Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program

The Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), is announcing the availability of $12.5 million per year for fiscal year (FY) 2017 and 2018 under the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) for eligible certified organic and transitional producers and handlers. FSA is announcing the opportunity for States to apply in FY 2017 to administer the OCCSP program for FY 2017. States that establish an agreement for FY 2017 may be given the opportunity to extend their agreement and receive additional funds to administer the program in FY 2018; FSA has not yet determined whether an additional application period will be announced for FY 2018 for State agencies that do not establish an agreement to administer the program for FY 2017. In this document, FSA is providing the requirements for producers and handlers to apply for OCCSP payments, and for State agencies to establish agreements to receive funds in order to provide cost share assistance to eligible producers and handlers.