Transportation and Marketing

Organic Market Development Grant Program

Description of Funded Projects

Number of Grants Awarded: 70, including 60 awarded in March 2024; 10 awarded in January 2024.

Amount of Funds Awarded: $50,320,999.01 including $40,568,140.40 for the batch in March, 

$9,752,858.61 for the 10 in January.

For more information, please visit the grant program's website: www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/omdg. 

NOTE: The below project descriptions were provided by the grant recipients. Recipients with an asterisk 

were awarded in January. 

California 

Recipient: California Certified Organic Farmers, Inc. Santa Cruz, CA* 

District: CA-19

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $3,000,000.00

Match Amount: $1,717,941.00

Total Project Amount: $4,717,941.00

Marketing to Expand Economic Opportunity for Small and Underserved Farmers 

California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Inc. has over fifty years of experience working with organic 

producers and is now the largest member-based organic agriculture organization in California, and owns 

the largest organic certification company in the U.S. The purpose of this grant is to improve and expand 

market access for small and underserved organic farmers. There are three goals of this grant: 1) to address

two key obstacles restricting growth in organic sales: the lack of consumer clarity on what organic means 

and a perceived lack of consumer confidence in the seal; 2) to create market paths for small and 

underserved organic producers by linking them with buyers actively looking to source their products; and 3) 

to educate farmers on how to talk to consumers and buyers about organic and provide them with the tools 

to do so. These goals will be achieved by launching a multi-channel marketing campaign, creating a 

marketing toolkit, marketing trainings for farmers, and updating and disseminating an organic sourcing 

directory to school and retail buyers. The expected outcomes of this project are that consumers and buyers 

will gain knowledge about organic products and that small and underserved producers will increase organic 

production to meet the resulting increased demand through direct-market channels and buyer business 

transactions. 
Recipient: Rock Front Ranch, LLC., Santa Maria, CA

District: CA-024

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $89,180.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $89,180.00

Organic Marketing Expansion of Fruit Business into Northern California 

The Rock Front Ranch’s (RFR) project goal is to increase market access to organic products by improving the 

efficiency of transporting organic fruit to organic minded consumers and generating employment 

opportunities in a community with persistent poverty. Rock Front Ranch (RFR) has provided organic jujube 

fruit to 29 Whole Foods in Southern California since 2017. Recently, the ranch has endeavored to serve 

Whole Foods in Northern California and other organic stores in that region. Those efforts have been 

curtailed by lack of sufficient transportation capabilities and the prohibitive expense of contracting for 3rd 

party delivery. The addition of two delivery trailers would allow RFR to provide both fresh and dried organic 

jujube fruit to the entire network of Whole Foods Northern California, an additional 39 stores, as well as 

other organic stores. Two trailers will provide the capacity to deliver fresh and dried organic jujube fruit to 

both Northern and Southern California markets simultaneously, increasing efficiency as well as creating two 

to-four new employment opportunities for residents of the Cuyama Valley, a community with persistent 

poverty. 

Recipient: California Craft Maltings, LLC dba Admiral Maltings, Alameda, CA

District: CA-012

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $99,033.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $99,033.00

Grain Milling Equipment to Produce Organic Milled Grains and Organic Sprouted Grain Flours 

The purpose of this project is to purchase and install milling equipment to allow for new product offerings 

and expanded organic capacity for milled raw grains. It is a natural extension of what Admiral Maltings 

already does to mill and package organic flour for bakeries and grist (raw grains) for distillers. Milling 

organic flour for bakers and distillers’ grist uses similar agricultural ingredients to what we already source.

But it is a different process from malting organic grain and requires new equipment. This equipment 

purchase will allow Admiral Maltings to increase the contracted acreage of organically grown grain, 

increase land under organic certification, and create a more resilient, local agricultural economy to supply 

bakers and distillers. It will lead to aggregate efficiencies for growing, storing, and processing organic grains.

There is increased consumer demand to know who grows their food, where it is grown, where it is 

processed, and who mills it. 

Recipient: Zego LLC, San Francisco, CA

District: CA-011

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $3,000,000.00

Match Amount: $1,013,286.00

Total Project Amount: $4,013,286.00
Collaboration for Sustainable Growth: Advancing the Organic Gluten-Free Grain Value Chain, 

Expanding Processing Capacity, Product Access and Awareness, and Building Consumer Trust in 

Organic Food 

ZEGO is a woman-owned B Corp-certified brand focusing on supply-chain transparency and purity testing 

using Montana Gluten Free’s hulless, high-protein, organic oats. ZEGO sells products in 1500+ stores 

nationwide. The project will increase processing and consumption of organic, gluten-free, high-protein oats 

and rotational crop millet in Montana and the surrounding growing region by creating a collaborative 

integrated value chain (CVIC). The goals are to 1) expand organic processing capacity at Montana Gluten 

Free (MGF) to alleviate a regional grain processing bottleneck that forces farmers to sell premium crops for 

bird and animal feed at 50% of full value, 2) develop more products from organic specialty grains for 

people with medically restricted diets due to allergies or gluten intolerance, toxin and pesticide concerns, 

or diabetes or to increase dietary plant protein, 3) increase special-diet consumer pull (demand) of organic 

grains by expanding product trials, adding sales channels, building consumer trust in organic food, and 4) 

benefit the environment by decreasing transportation miles and promotion of hulless oats, which produce 

50% less carbon emissions, and drought-tolerant millet, which uses 1/3rd less water than other grains. The

project will increase organic finished goods capacity by integrating operations at MGF with faster and more 

efficient equipment for bag filling and improved production efficiency; upgrade food safety certification 

level; establish a millet value chain by purchasing and installing equipment to dehull millet. In addition, 

setting up procurement contracts with regional farmer; develop 3-5 new organic specialty grain products in 

collaboration with Snacktivist, targeting markets such as food service accounts and big box stores, and build 

B2B ingredient sales. Lastly, the project will implement marketing strategies led by a specialized marketing 

director to increase awareness and adoption of organic specialty grains among special-diet and non-toxic 

living consumers; and collaborate with technology partner Food Vision to enhance ZEGO’s purity 

transparency system, making product information accessible and expanding the scope of information to 

include links to farmers. 

Recipient: Tidal Foods, Inc. San Francisco, CA

District: CA-011

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $660,970.21

Match Amount: $750,000.00

Total Project Amount: $1,410,970.21

Unlocking Sustainable Ocean Farming: Processing and Product Manufacturing Expansion for USgrown Organic Kelp 

This project paves the way to making regenerative kelp farming a viable industry for rural seaside farming 

communities that rely on volatile wild-caught seafood. Historically, kelp farming within the US has not been 

considered a lucrative industry because of perceived competition from Asian markets and a lack of 

profitable end markets for US-grown kelp products. For this reason, 95% of seaweed products sold in the 

US are imported from Asia. Consumers are already proving they are ready for kelp-based snacks, so now is 

the time to invest in scaling up the kelp industry, spurring demand for more kelp farmers to grow a 

regenerative and ocean-friendly crop. The major limitation for kelp farmers is a lack of processing and 

product manufacturing capacity to transform kelp into high-value products. By providing a profitable end 

market for kelp 12 Tides solves this issue. This project scales up the production of a highly sought-after 

product line that provides high quality, consistent revenue to rural kelp farmers. Kelp is easy to grow, 

produces low CO2-equivalent emissions than corn, and can be reliably harvested year after year while 

mitigating ocean acidification and increasing marine biodiversity. This provides economic stability for 
farmers in communities historically reliant on increasingly volatile seafood industries as well as a healthy 

snack product for consumers. This grant allows 12 Tides to scale its processing capacity, support a 

nationwide launch, and expand the supply chain by purchasing from 27 new organic farms, employing 144 

staff, and supporting 275 kelp farming jobs in the U.S.

