike the other oils in this category, are formulated to provide high friction (or traction), which is necessary for the fluid to effectively transmit power from the engine to the wheels. Base oils with unique structures are used to formulate traction fluids. Cyclic structures are one of the structures known to provide high traction properties. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, successfully synthesized fatty acid methyl esters with cyclic furan structure in their backbone. The product is obtained by reacting doubly epoxidized fatty acid methyl ester (e.g., fully epoxidized methyl linoleate) with alcohols in the presence of an acid catalyst. Such material has not been reported before and its structure was positively identified using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analytical methods. Investigation of the synthesis procedure, in which the type of alcohol, catalyst, and reaction temperature were varied, showed that cyclic structures are obtained under the various combinations of reaction conditions. This indicates that unique reaction conditions are not required to synthesize the cyclic structures. Such simple synthetic procedures for cyclic products will pave the way for the competitive introduction of bio-based oils into the traction fluid market. 02 Novel citrus-based, anti-wear additive. Successful commercialization of bio-based lubricants requires that they are cost competitive against petroleum-based products. One way of achieving this is to use inexpensive agricultural co-products for the development of bio-based lubricant ingredients. ARS scientists in Peoria, Illinois, chemically modified a by-product of the citrus industry to develop value-added products for use in biolubricant formulations. The products were carefully identified using a combination of analytical techniques and investigated for their physical and tribological properties. The products displayed improved oxidation stability, improved extreme pressure weld point, improved anti-wear coefficient of friction (COF) and wear scar diameter (WSD). These compounds were also investigated as bio-based additives to petroleum-based and bio-based oils, and displayed improved COF and WSD at low concentrations. The result demonstrates that bio-based lubricant ingredients with considerably improved tribological properties and competitive cost can be developed by chemical modification of inexpensive agricultural coproducts. These products have the potential to be used as ingredients in bio-based hydraulic, engine, metalworking, and grease formulations.

09-AUG-10 to 03-AUG-15 Biresaw, G. 2014. Environmentally friendly lubricant development programs at USDA. Journal of ASTM International. DOI: 10.1520/STP157520130172. Bantchev, G.B., Cermak, S.C., Biresaw, G., Appell, M.D., Kenar, J.A., Murray, R.E. 2015. Thiol-ene and H-phosphonate-ene reactions for lipid modifications. In: Liu, Z., Kraus, G., editors. Green Materials from Plant Oils. 1st edition. Cambridge, UK: RSC Publishing. p. 59-92. Biresaw, G., Sharma, B.K., Bantchev, G.B., Kurth, T.L., Doll, K.M., Erhan, S.Z., Kunwar, B., Scott, J.W. 2014. Elastohydrodynamic properties of biobased heat-bodied oils. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 53:16183-16195. Bantchev, G.B., Doll, K.M., Biresaw, G., Vermillion, K. 2014. Formation of furan fatty alkyl esters from their bis-epoxide fatty esters. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 91:2117-2123. Harry-O'Kuru, R.E., Biresaw, G. 2015. Lubricity characteristics of seed oils modified by acylation. In: Liu, Z., Kraus, G., editors. Green Materials from Plant Oils. lst edition. Cambridge, UK: RSC Publishing. p. 242-268.

water quality ~ nitrogen ~ soil erosion ~ monitoring ~ organic farming ~ data bases ~ production systems ~ non point pollution ~ stochastic processes ~ runoff ~ budgets ~ simulation models ~ experimental design ~ certification ~ acreage ~ livestock production ~ economic indicators ~ data collection ~ agricultural commodities ~ food marketing ~ sectors (economics) ~ farm land ~ land management

01-OCT-03 to 30-SEP-04 An ERS report on the adoption of certified systems in the United States for 2000-01 was published in 2003, and an update is underway. An ERS report on organic ecolabeling in U.S. farmers markets was completed in 2004. Findings from the adoption report indicate that U.S. farmland managed under organic systems expanded rapidly throughout the 1990s and has sustained that momentum. Analysis of certified acreage and livestock data from U.S. certifiers shows that U.S. farmers and ranchers managed 2.3 million acres of farmland under organic farming systems in 2001. Most crop/livestock sectors and most States also showed strong growth between 1997 and 2001. Overall, certified organic cropland and pasture accounted for 0.3 percent of U.S. cropland and pasture in 2001, although the share is much higher in some crops, such as vegetables at over 2 percent. Findings on organic labeling in U.S. farmers markets suggest this marketing venue is providing an important marketing outlet for many farmers, including organic farmers, who want to generate substantial income from high-value crops grown on minimal acreage. Information collected from farmersa market managers for this study suggest that demand for organic products is substantial and growing in many of the farmersa markets across the U.S. Critical factors affecting growth in demand for organic products and participation by organic growers at markets may include limited numbers of local organic farmers available to sell at markets, limited awareness and interest of some consumers and farmers in organic production systems, and negative perceptions of organic products or organic product pricing.

01-OCT-03 to 30-SEP-04 Project findings have been presented in conferences and briefings in variety of academic and industry setting, and provide farmers, consumers, and policymakers with key information to help understand the adoption of organic farming systems in the U.S.

01-OCT-03 to 30-SEP-04 Greene, C., Kremen, A., 2003, U.S. Organic Farming in 2000-2001: Adoption of Certified Systems, Agricultural Information Bulletin, AIB-780, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, February, 51 pp.