Organic Certification Cost Share Program
Please note: USDA COST SHARE REIMBURSEMENT UPDATES
Under the cost share reimbursement program of the USDA, organic operations may recover a portion of their certification fees per scope of certification every fiscal year. For the purposes of this reimbursement, the certification year is defined as the period between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. The current reimbursement rates is 50% of the certified organic operation’s eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $500 per scope.
Operations that are certified for more than one scope may apply for reimbursement for each scope but need a receipt for the payment of each scope. These operations need to report sales by scope to Baystate so that we can issue a receipt showing payment for each. Fees must be paid in full in order to get the reimbursement. We urge our certified operations to apply for their cost share reimbursement program with their state agency or local FSA office as soon as they are able to do so.
Call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to provide one-on-one assistance. Or you can download the OCCSP application for FSA offices HERE as a Word .doc or HERE as a .pdf.
Cost Share Reimbursement by State*
California: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
Connecticut: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
New Jersey: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
Massachusetts: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
New York: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
North Carolina: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
Rhode Island: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
South Carolina: Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
Virginia : Apply for your cost share reimbursement HERE.
Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP)
You may be eligible for financial assistance to cover expenses paid during fiscal year 2022 through USDA’s Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP). This program is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, certified organic and transitional operations faced loss of markets, increased costs, labor shortages, and expenses related to obtaining or renewing their organic certification. Transitional operations also faced the financial challenge of implementing practices required to obtain organic certification without the premium prices associated with certified organic commodities.
OTECP provides up to $20 million to reimburse agricultural producers and handlers who are certified organic and crop and livestock producers who are transitioning to organic for eligible expenses incurred during fiscal years 2020, 2021, and/or 2022.
- Program Year 2022 covers expenses paid from October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022 and the application period will begin on May 16, 2022.
Click HERE for further information on OTECP. Please note that many state agencies are only doing cost share and not the new OTECP program, so you will need to use the above link to apply for OTECP.
*Baystate updates this page when we receive updated information. Any inquiries, please contact Lauren Sandstrom at lsandstrom@baystateorganic.org or (917) 957-0979.*
