Relief is in sight for economically distressed organic dairy farmers impacted by a simultaneous storm of climate, global trade, and economic disruptions. The CCOF Foundation partnered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) through their California Underserved and Small Producers (CUSP) program to support organic dairy farmers during this unprecedented crisis.
With direct financial disaster assistance, the CCOF Foundation hopes to help alleviate some of the burden and help farmers stay in business. $405,000 was awarded to organic dairies throughout the state of California, and efforts continue to build resilience moving forward.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the creation of a new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program. We expect this program will help eligible organic dairy producers with up to 75 percent of their future projected marketing costs in 2023 through payments of up to $40,000, capped at the first five million pounds of anticipated production. Farmers will apply through their county FSA office and volume history verification may be required. We are eager for assistance to reach producers as soon as possible and are hopeful that the program will be released in late Spring. Please reach out to Laetitia Benador at lbenador@ccof.org with any questions.
In addition to stop-gap emergency relief, long-term efforts are underway to strengthen the organic livestock sector. In partnership with our members, the Organic Trade Association, and other partners, the CCOF policy team will advocate for risk management tools to address the unique needs of organic producers in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Additional opportunities for general disaster and emergency funding at the CCOF Foundation will come available on April 12 – May 12, 2023 through the Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund. More information can be found on our website, or reach out to Larissa Hernandez Boffi at lhernandez@ccof.org. For specific flood recovery resources, you can find more information from the CDFA on their website. Together we will continue supporting and advocating for the organic producer community. To donate to the CCOF emergency fund, go to our website here.