Recipient: Rumiano Cheese Company, Willows, CA

District: CA-001

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $3,000,000.00

Match Amount: $3,000,000.00

Total Project Amount: $6,000,000.00

Expanding Market Opportunities for Organic Dairy Producers in Northern California Through ValueAdded Processing and Marketing 

Dairy is the largest organic commodity in the United States, with 1.6 billion in annual sales, yet organic milk 

represents just 2 percent of the nations dairy production and is declining. USDA’s Organic Dairy Market 

News reports that year-to-date sales of organic milk products are down 1.6 percent from the prior year. As 

organic dairy production costs have increased in recent years, the price premium of fluid organic milk over 

conventional milk has eroded, leaving organic dairy producers, most of them small family farms, with 

shrinking on-farm profits that threaten their livelihood. To address this challenging issue, Rumiano Cheese 

Company, an agricultural business that aggregates, processes, and markets value-added organic dairy 

products made from milk produced by 27 Northern California dairy producers, seeks to expand in-house 

processing capacity to make and market innovative, high-demand organic dairy products in channels that 

offer a higher price premium over fluid milk (project purpose). Activities to be performed will include 1) 

installing a state-of-the-art processing line to upcycle organic cheese trim into value-added sauces, dips and 

spreads, 2) acquiring additional equipment to create artisanal specialty cheese wheels in-house, and 3) 

expanding marketing, sales, and innovation to gain retail access and build consumer demand for the 

expanded volume produced through this project. This venture’s goals are to process an additional 

32,372,700 pounds of fluid milk and cheese trim, generating approximately $31.5 million in sales revenue 

and benefiting 27 Northern California pasture-based organic dairy producers (project beneficiaries) during 

the project period. 

Recipient: Community Kitchens Collaborative dba Heal the Earth, Cardiff by the Sea, CA

District: CA-049

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $2,473,795.00

Match Amount: $825,000.00

Total Project Amount: $3,298,795.00

Improving the Viability of the Domestic Organic Avocado Market 

Heal the Earth at Wild Acres Farm, a San Diego County nonprofit and avocado farm, will improve and grow 

the long-term viability of the domestic organic avocado market by coordinating a direct to consumer valuechain and launching a comprehensive regional marketing campaign. This project will facilitate the flow of 

avocados into regional markets by leveraging the expertise of, and building on the work done in partnership 

with, the Avocado Growers of California, the City of Escondido, and other stakeholders. Collaborative 

efforts will include marketing and outreach to buyers and consumers, promoting opportunities to sell and 

buy US-grown avocados at a local food hub, a feasibility study, and resulting strategic promotional efforts 
tailored to the needs of domestic organic avocado growers and US consumers. Heal the Earth will expand 

staff capacity, build and maintain relationships with certified organic growers, establish new and expanded 

markets for organic avocados, and develop and execute a marketing plan that differentiates the organic, 

US-grown product to both buyers and end consumers. Heal the Earth will: 1) build relationships between 

organic avocado producers and consumers, 2) create alternative market channels for organic avocados and 

ancillary organic farm products, 3) increase consumer awareness of the benefits of locally-grown, 

California-produced avocados. There is a growing demand for avocados, and organic fruit both supports 

local farmers and climate-smart growing practices. 

Recipient: Vista Livestock Co. dba Burroughs Family Orchards, Denair, CA

District: CA-013

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $1,166,250.00

Match Amount: $388,750.00

Total Project Amount: $1,555,000.00

Sustainable Growth Through Enhanced Market Reach and Product Innovation 

Burroughs Family Orchards (BFO), a certified organic and regenerative family farm committed to fostering a 

sustainable food system, will conduct this project designed to increase consumption of BFO's organic 

almond and olive products, drive market interest, and meet the growing demand for high-quality organic 

products. BFO plans to broaden its market reach by expanding into new geographic regions, specifically in 

the Central and Southern U.S. territories. This strategic expansion will be facilitated through hiring a 

marketing contractor and a broker, who will work to increase the visibility and availability of BFO's organic 

almond and olive products. Additionally, BFO will invest in developing new and improved organic products, 

partnering with experienced consultants to expand their product range and drive market interest and 

demand for organic products. To meet the growing demand for organic almonds, BFO plans to enhance its 

storage and distribution capacity by investing in temperature and weather-proofing its existing warehouse 

storage space to ensure optimal freshness and shelf life of their products year-round. These enhancements 

will enable BFO to scale its operations in tandem with the rising demand for organic almonds. The project is 

expected to significantly improve BFO's ability to compete in the organic sector. It will advance their 

mission of promoting a sustainable food system, contributing to the growth of the organic market, and 

delivering high-quality, innovative almond and olive products to consumers across the nation.

Recipient: Wehah Farm, INC. dba Lundberg Family Farms, Richvale, CA

District: CA-001

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $3,000,000.00

Match Amount: $3,000,000.00

Total Project Amount: $6,000,000.00

Expanding the United States Organic Rice Market by investing in Production, Processing, and 

Marketing Infrastructure 

In 2022, US farmers produced more than 16 billion pounds of rice to serve domestic and international 

consumers (USDA Economic Research Service). Still, less than 1% of the rice produced in the United States 

is organic, despite strong and consistent growth in US demand for organic food. With more than 82 percent 

of US households buying organic products regularly, the Organic Center notes demand in the US for organic 

rice exceeds domestic supply, encouraging significant competition from imports. In fact, US imports of rice 
have steadily increased over the past five years, growing more than 36% from the 2017/2018 crop year to 

the 2021/2022 crop year. This is primarily due to the major barriers that exist to producing, processing, and 

marketing organic rice, namely higher costs of production, and lack of processing and marketing 

infrastructure. To meet current US consumer demand and expand opportunities to build the US organic rice 

market (project purpose), Lundberg Family Farms, the nation’s largest organic rice producer and processor, 

will launch a comprehensive effort to support current and transitioning organic producers in increasing 

organic rice production. Project activities toward removing barriers to entry for producers include grower 

outreach and technology adaptation expanding processing capacity to create more and better markets for 

organic producers and executing marketing and promotional activities that will help to build commercial 

markets for US organic rice products. This project’s goals (deliverables and expected outcomes) include 

achieving 3,000 new acres of organic rice production and a $17 million increase in domestic regenerative 

organic rice sales by the end of the project period. 

Colorado 

Recipient: Colorado Grain Chain, Denver, CO* 

District: CO-008

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $269,270.00

Match Amount: $314,570.00

Total Project Amount: $583,840.00 

Growing & Connecting Colorado’s Organic Grain Economy: Enhancing Organic Grain Market 

Opportunities for Producers, Processors, and Value-Added Product Makers 

By working with several high-influence partners in the organic food space, the Colorado Grain Chain (CGC)

will enhance market opportunities for producers, processors, and value-added product makers of organic 

grain for human consumption. Although grains make up an average of 30-50% of dietary intake, the organic 

grain market for human consumption is relatively limited, with little emphasis on local sourcing. Since the 

inception of the Colorado Grain Chain in 2019, the non-profit organization's mission has been to grow and 

connect a community-centered grain economy in the state of Colorado. This work involves connecting the

membership base of 50+ Business and Consumer Members to educational and marketing resources, 

partners, and technical assistance. CGC’s membership base ranges from farmers, processors (millers and 

maltsters), to artisanal makers (bakers, brewers, distillers, chefs), food hubs, and institutions. The Organic 

Market Development Grant (OMDG) will allow us to support stakeholders in the grain supply chain through 

the promotion of organic grains in value-added marketplaces in alignment with the Colorado Grown Grains 

marketing initiative, while building off and expanding current program models to organic grains. 

