Through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program
(OCCSP), USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will cover up to 75% of organic certification costs
at a maximum of $750 per certification category. FSA is now accepting applications, and organic
producers and handlers should apply for OCCSP by the Oct. 31, 2024, deadline for eligible
expenses incurred from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024. FSA will issue payments as applications
are received and approved.
“Costs associated with obtaining organic certification can be a barrier for Wisconsin producers
wanting to get certified,” said Gene Schriefer, FSA State Executive Director in Wisconsin.
“Through OCCSP assistance, FSA helps Wisconsin organic producers obtain certification and
leverage related benefits like premium prices for commodities and access to broader markets
and additional technical assistance.”
OCCSP was part of a broader organic announcement made by Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack on May 15, 2024, which also included the Organic Market Development Grant program
and Organic Transition Initiative.
Eligible Applicants, Expenses and Categories
OCCSP provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of organic agricultural
commodities for expenses incurred obtaining or maintaining organic certification under USDA’s
National Organic Program. Eligible OCCSP applicants include any certified organic producers
or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
Cost share assistance covers expenses including application fees, inspection costs, fees related
to equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, inspector travel expenses, user fees,
sales assessments and postage. OCCSP pays a maximum of $750 per certification category for
crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling, and state organic program fees (California
only).
How to Apply
To apply, producers and handlers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center and be
prepared to provide documentation of organic certification and eligible expenses. OCCSP
applications can also be submitted through participating state departments of agriculture. For
more information, visit the OCCSP webpage.
Opportunity for State Departments of Agriculture
FSA is also accepting applications from state departments of agriculture to administer OCCSP.
FSA posted a funding opportunity summary on grants.gov and will electronically mail the
Notice of Funding Opportunity to all eligible state departments of agriculture. Applications are
due July 12, 2024.
If a state department of agriculture chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the state
department of agriculture and FSA county offices in that state will accept OCCSP applications
and make payments to eligible certified operations. Producers or handlers can receive OCCSP
assistance from either FSA or the participating state department of agriculture but not both.
More Information
USDA offers other assistance for organic producers, including the Organic Transition Initiative
(OTI), which includes direct farmer assistance for organic production and processing and
conservation. For more information on organic agriculture, visit farmers.gov/organic.
To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.
Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view
other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. If
you don’t have an account, sign up today.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-
Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on
more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring
access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and
streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices,
making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America,
and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a
workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.
No responses yet