CCOF Foundation
USDA Opens Applications for Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP)
Organic cow, goat, and sheep dairy operations that have been hard-hit by unprecedented climate and supply chain challenges can now apply for hardship relief funding under the USDA’s new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP).
Apply for NRCS Funds to Transition to Organic in California and the US
(May 12, 2023) Santa Cruz, CA – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California is making federal funding available to assist California’s agricultural producers transition to organic production.
Through the new Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), NRCS California is accepting applications until June 15, 2023 from interested landowners for eligible conservation practices.
Pinpointed Market Development Grant -- Application Due Date: July 10, 2023
CCOF announces an exciting opportunity for our members – AMS will issue up to $75 million in competitive grants (between $100,000 and $3,000,000) to fund projects designed to expand and improve markets for domestically produced organic products.
CCOF Foundation Support for New Organic Inspectors
Organic inspectors are essential to ensuring organic integrity, and CCOF has a history of providing apprenticeships to new, prospective organic inspectors. Thanks to a grant from the National Organic Program (NOP) Human Capital Capacity Building Initiative, we were able to formalize our inspector apprenticeship in the CCOF Organic Inspector Mentorship Pilot Program.
$100 Million Opportunity to Develop Organic Markets
In the coming months the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service will be releasing an RFP focusing on Pinpointed Organic Market Development as part of their Organic Transition Initiative. This program will develop new and expanded markets for targeted domestic organic products by providing more resources and market certainty for producers and processors transitioning to organic or initiating new organic production and processing capacity.
UCSC Begins Research on Anaerobe Systems
The newest CCOF Foundation supporter Anaerobe Systems has partnered with University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) to launch a research project featuring their organic input, approved by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
Anonymous Donor Expands CCOF’s Organic Transitions Program
The CCOF Foundation offers direct financial and technical assistance to organic farmers across the United States, regardless of their certifier affiliation.