Specifically, the project seeks to support connections through the grain supply chain that a) incentivize the 

cultivation of diverse organic grains through Microgrants for small businesses/farms, b) enhance 

distribution of organic grains through increased visibility in value-added market channels, and c) increase 

market awareness and demand for locally sourced, food-grade, organic grain through event coordination 

and the continuation of the Colorado Grown Grains co-brand strategy.
Recipient: Honey Rock LLC, Delta, CO

District: CO-003

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $99,597.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $99,597.00

Local Communities Celebrating Colorado's Peaches Year-Round 

In 2022, a farm partner company received a grant to purchase equipment to turn organic peaches into 

puree that could be used in food service and production of beverages and value-added foods. The goal was 

to make Colorado’s celebrated peaches available year-round. An additional goal was to upcycle waste 

peaches. Tons of peaches go to waste each year because of minor imperfections or because they are too 

ripe to travel through traditional distribution channels. This summer, that company began puree production 

for restaurants, breweries, and other food producers. This project includes two goals; 1) to market this local 

resource year-round in ways that honor the goodness and flavor of the fruit and 2) to celebrate this local 

resource within the community, in ways that can nourish ALL community members. One solution is to 

package the puree in squeeze popsicles that are shelf-stable, to be frozen on-demand. The joy of a squeeze 

popsicle is a true celebration of local flavors. The plan is to keep the fruit content near 100 percent. This 

means that these organic popsicles will be healthful for everyone. This equipment grant will allow us to 

purchase a popsicle machine, plus other supporting equipment, to make delicious, safely-produced servings 

of fruit. This will help keep costs down and make these items affordable for distribution to community 

schools, hospitals, and the food bank. This product is in line with the farm’s initiatives to reduce food waste 

by upcycling peaches to 1) adopt the most earth-friendly practices, 2) level the farm’s working hours by 

adding off-season work to solve local production and storage problems that keep local institutions from 

serving more local fruit, and 3) bring greater awareness to and appreciation of local agricultural resources. 

Recipient: Tuxedo Corn Company, LLC, Olathe, CO

District: CO-003

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $623,545.00

Match Amount: $207,849.40

Total Project Amount: $918,699.00

Colorado Organic Dry Beans- Processing Capacity Expansion 

The project proposes a planning and implementation process for the development of a permanent certified 

organic, dry bean processing facility located in Olathe, Colorado. The facility will provide a certified organic 

process for the cleaning of dry beans received directly from field harvesting and enable versatile packaging 

of dry beans. The planning process will consist of completing Technical and Economic Feasibility analyses 

and Marketing and Business Plans for such a facility. The first goal is to optimize the technical aspects of 

processing to ensure efficiency and increase capacity in a certified organic dry bean cleaning and packaging 

facility. This will provide a finished product, packaged in various weights, which accommodate market 

needs and consumer demand. The project will develop a Marketing and Business plan to optimize 

economic benefits and purchase of equipment to implement a facility. Project is expected to improve 

access for producers in the Western Slope to sell products into regional and national organic dry bean 

markets, provide incentives to expand the volume and varieties of organic dry beans grown in these 

regions, and increase regional organic dry bean sourcing accessibility for buyers and consumers.
Connecticut 

Recipient: Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Hartford, CT* 

District: CT-001

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $263,743.00

Match Amount: $265,548.00

Total Project Amount: $529,291.00

Increasing Market Access for Connecticut Organic Producers and Handlers 

Consumer awareness about Connecticut’s certified organic producers and handlers is largely unknown. The 

Connecticut Department of Agriculture will use these grant funds to increase market access for certified 

organic producers, producers transitioning to organic farming, and certified organic handlers in Connecticut 

by coordinating with Transition to Organic Partnership (TOPP) partners, including the University of 

Connecticut (UConn) Extension and the Connecticut Northeast Organic Farming Association (CT NOFA). The 

goal of this project is to strengthen new and emerging markets, strengthen farm to institution market 

channels, increase producer and handler knowledge and skills to market their organic products, and foster 

consumer education to increase demand for organic products. Proposed goals will be accomplished 

through 1) evaluating the current market for CT Grown organic products in CT to understand consumers’ 

perceptions and understanding and to evaluate areas for growth and improved market access, 2) examining 

opportunities for CT Grown organic product sales specifically for farm-to-institution, 3) implementing new 

communication strategies to reach consumers in the state to increase awareness and highlight CT Grown 

organic products and producers (which considers the information gained through the market evaluation), 

and 4) developing and conducting a workshop series for transitioning and certified organic producers and 

handlers to implement new marketing strategies and capitalize on areas for improvement identified by the 

results of marketing research.

District of Columbia

Recipient: Latino Farmers Association, Washington, D.C

District: DC-098

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $2,738,467.40 

Match Amount: $912,916.85 

Total Project Amount: $3,651,384.25

Expansion of Organic markets, Aggregation and Distribution for Underserved Producers and 

Consumers in the Greater District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia area. 

The Latino Farmers Association’s (LFA) project aims to foster equitable participation in the organic 

marketplace for historically underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veterans, and 

beginning farmers, with a concerted effort to combat food deserts in the District of Columbia, Maryland, 

and Virginia. To do so, LFA will pursue four key objectives. First, LFA will expand the organic vendor capacity 

of the Van Ness Farmers Market in the District of Columbia by facilitating a transition to an exclusively 

organic market and obtaining organic certifications for vendors via partnerships with the Transition to 

Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Regional Lead, Pennsylvania Certified Organic, and the Organic Trade 

Association. Second, LFA will open three new organic farmers markets in healthy food priority areas in the 
District of Columbia and one in Southwest Virginia. Third, the association will develop a scalable Community 

Supported Agriculture (CSA) producer-to-consumer system supported by a Virtual Marketplace, which will 

connect market vendors with individual and institutional consumers. LFA will develop a diversified 

marketing strategy to build robust relationships with institutional buyers, distributors, grocery stores, and 

food co-ops. Finally, LFA will enhance market accessibility for producers by acquiring one box truck, one 

mobile market and one delivery van. This will enable LFA to increase the scale and variety of product 

offerings that are now limited by transport and storage constraints. By providing an enhanced distribution 

process that reduces the cost of transport to market and includes eggs, meat, dairy and value-added 

products, LFA will diversify the producers’ income streams and cash flow, while lowering the collective 

carbon footprint. 

