Get Your Organic Farm Certified: Up to $932K Available!
Summary
Organic producers in 16 specific states can get reimbursed for certification costs through the AMA Organic Certification Cost Share Program. This program, administered by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, helps offset the expenses associated with becoming and remaining certified organic.
Eligibility
Full Description
The Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost Share Program is authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA), as amended, (7 U.S.C. 1524) to provide organic certification cost share assistance to certified organic operations (only producers) located in the following sixteen (16) States: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers the AMA using relevant sections of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and 2 CFR 200. AMS awards AMA funds to eligible State Agencies, which operate as a pass-through system, by accepting and approving their applications so they can issue reimbursements to certified organic operations for specific certification costs.
In FY 2016, approximately $932,000 is available for AMA. The FY 2016 Request for Applications outlines the eligibility and performance criteria for State Agencies seeking AMA funds. Certified organic producers may request reimbursement for specific certification costs incurred from October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016. To receive AMA cost share assistance, certified organic producers must contact their respective State Department of Agriculture.
Additional guidance is available at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/occsp .