The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is seeking applications for its Organic Certification Cost-Share program to help farmers and handlers with the cost of obtaining organic certification.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $750
Details:
This program makes it more affordable for farmers to work with an organic certifying agency while they transition to organic (typically 36 months, but may be less). They think getting involved with a certifying agency early in the process can improve farmers’ confidence about the transition and help them be more successful when it’s time to apply and be inspected “for real.”
Funding Information
The cost-share reimburses 75% of allowed certification costs paid between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023. There is a maximum payment of $750 per category or “scope” of certification (crops, livestock, handling, and wild harvest).
- For example, if you are a farm certified for both crops and livestock or you are a processor with two different certified facilities, you are eligible for a payment up to $1,500 (but you only have to submit one application form.)
They have approximately $210,000 available for cost-share program reimbursements this year.
Allowable Costs
- Application fees
- Inspection costs
- Certification costs – including fees necessary to access international markets
- User fees and sales assessments
- Postage
Eligibility Criteria
- Minnesota residents who are new to organic (nothing already certified) and are in the process of transitioning land or animals on a farm in Minnesota.
- You must provide a letter or other document from a USDA-accredited organic certification agency confirming that you are in transition status and that you had a practice on-farm inspection between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.
For more information, visit MDA.