Recipient: LS Wholesale LLC, Washington, D.C

District: DC-All 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $2,170,610.00 

Match Amount: $2,250,500.00 

Total Project Amount: $4,421,110.00

Opening up New Markets for Organic Chickpeas via Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certified Hummus 

Little Sesame will expand the domestic certified organic chickpea market by increasing aggregation, 

processing, and distribution of its consumer-packaged line of hummus while simultaneously growing 

consumer demand through enhanced sales and marketing capacity. Over the past several years, droughts, 

flooding, and war in top chickpea-producing countries have led to an increased market demand for 

domestically grown chickpeas. That, paired with a growing interest in plant-based foods that rely on 

chickpeas and other legumes, creates a unique opportunity for organic chickpea producers in the United 

States. Yet, the market remains underdeveloped. Northern Plains farmers in the U.S. have difficulty finding 

direct sales relationships for chickpeas, a crop abundantly grown in rotation with wheat due to its soilbuilding properties. By achieving SQF certification, investing in manufacturing improvements, and 

implementing a shopper, trade and field marketing program, Little Sesame will leverage market demand 

and create a much-needed direct market for 10 domestic chickpea farmers, purchasing 800,000 pounds of 

chickpeas annually across 2,000 production acres. Marketing efforts targeted at distributors, retailers, 

grocery stores, and household consumers will highlight the value of choosing products sourced from 

domestically grown certified organic chickpea growers and bring increased opportunities for certified 

organic producers for years to come. 

Florida

Recipient: New Universe Food LLC, Live Oak, FL

District: FL-003 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $97,804.42 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $97,804.42

Refrigerated Van for Shipping Organic Products 

New Universe Food LLC is a small business committed to promoting a healthier lifestyle by selling organic 

products. This grant will allow New Universe Food to purchase a much-needed refrigerated delivery van, 
allowing fulfillment of the promise to deliver fresh, high-quality organic products to a larger customer base 

along with supplying underserved communities who lack access to healthy, organic food. This van will 

further help them source organic produce from local and out of state organic growers and vendors that 

they can process as well as deliver to markets. The purpose of acquiring a refrigerated van allows New 

Universe Food to fulfill the promise of delivering fresh, high-quality organic products, and will also enable to 

reach a larger customer base. The company will be able to expand market reach and promote organic 

products by traveling to and serving at farmers markets, a range of food expos, community bazaars and 

fairs. The van will also be used for picking up organic fruits, vegetables and grains from other farms and 

vendors to process at the factory and to deliver to markets.

Georgia 

Recipient: Georgia Organic Peanut Association, Inc., Camilla, GA

District: GA-002 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $185,399.00 

Match Amount: $185,399.00 

Total Project Amount: $370,798.00

Enhancing the Value Chain for Certified Organic Peanuts in the Southeast 

The goal of this project is to create a new market and to enhance the value of certified organic peanuts 

produced and processed in Georgia. The project will forge a new partnership between the Georgia Organic 

Peanut Association, a farmer-owned marketing cooperative, and Oliver Oil Company, a small family-owned 

processor of cold-pressed culinary oil. Together, they will acquire parallel processing equipment that will 

enable, for the first time in the Southeast, the production of Certified Organic peanut oil by expanding 

processing capacity and preventing commingling of organic and non-organic products. This new enterprise 

will be supported by a joint marketing campaign to stimulate demand. As a result of the project, one 

processing facility and one storage facility will obtain organic certification for the first time, fostering a new 

local supply chain for Certified Organic commodities. Marketing through the Georgia Organic Peanut 

Association, farmers will increase the production, processing, and sales of Certified Organic peanuts grown 

in the region by 50%. The project will have a beneficial financial effect on no fewer than 15 farmers in the 

Southeast, including two beginning farmers and two socially disadvantaged producers, and create one new 

job. 

Hawaii 

Recipient: Island Harvest Inc., Kapaau, HI 

District: HI-002 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Big Island Organic Packaging Project 

The Big Island Organic Packaging Project will increase the packaging efficiency and capacity of Hawaii’s 

organic producers of macadamia nuts and other organic agricultural products in Hawaii. Additionally, the 
project will allow for Island Harvest to offer co-manufacturing services to other organic producers. The 

main goal of the project is to purchase and install an automated packaging system with the capacity to pack 

up to 1800 pouches of organic macadamia nuts per hour. Currently, there are limited and inefficient 

options for organic producers to package their products, and the installation of packaging equipment will 

help to alleviate this bottleneck and allow for the growth of the market for organic agricultural products. 

The increased capacity of packaging will allow Hawaii‘s organic producers to compete with non-organic 

consumer packaged goods in online and in-store outlets throughout Hawaii and the United States. This will 

improve the availability of organic products to consumers and reduce the cost for Hawaii’s organic 

producers to bring their product to market.

Recipient: Robert Lawrence Bence II, Kula, HI 

District: HI-002 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $92,547.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $92,547.00

Kula Organic Micro-Dairy (KOA) 

Only two dairies remain in Hawaii, and one plans to close, meaning Hawaii could end up importing all its 

milk. Neither of these dairies produces or distributes organic A2 milk. This raises concerns about Hawaii’s 

reliance on imported milk. Kula Organic A2 (KOA) Micro-Dairy is a solution for Maui residents. KOA will 

produce organic A2 milk, cheese, yogurt, and kefir, a fermented milk drink, cultured from kefir grains -- 

healthy options currently unavailable. KOA can produce up to 20 gallons of A2 milk daily developing a 

domestic market for organic A2 dairy. Most of Maui’s milk is A1 and imported, emphasizing the need for 

locally produced, economical, and environmentally sustainable dairy. The Micro-Dairy is operated by Hawaii 

Sustainable Farm (HSF). The equipment will help Hawaii Sustainable Farms (HSF) to meet its goal to open 

and operate an organic, A2 micro-dairy on Maui, hire locally, distribute locally, and create new markets for 

organic A2 dairy on the island. HSF practices sustainable farming methods and is implementing its second 

USDA conservation plan. KOA aligns with growing interest in A2 milk and its potential health benefits. KOA 

Micro-Dairy will be the only provider of organic A2 milk in Hawaii. 

Idaho

Recipient: Double Eagle Dairy, Inc., Murtaugh, ID

District: ID-002 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $708,000.00 

Match Amount: $708,000.00 

Total Project Amount: $1,416,000.00

To Create a Marketplace for Purchase and Consumption of Organic Animal Feed. 

The purpose of this project is to create a marketplace to sell organic feeds. Currently, a gap exists in the 

Idaho supply chain between organic commodities that are being grown in the area and the organic feed 

being consumed. Specialized machines and equipment are used to turn various organic commodities into 

precise rations and mixtures for feeds. Farmers grow organic crops intended for animal feed but are unable 

to sell locally because the ability and/or capacity to process the organic commodity into animal feed is 

unavailable. Thus, the farmer resorts to selling crops to feed processors out of the area, causing the organic
feed consumer to buy out of the area as well. This creates significant added costs for both buyer and seller. 

This project would address the supply chain issue directly. The activities to be performed would be to 

purchase and install various machinery and equipment to be used to convert organic crops efficiently and 

accurately into precise animal feeds. This would enable to create a marketplace for organic animal feeds. 

The marketplace would create deliverable organic feed products that would include formulated pellets, 

total mixed rations, and processed commodities that could be used individually or incorporated into the 

customer's mixed ration for their feeding operation. The expected outcomes would be an increased 

processing capacity in the area for organic crop farmers and increased consumption of local organic feeds.

Illinois 

Recipient: North Sky Farm LLC, Harvard, IL 

District: IL-016 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $627,767.00 

Match Amount: $239,948.00 

Total Project Amount: $867,715.00

Between a Farmers’ Market and a Hard Place: Getting Out from Under the Market Tent and Into the 

Supply Chain. Reinvigorating A Local Organic Dairy Economy. 

