{"id":66919,"date":"2026-04-28T10:46:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ccof.org\/?p=66919"},"modified":"2026-04-28T10:46:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:46:25","slug":"topp-success-story-rachel-opio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ccof.org\/es\/news\/topp-success-story-rachel-opio\/","title":{"rendered":"Historia de \u00e9xito de TOPP: Rachel Opio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rachel Opio nearly missed her chance to be an organic farmer. With a half-acre backyard farm in urban Phoenix, Arizona, she heard again and again that organic certification wouldn\u2019t be realistic for such a small operation. However, Opio, who started farming as a way to cope with the grief of losing her mother, didn\u2019t want to let go of her goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they told me there wasn\u2019t anyone else certified who has their farm at their house, that it wouldn\u2019t happen, those were fighting words,\u201d she says. \u201cI was like, prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The certification process turned out to be more complicated than she originally thought, with many forms to fill out along the way. \u201cThe biggest challenge was understanding how to navigate what was being asked of me,\u201d she explains. \u201cI struggle with crippling ADHD, so if something\u2019s not clear, I get frustrated, and my brain checks out.\u201d Opio took a long time to even initiate the first step of the process because she was not sure how to begin.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when she found out about the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), which is a nationwide initiative to provide mentorship, technical assistance, and wrap-around support to transitioning and existing organic producers. Opio was paired with Sara Dolan, an experienced farmer who operates Blue Sky Organic Farms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have never been able to start had it not been for TOPP and getting paired with someone who\u2019s already certified,\u201d Opio says. \u201cMy mentor was happy to sit down with me and go page by page through my OSP [Organic System Plan]. Without my mentor, I would have never known the first eleven pages of the forms didn\u2019t even pertain to me. I would have been lost and given up had it not been for that technical assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the mentorship program, Opio was able to learn firsthand about the practical points of getting certified organic. \u201cTalk about a wealth of knowledge!\u201d Opio says of Dolan\u2019s farm experience. \u201cShe was incredible. She not only helped me with how to navigate the OSP, and things like templates for equipment cleaning logs, but she welcomed me into her own organic certification process. When it was time for her certification renewal, I got to sit there and watch the whole thing. That allowed me to start putting my thoughts together to prepare for my own inspection. It was incredibly helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

TOPP is scheduled to end at the end of 2026, and the CCOF Foundation partners are looking to continue this important work through private, foundation, and corporate partnerships. Continued investment in transition programs is vital for bolstering the success of beginning farmers like Opio, who can put down strong roots thanks to the connections the program forges.<\/p>\n

\u201cFarming is a risky and expensive profession,\u201d Opio explains. \u201cWe\u2019re not guaranteed to get paid unless we produce, so that can be challenging for farmers to leave and go help someone else on another farm if they\u2019re not getting paid for it. So it was nice for TOPP to offer that incentive for people to provide mentorship, since when the mentors aren\u2019t stressed, they can be more engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n

TOPP helped Opio ease other financial stresses as she grew her organic business. \u201cIt was through TOPP that I found out about the financial assistance program CCOF was offering. That\u2019s the reason I chose CCOF as my certifier,\u201d she says. \u201cAs a small farmer, financial assistance is huge. In fact, I know another farmer who didn\u2019t have that help, and just getting started was very expensive and she couldn\u2019t afford it. TOPP is useful, one hundred percent, and I hope we have more programs like this in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opio is now in her fourth year of farming at Little Lighthouse Farm, which she describes as \u201ca Black-female-owned regenerative urban farm offering nutrient-dense produce, pasture-run eggs, and organic seeds to the community.\u201d She\u2019s proud of her operation and her high-quality soil. She loves explaining to customers the benefits of her organic certification. \u201cThere\u2019s more traceability and trust this way,\u201d she says. \u201cFrom seed to sale. I really proved something, not only to myself but to the Department of Agriculture here in Arizona, being as small as I am and being able to accomplish what I did. That\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP)<\/a> is a nationwide initiative supporting transitioning and existing organic producers across six geographic regions of the U.S. (including the West\/Southwest region, which CCOF leads).<\/h5>\n
Interested in participating in TOPP mentorship? This program is funded through 2026 by the TOPP program.<\/h5>\n
—<\/h5>\n
Want to support the next generation of organic growers? Donate to the CCOF Foundation.<\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rachel Opio nearly missed her chance to be an organic farmer. 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