Organic Certification Cost Share Program

Certification Services

Response times may be slow due to COVID-19. Organic compliance deadlines and inspections may be delayed for businesses affected by this crisis. Visit our COVID-19 webpage to find pandemic-specific information »

Nuestros tiempos de respuesta pueden ser lentos debido al COVID-19. Los plazos de cumplimiento orgánico y las inspecciones pueden ser demorados para los negocios que se ven afectados por esta crisis. Visite nuestra página web de COVID-19 para encontrar información específica a la Pandemia »

Cost Share - Receive a Refund for your Organic Certification Fees

Apply for to the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program and receive a full or partial refund for your organic certification fees.

Cost Share refunds up to 50% of your certification costs per scope of organic certification, with a maximum of $500 per scope. The eligible scopes are crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling, and California State Organic Program registration fees (for operations located in California).

The USDA Farm Service Agency announced in early August that it is reducing cost share from 75% of eligible certification costs per scope with a maximum of $750 down to 50% of fees for a maximum of $500. CCOF is working with members of Congress and partners to address this reduction and encourages you to tell your representatives and senators:

The Organic Certification Cost Share Program is an important tool to help organic farmers and producers stay in business. Organic businesses need this support now more than ever because of the lost markets and increased costs to keep workers and customers safe during the pandemic.
Congress established reimbursement rates in the 2018 Farm Bill. It is unacceptable for FSA to disregard Congressional funding directives.
It is vital that FSA reinstate the full organic certification cost share reimbursement.

Californian organic producers who applied for cost share before FSA’s reduction in funds will not have to resubmit another application. Businesses that have not yet applied can download a revised California Federal Organic Certification & State Registration Cost Share application form (ORG-106) below.

Eligibility
Any operation that is located within the United States and received organic certification between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020, may apply for reimbursement. Operations with more than one certification scope may be eligible for more than one refund.

Please note: there is now a combined application form for both the USDA Federal Organic Certification and California State Registration reimbursement.

Apply for Cost-Share Funds in California:
Collect and complete the following documents (forms available for download here):

Federal Organic Certification & State Registration Cost Share application (ORG-106)
Payee Data Record Form (STD 204)
Copy of your organic certificate and proof of payment: Request your CCOF Federal Cost Share Summary to submit in place of your CCOF certificate and receipts. Allow 14 days for CCOF to complete your request.

The application deadline is October 31, 2020.

Submit applications to:

CDFA.ISD_Cost_Share_Program@cdfa.ca.gov
California Department of Food and Agriculture
ATTN: Organic Cost Share Program
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

For assistance, email CDFA.ISD_Cost_Share_Program@cdfa.ca.gov or call (916) 900-5202. Additional information can be found at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/organicprogram/costshare.html.  

DO NOT SEND APPLICATIONS TO CCOF.

Apply for Cost-Share Funds in Other States:
Find your state’s Cost-Share contact to ask about application procedures and deadlines in your state. DO NOT SEND APPLICATIONS TO CCOF.

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