The project goal is to increase farmstead creamery processing capacity and, in doing so, to create a milk 

market for other organic producers to sell their milk to the North Sky Farm creamery. With the increased 

processing volume, North Sky Farm will be able to meet the expectations of a wholesale distributor 

allowing them to sell organic cheese to many more people. The project will increase cheesemaking 

capacity so they are able to buy milk from another dairy farm in addition to processing milk from their own 

farm. The project team will rearrange creamery space to accommodate larger equipment, update the 

wastewater system to accommodate a larger volume, increase personnel to process the larger volume of 

cheese, and work with a consultant to sell the increased volume of cheese through a distributor. In 

addition, North Sky Farm is creating a milk market for another producer. Increasing processing will allow us 

to reach the minimum volume needed to work with wholesale cheese distributors which will bring organic 

cheese to a much broader customer base. This project would double processing capacity. There are three 

main expected outcomes: 1. milk contracts offered to two organic dairy farms, our own dairy and one 

other organic dairy thus creating a milk market, 2. production will expand to a level where we are able to 

sell through a wholesale distributor so our cheese will be able to be sold in mainstream grocery stores over 

a wide geographic area, and 3. Increase in sales volume to a level where the organic creamery is 

economically sustainable and is able to continue to employee at least four, and likely more fulltime 

employees beyond the end of the project period. North Sky Farm will achieve these goals by making some 

key changes to increase production capacity to remove processing facility equipment bottlenecks that 

curtail manufacturing capacity.
Maine 

Recipient: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Unity, ME* 

District: ME-002

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $639,449.11 

Match Amount: $640,769.39

Total Project Amount: $1,280,218.50 

Northeast Organic Dairy Market Development: Strengthening Consumer and Institutional Demand 

for Local Organic Dairy Products 

This project aims to strengthen consumer and institutional demand for local, organic dairy products 

produced in the Northeast (NE) US. Facing challenges such as contract cancellations and rising production 

costs. The project seeks to address this crisis by expanding the farm-to-institution market for organic dairy, 

increasing the number of retail outlets promoting organic dairy, and implementing targeted consumer 

marketing efforts to boost demand for products made with NE dairy. The first main activity is to increase 

grocery retail partners by onboarding food co-ops, independent grocers, and large-chain supermarkets 

committed to promoting and selling organic dairy from the Northeast. The Northeast Organic Family Farm 

Partnership (NOFFP) will develop compelling program pitch materials, increase staff support to onboard 

and retain Retail Partners, and establish a retail peer group to share best practices in promoting organic 

dairy. The second main goal is to facilitate product innovation for bulk organic dairy. For this goal, NOFFP 

will collaborate with regional farm-to-institution partners to increase the number of participating colleges, 

K-12s, and hospitals buying NE organic dairy. Strengthening relationships between buyers, distributors, and 

processors will enable market developments, including the introduction of bulk formats for organic yogurt, 

cheese, and fluid milk, in response to institutional buyer demands. The final goal is to develop a marketing 

campaign through the development of new marketing strategies to engage consumers and educate them 

about the benefits of NE organic dairy. This includes creating brand awareness and loyalty for local organic 

dairy brands through Point of Sale (POS) marketing, consumer food demos, social media, and targeted 

messaging. The project is expected to benefit 286+ organic family farms and 30 value-added organic 

processors. 

Recipient: Renata C Scarano, Penobscot, ME 

District: ME-002 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $97,509.26 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $97,509.26

Niche Market Creation with Improved Soil Fertility Reducing Reliance of Fertilizer Inputs 

The economic viability of this farm is made stronger by the synergy of growing and marketing a legume 

such as edamame with two distinctive benefits: 1) the creation of a niche market for value-added fresh and 

frozen edamame generating an additional diversified income benefit for the farm and 2) Utilizing the 

nitrogen-fixing ability of soybeans to fix and incorporate between 30 to 50 lbs. of nitrogen per acre into the 

soil. The project fulfills the need to purchase processing equipment and transport van which plays a critical 

role in the storage and delivery of fresh and frozen edamame, ensuring the end product maintains the 
proper quality, safety, and shelf life throughout its final distribution channels i.e., our long-established 

Farmers Markets and the numerous retail outlets we serve throughout the state of Maine.

Recipient: Balfour Farm LLC, Pittsfield, ME

District: ME-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $99,511.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $99,511.00

Growing Northeast Organic Cheese Supply by Expanding Farmstead Milk Processing 

This project's goal is to expand on-farm processing capacity to increase consumption of organic cheeses. To 

address the lack of availability of organic milk for purchase, Balfour Farm is expanding on-farm milk 

production to increase the farm’s on-site processing. Proposed equipment purchases will replace existing 

equipment with larger capacity cheesemaking equipment to accommodate the planned 175% increase in 

milk production. The farm will increase the capacity for milk production from 12 cows to 20 cows by the 

end of 2025. The farm will replace the current oil-fired system, which is approximately 25 years old, with 

high efficiency propane system. This increases the volume of milk processed and reduces the time required 

per batch. A cleaner burning, efficient system will modernize process controls and be more a sustainable 

energy source.The automatic curd mill will solve two problems: workflow and employee fatigue. As more 

milk is processed, larger batches of cheese will take longer to mill the curds. The EBR curd mill will reduce 

curd cutting time. This will also reduce worker fatigue- the current hand operated mill places significant 

stress on the shoulder and arm joints while using. Replacing the mechanical cheese press with higher 

capacity pneumatic modelwill increase volume and provide for consistent process control, having a positive 

effect on product appearance, flavor, and texture.The farm’s increased organic milk processing will result in 

annual cheese production increase of 7,745 lbs.

Recipient: Aurora Mills & Farm LLC, Linneus, ME

District: ME-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Expanding Soybean Production Capacity to Strengthen Maine’s Food Systems and Increase Organic 

Acreage by Providing a Market for Profitable Organic, Food Grade, Regionally Grown Soybeans. 

Soybeans have been historically grown in the central United States, however, climate change is causing 

droughts in these areas and affecting yield. Maine is warming and has ample water supply, creating an 

increasingly ideal climate for soybeans. As a nitrogen-fixing crop, soybeans are an ideal rotation crop for 

other grains, providing nitrogen for the next year's crop and reducing the need for synthetic and manure 

fertilizers. Although Maine farmers want to produce more soybeans, they lack access to processing 

infrastructure to enable them to take advantage of the premium, food grade, organic soybean markets can 

achieve. Aurora Mills Farm (Aurora) is one of the leading organic small grains and legume growers in the 

State of Maine. Aurora is also a value-added producer that processes and mills organic grains and legumes, 

providing flour, rolled oats, soybeans and field peas to numerous New England based institutions and food 

producers. Adding bean polishing, destoning and a second cleaner to create a gluten free cleaning line to 

the existing processing infrastructure will open up new market opportunities for Maine growers. They will 
be able to grow and access the organic soybean market by using Auroras processing infrastructure. 

Soybeans, the easiest legume to market, require a stain free, stone free bean. Increased weeds, inherent in 

organic production, contribute to more staining in the combining harvesting process. Aurora currently has 

the ability to remove the weeds in the cleaning process, but stained beans are still left. Polishing and 

destoning will provide Maine’s small grain and legume producers to access new gluten-free markets.

Recipient: Crystal Spring Community Farm, LLC, Brunswick, ME 

District: ME-001 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Expanding Access and Capacity for Certified Organic Produce into Regional Grocery Markets with 

Custom Packaging 

This project will increase access for local organic products to large scale Northeast grocery chains by 

providing industry standard, cost effective, custom packaging of produce for small organic farms. 

