Apply for the Barbara Laborde Organic Certification Scholarship
Free Organic Certification for a New or Emerging Farm!
Baystate Organic Certifiers is proud to announce the Barbara Laborde Organic Certification Scholarship, an annual opportunity to support small farms in their journey toward organic certification. Barbara Laborde was one of the founding members of BOC, and we are thrilled to honor the work she has done for organic certification with our scholarship program.
What It Covers:
This scholarship fully covers the first year of certification fees for a qualifying small farm, making organic certification more accessible to emerging growers. Recipients of the scholarship will be responsible for annual renewal fees after the award year.
Who Can Apply?
- Small-scale crop farms with annual gross revenue up to $20,000.
- Farms in the early stages of organic certification or transitioning to organic practices.
- Located within Baystate’s core certification area on the East Coast. (AL, CT, DE, GA, FL, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NY, NJ, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, and WV).
- Crop producers only (no livestock or handling operations). Operations with livestock or handling on farm that will not be certified are still eligible.
How to Apply:
Submit a completed application, including:
- Farm details (name, location, crops grown)
- Proof of revenue
- A short (500-word max) essay on:
- Why you’re seeking organic certification
- How it will impact your farm & community
- Your commitment to organic principles
To submit your application, please fill out Barbara Laborde 2026 Scholarship Application
Deadline to apply: 3/31/2026
Winner Announced: First week of April
