Of the roughly 17,000 certified organic farms in the United States, just one in five raise livestock and poultry. 

Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New York, Indiana and Ohio have the highest number of certified organic livestock and poultry farms, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. 

Certified organic farms and ranches must meet specific requirements related to animal welfare, including minimum standards for space in indoor and outdoor environments. 

This month, the USDA said it was nearly done with a significant update to those standards, its first major change in more than 20 years. The new rules update the amount of soil and vegetation animals must access and the space for livestock to move around when indoors. USDA officials said the changes will better align with what consumers often expect when buying organically-raised meat.

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Ben Felder covers agribusiness and the meat industry in Oklahoma for Investigate Midwest. Felder previously worked for The Oklahoman as a political enterprise reporter blending narrative storytelling,...