Organic products in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions are significantly underrepresented in large scale 

grocery markets where the vast majority of organic food products are sold. Small organic farms in our 

region do not have access to automated packaging machinery that can portion and pack bulk produce into 

retail size, industry standard UPC labelled units for large scale retail sale. Currently, small organic farms are 

packaging by hand into expensive small run packages. Reducing packaging costs will allow these farms to 

increase production volume and sales revenue. This project will allow the purchased, installed and 

calibration of equipment to provide custom packaging for four farms with the following goals: 1) increase 

the market share of organic products in large scale grocery stores throughout the Northeast, 2) decrease 

unit cost of small organic farm product packaging for retail grocery sales making these products more 

competitive while increasing sales volume, 3) increase labor efficiency by reducing or eliminating low skill 

packaging tasks and providing higher skill and ultimately higher value tasks for workers on organic farms, 

and 4) foster and strengthen connections between small organic farms to develop shared pathways 

towards expanded markets.

Maryland 

Recipient: Moon Valley Farm Inc, Woodsboro,MD 

District: MD-006 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Moon Valley Farm's Organic Legume and Grain Capacity Expansion for Mid-Atlantic Producers 

This project will expand the capacity of Moon Valley Farm and its 40+ regional partner farms to grow, 

process, store and deliver organic legumes and grains to thousands of subscribers, direct market and 

wholesale customers across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Moon Valley Farm is a certified 

organic, year-round, diversified produce farm that grows legumes and grains on a small-scale and 

aggregates legume, grains, fruits, mushrooms, eggs and more from partner farms. The Farm wants to 
increase processing and aggregation of these crops to benefit its crop rotation plan, whole-farm planning, 

and to meet customers' demand, yet the business lacks the equipment required to increase production, 

storage, and delivery of these specialty crops. Moon Valley Farm’s goals with this project are to expand 

capacity to grow, aggregate, store and deliver high quality legumes and grains to meet regional customer 

demand with key pieces of equipment. This project will strengthen the community of farms, impact 

hundreds of acres, and increase the region’s food security and climate resilience.

Michigan 

Recipient: Almar Orchards LLC, Flushing, MI

District: MI-007 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $99,582.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $99,582.00

Expanding Organic Apple Production and Processing in Michigan 

Almar Orchards is a 4th and 5th generation, family-owned organic apple orchard in Michigan, where 

organic markets are limited. A washing and sorting line would enable Almar to access a new commodity 

market through baby and kid food company, Once Upon a Farm (OFarm). This partnership would result in 

increased domestic sourcing by companies like OFarm and serve as an aggregator for other growers in the 

region. With the ability to clean and sort apples for the commodity market, Almar projects its sales volumes 

of organic apples could increase 3x over the next 5 years. This increase is driven by other apple growers in 

the region, who would also be beneficiaries of the grant. Nearby growers would be able to aggregate their 

crop through this wash line, thereby gaining access to new commodity markets. The increased capacity 

provided by the wash line would also enable Almar to expand organic apple production onto 100 additional 

acres that are currently either fallow or being leased by annual crop growers. This development would 

result in future increased production beyond the 5 year projections. Given that Michigan is the third largest 

apple producer in the country, there is significant opportunity to expand organic production in the state if 

access to a viable market is present.

Recipient: GF Grains LLC, Three Oaks, MI 

District: MI-006 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $75,450.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $75,450.00

Expansion of Supersack Handling Capacity for Identity-Preserved Organic Grains 

The goal of this project is to enhance Granor Farm's capacity to handle, package, and distribute identitypreserved organic grains to various end-users. Granor Farm is seeking to meet the substantial demand from 

its partners such as maltsters, millers, distillers, bakers, brewers, and other end users for certified organic 

rotational crops, with a focus on barley, wheat, and cereal rye. The project will purchase equipment

allowing Granor Farm to weigh and batch identity-preserved grain with utmost care and cleanliness, 

ensuring precise filling of supersack totes. The built-in belt conveyor will eliminate lot contamination 

between crops and enable filling of multiple supersacks with high accuracy. The mobile design also allows 

for indoor filling during winter, enhanced operational safety and flexibility, and reduced weather-related 
delays. The implementation of the Brandt conveyor will eliminate excessive grain damage and 

contamination during packaging and post-harvest handling. By replacing traditional steel augers, the belt 

conveyor ensures the retention of no grain byproducts or extra kernels after operation, eliminating the 

need for grain purges while maintaining clean and contaminant-free grain lots. The improved capacity and 

safety measures will enable Granor Farm to meet growing market demands for organic products in 

Michigan and throughout the upper Midwest.

Recipient: Weinrich Farm LLC, Traverse City, MI

District: MI-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Upgrading Equipment to Produce Organic Hay and Forage in Northern Michigan. 

There is no certified organic hay and forage available for purchase within 200 miles of Weinrich Farm, and 

very little available anywhere in Michigan. Consequently, producing organic beef, lamb, or goat is simply 

not an option at present for farms in the area. This project will upgrade and expand the hay and forage 

making capacity of the Weinrich Farm LLC, creating the only large-scale organic producer of hay and forage 

in northern Michigan. Newer and better hay and forage equipment will enable them to rapidly cut, bale and 

transport, making the business more efficient with existing organic transition pasture, as well as bring 

hundreds more acres into organic production over three years. This equipment will kick-start a supply chain 

for organic, grass-fed ruminants in this region. The project will allow Weinrich Farm to transition their own 

ruminants to organic feed, eventually enabling them to produce organic grass-fed beef. It will remove a 

barrier to organic certification for other small farms locally who cannot currently access organic hay and 

forage. This project will create new revenue streams for several existing organic vegetable farms in 

northern Michigan who have under-utilized pastures that could be used for organic hay, forage, and straw. 

The project will also support the expansion of organic wheat in the area by enabling the production of 

forages as a profitable complement in a crop rotation.

Recipient: Cultured Ferments Company, LLC

District: MI-001

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Expanding Capacity, Adding Value through Aggregation Services, and Keeping Pace with Increased 

Demand for Organic Value-added Products in the Midwest 

Northern Michigan is home to many organic producers, yet no capability exists for organic producers to 

develop organic packaged products with the raw organic commodities they produce. The purpose of this 

project is to expand market access for new organic packaged products by establishing aggregation and comanufacturing services serving multiple organic producers in Northern Michigan initially, with continued 

growth throughout the Midwest. As a USDA Organic certified organic handler and processing facility, 

Cultured Ferments is well-positioned to introduce these services and transform from a singular product line 

facility to one with the ability to package almost any viscous product in an organic format. Furthermore, 

this project will enable product development of organic kombucha made available in cans, along with 
existing glass bottle formats. This project includes the following activities: installation of a canning line to 

produce organic kombucha in canned format, partnering with area organic producers to provide comanufacturing services, expanding delivery networks and maximizing efficiency, and serving area organic 

producers including small and underserved organic producers with access to new markets.The project is 

expected to expand networks for organic producers, particularly those in historically underserved areas, to 

develop and deliver organic packaged products and access new markets. 

