USDA provides organic certification cost share opportunities for organic producers and handlers. Beginning March 20, 2017, organic producers and handlers can visit over 2,100 USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to apply for federal reimbursement to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic or transitional certification.
FSA will offer two organic certification cost share programs to assist certified organic operations in defraying the costs associated with organic certification. Organic operations may receive up to 75 percent of their certification costs paid during October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017; not to exceed $750 per certification scope. The Request for Applications will be available in March 2017.
Program options include:
- National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP): The NOCCSP is available to producers and handlers (e.g., all four scopes of certification) in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.
- Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost Share Program: The AMA is available to certified organic producers (only crop and livestock operators) in 16 states designated by Congress which include: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Still Have Questions? Contact Us
To learn more about organic certification cost share, please visit www.fsa.usda.gov/organic or contact a local FSA office by visiting http://offices.usda.gov