Thanks to the growing popularity of organic food in the state, Pennsylvania is ahead of all states but California in the sale of certified organic products, writes Allison Steele for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sales in Pennsylvania have increased tenfold in the last decade and doubled between 2015 and 2016 alone.

“The demand has increased so much,” said Cheryl Cook, deputy secretary for market development at the State Department of Agriculture. “We could quadruple and quintuple the production and still not fill the demand.”

Some runaway hits include edible insects like crickets and mealworms, which can be found in the sustainable protein section of organic markets.

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According to Cook, the popularity of organic food has grown due to the high concentration of farms, the huge number of farmers’ markets, and specialty stores. These factors give Pennsylvanians consistent exposure to organic food.

Even people who like to shop for chips and cookies now have options to choose from the organic aisle.

“For years, organic foods were seen as healthier,” said Cook. “Now, people are seeing that junk food can be organic, too.”

Read more about organic food’s growing popularity in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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