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2026

Organic Inspector Training Opportunities

Start your career in organic certification!

In 2026, CCOF will offer two free, comprehensive training courses designed to train new Organic Grower and Handler Inspectors. These courses are ideal for qualified applicants seeking to enter the field of organic inspection or strengthen their knowledge of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. Qualified applicants must have a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience relevant to the scope of the course they are applying for.

These courses will be made available as an organic workforce development initiative, in partnership with the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership (TOPP) Program. Priority will be given to qualified applicants who live or work in the West/Southwest Region of TOPP (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah).

For more information on the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program, please visit their website: https://www.organictransition.org.

About the Training

CCOF’s Organic Inspector training includes classroom-style online lectures, pre-course work, and weekly assignments. Courses are designed to equip participants with the regulatory knowledge, technical skills, and professional understanding needed to begin a career as an Organic Inspector.

Grower Course: Begins June 16, 2026; Final Exam on July 7, 2026

Handler Course: Begins July 28, 2026; Final Exam on August 18, 2026

All sessions will be held live via Zoom from 2:30–4:30 PM PT.
Participants must:

  • Attend all lectures with their camera on
  • Complete all homework and pre-course assignments
  • Have reliable technology to participate fully
  • Pass the Final Exam with a score of at least 80%

Watch this USDA overview video to learn more about the profession: Becoming an Organic Inspector

 

The Organic Inspector training is supported by the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative offering free technical assistance, mentorship, and ongoing support for transitioning and existing organic producers. To learn more about TOPP support for organic transition, visit www.organictransition.org

2026 Course Details

Interested students should submit:

  • Cover letter
  • Resume
  • Qualified applicants must have 2,000 hours of experience relevant to the scope of the course they are applying for. Experience can come from related farm or food processing work, coursework, field work, volunteer experience, auditing, regulatory work, etc. Note: 2,000 hours is one year of full-time work experience.

Send both documents to inspectortraining@ccof.org.
Only complete submissions will be considered.

Deadline for applications:

  • Grower Scope: April 15, 2026
  • Handler Scope: May 1, 2026

Acceptance notifications:

  • Grower Scope: by May 1, 2026
  • Handler Scope: by May 15, 2026
Katie Huddleston, farmer, gathers greens in the field

2026 Grower Scope Course

  • Lecture Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays beginning June 16, 2026
  • Final Exam: July 7, 2026
  • Time: 2:30–4:30 PM PT

 

2026 Handler Scope Course

  • Lecture Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays beginning July 28, 2026
  • Final Exam: August 18, 2026
  • Time: 2:30–4:30 PM PT

Certificates & Course Participation

  • Certificates of Completion will be issued to participants who:
    • Meet the acceptance criteria
    • Attend all sessions
    • Pass all required written assignments and tests
  • Individuals who wish to audit the course may receive a course participation certificate upon request.

Additionally, this training is valuable for new farm or handler review staff looking to deepen their understanding of organic certification requirements.

Top view of two young farmers working in a chickpea field, talk and use the tablet