No, $750 doesn’t go far in today’s farm business. But if you’re an organic crop or livestock producer, you likely qualify for cost-shared reimbursement for organic certification or recertification via USDA’s Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Its money you get back to help defray already-spent costs, thanks to the 2014 Farm Bill.

GOOD ‘CERT’: “Certified organic” opens a lot of marketing doors to urban markets, as learned by this south central Pennsylvania farm.

In the Northeast, this assistance is offered in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. “This is a great opportunity for all farmers interested in organic certification,” says Maryland Ag Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “With strong demand for organic products, this program will provide a boost to our rural economies and provide all Marylanders with more access to fresh, local products.”

Farms and businesses that produce, process or package certified organic agricultural products are eligible to be reimbursed for up to 75% of their costs – up to $750 per scope for certification and recertification expenses incurred between Oct. 1, 2015, and Sept. 30, 2016. The application for the cost share funding is available at Organic certification cost share programs. July 5 is the cutoff date for this fiscal year. Reimbursements will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is exhausted.

If you’re in the above noted states, you’ll need to apply through your state ag department, since part of the federal funds are funneled through them.

Maryland farmers can direct questions to Deanna Baldwin at [email protected] or 410-841-5769.

Compare certified vs non-certified
Check out the value of certified versus non-certified organic products via

Are farmers market foods really too expensive. And track seasonal market values via The Local Foods Data Tracking Program, a joint effort between Vermont’s Ag Department and USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Services. It aggregates weekly pricing data on a variety of fruit and vegetable crops, plus meat and poultry products for Market News Reports, accessible at USDA-AMS Market News Reports.