Recipient: Giovanni's Appetizing Food Products Inc., Richmond, MI 

District: MI-009 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Enhancing Organic Tomato Paste Production: Votator® Heat Exchanger Equipment Grant 

The primary goal of the project is to enhance current manufacturing capacity for USDA Organic Tomato 

Paste in Tubes, thereby meeting the increasing demand for organic products. As the sole producers of this 

unique product domestically, under the Giovanni’s brand label, Giovanni’s is committed to providing 

consumers with a high-quality, organic, and locally sourced option using only ingredients grown 

domestically. The equipment upgrade aims to streamline the production process and increase efficiency to 

meet the rising demand for organic tomato paste in tubes. By investing in the tube filling equipment, 

Giovanni’s aims to achieve the following objectives, which align with the purpose of the program: 1) 

Promoting Sustainable Agriculture: exclusive use of domestically grown organic tomatoes emphasizes the 

company’s commitment to promoting sustainable agricultural practices within the United States. By 

supporting this project, the program can encourage and endorse responsible farming methods that 

minimize environmental impact and conserve natural resources. 2) Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing: 

The program's objective is to enhance domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on imports. 

As the only USDA Organic Tomato Paste in tubes manufacturer in the country, this project directly aligns 

with this goal, contributing to the growth and resilience of the domestic manufacturing sector. 3) Meeting 

Consumer Demand for Organic Products: With an increasing number of consumers seeking organic and 

locally sourced food options, this project addresses this demand by providing a unique and certified organic 

tomato paste in user-friendly tubes. This helps to foster healthier eating choices and supports the 

program's aim of promoting organic products in the market.

Missouri 

Recipient: McKaskle Family Farm LLC, Braggadocia, MO 

District: MO-008 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

McKaskle Family Farm Organic Processing Expansion 

McKaskle Family Farm LLC is an organic processing and organic farming entity located in Pemiscot County, 

MO. The project will expand, modernize, and upgrade the processing, packaging, and handling by the 

McKaskle Family Farm LLC facility for organic rice and popcorn. This equipment will double the capacity of 
organic popcorn meal and organic rice flour processing and increase overall income and profitability of 

McKaskle Family Farm. 

Montana 

Recipient: Cream of the West, Inc. Harlowton, MT* 

District: MT-002

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $602,996.50

Match Amount: $602,967.50

Project Amount: $1,205,934.00 

Expansion of Organic Markets and Complete Organic Conversion for Cream of the West, Inc. 

The project purpose is to fully convert Cream of the West to 100% organic and to continue the organic 

expansion of sister company Gruff over the next three years. Activities to be performed include working 

with the local organic farming community to establish new connections and outlets for local organic crops, 

expanding access for underserved communities to organic foods, building a new sales team, attending 

trade shows, hiring additional plant personnel, and increasing social media and web presence. Cream of the 

West will add education by working with school children through local nonprofit organizations and local 

farmers to bolster organic processing and develop current nutritional whole food classes for an 

exponentially increasing audience using education and social media. The expected outcomes are to 

increase current organic sales, create new full-time positions and establish new buyers in the form of 

brokers, distributors, wholesalers, food service operations and retailers. The intended beneficiaries are 

local Montana farmers, -processors, and partners in the industry, local school children, plant staff, the 

community of Harlowton, Montana, and organic consumers.

Recipient: Amaltheia Dairy LLC, Belgrade, MT

District: MT-001 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $79,196.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $79,196.00

Providing Regional Access to Organic Goat Milk by Expanding Operations 

Amaltheia Organic Dairy, LLC is seeking funding to provide wholesome organic pasteurized goat milk to the 

public in our health-conscious community. Amaltheia is a sustainably focused, organic family farm that has 

been handcrafting organic goat cheeses for over 20 years. In 2005, the company was certified organic 

which aligned with the owners’ values and the needs of the public they served. While they currently only 

sell cheeses, they would like to expand their offerings by selling pasteurized goat milk to consumers and 

grocery stores. The goals of the project include: 1) expanding local access to organic goat milk, 2) 

expanding regional access to organic goat milk, and 3) ncreasing resiliency of Amaltheia Organic Dairy. The 

funding will be used to purchase equipment for a glycol chiller, a bottler, a plate chiller, and bottles. This 

will allow Amaltheia to sell 2,500 gallons during the first year and increase that amount over coming years 

to meet demand. Offering organic milk will help address both a local and regional need in the organic 

market. 
Recipient: Big Sandy Organics, LLC, Big Sandy, MT

District: MT-002

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $3,000,000.00

Match Amount: $1,000,000.00

Total Project Amount: $4,000,000.00

Upgrade and Expansion of Food Processing Line, for Organic Grains and Pulse Crops. 

The primary goal of this project is to propel Big Sandy Organics, LLC (BSO) towards sustainable growth and 

innovation within the organic market. Through strategic initiatives, BSO aims to enhance processing 

capacity and redefine market dynamics, fostering a resilient and thriving organic ecosystem. To achieve 

this, the project will focus on two pivotal objectives. First, BSO will undertake a comprehensive Processing 

Capacity Expansion effort. This involves the reconfiguration of its processing facility, including the removal 

of interior barriers and the acquisition of advanced equipment. The result will be a substantial increase in 

processing capacity from 150lbs to 1000lbs per hour, facilitated by streamlined automation. This capacity 

expansion will enhance product quality, reduce labor-intensive processes, and drive down production costs. 

Simultaneously, BSO will expand the organic market by promoting collaborative product development and 

empowering new entrants. Through close collaboration with producers and handlers, BSO will diversify its

product range and invigorate innovation. The introduction of accessible continuous processing systems will 

break down market entry barriers, stimulating demand and encouraging new organic producers to join the 

fold. In essence, this project seeks to position BSO as a trailblazing force in the organic sector, marked by 

enhanced processing capabilities and a vibrant market landscape. By addressing current limitations and 

fostering collaboration, the project envisions a future where BSO stands as a beacon of organic excellence, 

enriching consumer choices and cultivating a sustainable organic market ecosystem.

Recipient: Cold Springs Organics, LLC, Bozeman, MT

District: MT-001

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $648,254.00

Match Amount: $326,756.00

Total Project Amount: $975,010.00

Feeding the Organic Transition: Pelletizing Organic Alfalfa and Leguminous Grains to Improve 

Market Access, Lower Costs, and Enhance Transportability. 

Cold Springs Organics, LLC is requesting funds to install a pelleting line at their facility near Bozeman, MT. 

Certified organic livestock feed has been identified as a critical barrier to growing the organic livestock 

market. Organic livestock farmers looking to transition to organic have been faced with record high feed 

prices over the past three years while organic crop producers have experienced whiplash prices for their 

certified organic crops. Cold Springs Organics is looking to bridge this disconnect through the expansion of 

its grain handling operation by purchasing, installing and operating an alfalfa and complete feed pelleting 

facility. This project will work to both increase the overall supply of organic feed available across Montana 

and the Northwest Region. It will also allow Cold Springs Organics to expand market access for both crop 

growers and livestock raisers. By pelletizing perennial legumes like alfalfa, and offering consistent prices to 

farmers year over year, they will expand the overall organic feed processing capacity in the region, offering 

more options to livestock producers and crop growers. Cold Springs Organics will increase market access by 

shipping the pelletized feed via rail. They will expand the opportunities for crop growers to sell a wide 
variety of leguminous and cereal feed crops that maximize the soil health of the farm all while producing 

livestock feed at a price point that is commercially viable for broiler, layer, hog, and dairy producers.

