Organic food sales nearly doubled between 2013 and 2022, to more than $61 billion. The top seller, according to the Organic Trade Association, is produce. Those organic fruits and veggies usually come at a higher price point than their conventionally grown counterparts. One reason is market demand. Another is that organic farmers face higher production costs than non-organic, or conventional farms. For produce to be certified organic, it needs to be grown without the use of most synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Instead, organic farms have to rely on other tools, including increased labor.

“They don’t have the same toolkit available to them,” said Ted Jaenicke, a professor of agricultural economics at Penn State University. “They are substituting, in some cases, towards labor, which is generally more expensive.”

And labor is needed to deal with things like weeds. When David Paulk sees one on his organic farm, even just in passing, it’s hard for him not to pull it out.

The weed is living among the shallots on Sassafras Creek Farm, 50 acres in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. All the crops — from arugula to zucchini — are certified organic, which means the farm doesn’t use any synthetic herbicides to keep those weeds from growing. And weeds are expensive.

“One of the reasons why organic foods cost so much is — do the best you can and there’s still going to be hand weeding,” said Paulk.

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