May 1, 2025
Organic Cost Share Status as of May 2025
As you all may be aware, the national Farm Bill of 2018 expired in the fall of 2023. While Congress has previously funded the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) through stopgap funding bills since the Farm Bill’s expiration, they failed to include any funding for NOCCSP in the continuing resolution spending bills in December 2024 or in March 2025. This means that at this time, there isn’t any funding allocated for 2025, and unless Congress appropriates funds, individual producers may not receive the organic cost share reimbursement in 2025.
Generally, the annual funding for this rebate program is extremely small in the overall United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) budget, with allocations of roughly $8-10 million dollars each year. In MCS’ service territory, primarily Maine and New Hampshire, the participation in this rebate program is one of the highest in the country, a little over 90%.
What has MOFGA been doing?
MOFGA has put significant efforts into making lawmakers aware of this hugely important program and its impact on small-scale farms and producers, and urging them to prioritize appropriations for the 2025 cycle. Additionally, with our partners including the National Organic Coalition, MOFGA has been pushing for the organic cost share rebate to be permanently funded, and for the reimbursement amount to increase to $1,500 per scope.
What can you do?
Congressional delegation members hear from MOFGA a lot, and they also need to hear from you! Please consider contacting your congressional district members so they can hear from you directly about the impacts on your operation if there isn’t organic cost share funding for 2025.
Take action now by writing to your members of Congress using MOFGA’s Action Alert
For producers that wish to contact legislators by phone, you can find your legislative office phone numbers here:
Senate – https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
House – https://www.house.gov/representatives
About the NOCCSP and Agricultural Marketing Assistance (AMA) Organic Cost Share Programs
The NOCCSP is funded through the Farm Bill, which is subject to Congressional negotiation and runs on a 5-year cycle. The AMA is a separate funding appropriation that has permanent funding through the Commodity Credit Corporation, and is not subject to negotiation like the NOCCSP is through the Farm Bill. AMA is available in 16 states where participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program is historically low: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, and is only for farm-based operations. In 2024, Maine’s organic cost share payments were a 50/50 split between NOCCSP and AMA funds. We have been hearing mixed messages from USDA so far this year, and without Congressional action, the AMA funds that would be allocated for the 16 states may be spread across all fifty states, and on a first come, first served basis.
MOFGA and MCS are working with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and the Maine State Farm Service Agency, to determine if AMA funding will be available for producers in 2025. If it is, producers may be eligible to receive a portion of the cost-share reimbursement. We will keep producers up to date as we have more information.
