More than $11 million being made accessible
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
More people in the United States are becoming more conscious about what they’re eating and where it comes from, especially when it comes to food that’s labelled as organic.
As a result, farmers around the country are under pressure to try and keep up with the demands of the people who are enjoying the crops being grown.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Marketing Service realizes this and is making almost $11.9 million available for organic certification costs.
"The organic industry saw record growth in 2014, accounting for over $39 billion in retail sales in the United States," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The organic certification cost share programs help more organic businesses succeed and take advantage of economic opportunities in this growing market."
The funding will be provided by two different programs.
The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program will contribute about $11 million for organic farms and businesses throughout the country.
The Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost Share Program will contribute about $900,000 to organic producers (crop and livestock only) in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
In order to be eligible for the funding, organic producers are encouraged to contact their appropriate state agencies.
Each state has their own deadlines for applying, but farmers applying for the AMA funding are strongly encouraged to apply early as the funds are only available until September 30, 2015.
Tell us your thoughts about the funding available for organic producers across the United States. If you’re an organic farmer, is this funding something you’d apply for? If you were considering growing organic would this help you? How would you use it?