North Carolina

Recipient: Reedy Fork Farm, LLC, Elon, NC

District: NC-All 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Organic Feed Mill Expansion 

Organic feed provides countless benefits to livestock and consumers alike, with outcomes including higher 

nutrient content, improved animal health, and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, there are few 

organic feed mills that meet the needs of small producers in the Southeast United States, prioritizing the 

use of local when possible and only domestic ingredients. This increases the demand placed on small 

organic feed mills. We are already providing high quality feed to consumers in over forty states. This 

project’s objectives are to expand existing markets by increasing efficiency in production, by increasing 

storage capacity, while improving and maintaining the quality of the organic products. Reedy Fork Farm is a 

small organic feed mill that faces significant efficiency and storage capacity needs. This proposal will allow 

them to purchase equipment that will improve the quality of the product, leading to customer satisfaction 

and quality livestock outcomes. By implementing these objectives, Reedy Fork Farm will provide a much 

needed increase in access to consumers and production to support the development and expansion of new 

and existing markets, as evidenced by an increase of between 600,000-900,000 pounds, or a 25% increase

in sales.

Recipient: Tony Horton, Zebulon, NC

District: NC-All 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $94,750.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $94,750.00

Grain Drying System for Organic Food-Grade Grains 

The goal of this project is to mitigate the risk of sprout damage to vulnerable organic grain crops grown for 

a food-grade and seed market by providing infrastructure for an on-farm grain drying system, thus enabling 

us to choose a harvest window and help avoid crop loss due to pre-harvest sprouting which damages the 

quality of grain for food-grade application and for viable seed germination. Specifically, Horton Farm has 

been growing Appalachian White Wheat, a regionally adapted hard white winter wheat variety for Carolina 

Ground flour mill since 2018. This variety came out of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Uniform 

Bread Wheat trials and has respectable yields, a good disease package, and a strong market, but as a white 

wheat, it lacks the dormancy period at maturity that red wheats contain, so the crop is at a higher risk of 

pre-harvest sprouting. To build a resilient food-grade grain-based value chain in the South, Horton Farm

needs this critical infrastructure to minimize the risk of relying solely on good weather during the harvest 

window of June-July. Since 2012, Horton Farm in relationship with Carolina Ground, has been producing 
high quality stone-ground flour made from certified organic grains grown predominantly in North Carolina 

and surrounding southern states, and serving bakeries throughout the southeast.

North Dakota

Recipient: Healthy Oilseeds, LLC, Carrington, ND

District: ND-All 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Organic Oilseed Processing Capacity Expansion 

Healthy Oilseeds is a small family-owned business that processes flaxseed, hempseed, borage, and other 

minor oilseeds. They cold press expel, mill, sift, and clean oilseeds. The products that come from processing 

are oils and protein, separating the organic oil from the organic protein. Healthy Oilseeds processes organic 

oilseeds 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and are not able to keep up with the demand for orders. The 

goal is to increase oilseed processing capability with the purchase of an additional head press increasing 

production to their facility. The expansion will also provide a larger organic market for organic producers to 

have another place to sell and market their organic crops. The upper Midwest is the key growing area for 

organic specialty oilseeds with Healthy Oilseeds being in the upper Midwest and buying directly from the 

producer. There is great demand for Healthy Oilseeds organic flaxseed and hempseed oil products grown 

and processed in the United States and we can supply these products that are certified USDA Organic and 

Primus Food Safety Certified. Organic producers and organic ingredient customers have trust in Healthy 

Oilseeds company and its products. The project will help supply the consumer demand and create a clear 

market channel for organic production of oilseeds to be processed close to where the seeds are grown.

Recipient: Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC, Fargo, ND

District: ND-All 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $2,626,181.00 

Match Amount: $2,626,181.00 

Total Project Amount: $5,252,362.00

Anchor Processing Improvements 

The purpose of Anchor’s processing improvement project is to increase the market for US producers by 

expanding organic storage and processing capabilities across Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC’s ( Anchor) supply 

chain through improvement of current processes and installation of new equipment. This will be done 

through three activities. The first is to improve the product drags at internally owned facilities. This will 

allow for increased efficiency in moving organic products through value-add processing, storage, and 

inbound/outbound transit. Anchor’s current product drags cannot be operated in certain weather 

conditions which causes significant downtime. Additionally, these old/malfunctioning drags leak/spill 

product, causing additional work to re-clean spilled product as well as unnecessary loss of product. This 

goal will be completed over a two-week span at Hillsboro and Buffalo, ND locations in which the old drags 

will be disassembled, and the new clean product drags will be re-installed. The second activity is to install 

and update processing equipment, over six months. The new processing equipment will expand the channel 

for value-added organic products and increase organic storage capacity. Prior to Anchor acquiring the 
facility, it was not certified organic and didn’t have processing capabilities. The third activity is to create a 

new organic value-added product, by installing pelletizing processing equipment. Pelletizing hulls 

compresses the hulls into small, dense pellets. These pellets take up less space compared to loose hulls, 

allowing for more efficient storage and transportation. Pelletizing will increase Anchor’s storage capacity, 

and decrease the number of truck shipments to customers, as trailers are able to hold more pelletized 

product than non-pelletized product. It also allows customers to store these pelletized hulls more 

efficiently, thus creating additional capacity. 

New Hampshire

Recipient: Westwick Farming LLC, Lee, NH

District: NH-1 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $77,449.22 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $77,449.55

NH Grain Collaborative Organic Market Expansion 

The requested equipment is intended to significantly increase the amount of NH grown organic grain and 

value-added grain products available in the NH and Northeast market. In 2022, Westwick Farming LLC 

Tuckaway Farm received and conducted a USDA Value-Added Production planning proposal surveying the 

growing, harvest, post-harvest, processing, and market challenges in the NH grain shed along the mid-tier 

value chain and the potential of growing a NH Grain Collaborative. Appropriately scaled equipment was 

identified as a main bottleneck in meeting and expanding this market. This equipment will address 

identified gaps in grain transport, processing, and packaging capacity, all of which will allow growth in the 

marketplace for organic grain farmers and value-added producers, and increased access to organic culinary 

grains for consumers.

New Jersey

Recipient: Two River Gourmet Mushrooms LLC 

District: NJ-All 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $100,000.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Organic Horizons: Strengthening Rural Organic Specialty Mushroom Production, Processing, 

Infrastructure and Distribution 

The purpose of this project is to strengthen Two River Gourmet Mushrooms’ rural organic specialty 

mushroom production, processing, infrastructure, and distribution. Restaurants, supermarkets, and 

specialty stores increasingly offer organic mushroom products, creating a demand-driven market. However, 

there is a clearly defined challenge centered around expanding infrastructure and capacity as well as 

processing, storage, specialized equipment, and handling/shipping, which have not kept up with the 

demand for organic specialty mushrooms. The specialized equipment will allow Two River Gourmet 

Mushrooms to scale production to meet local demand and ensure reliable, safe, and exclusive Organic 
Delivery of its product to expanding consumers. This equipment will make certain that they are able to 

scale production in successful processing of high-quality organic mushrooms, meeting the demands of the 

target market. The dedicated delivery van will break the market access barrier that exists because of 

handling/shipping bottlenecks. This will also greatly streamline supply chain processes, from harvest to 

distribution, to reduce post-harvest losses and ensure efficient delivery of organic mushrooms to 

consumers. These expanded capabilities will set an example of sustainable agricultural production. It will 

also allow for the generation of employment opportunities within the local community, including farm 

workers, technicians, and sales personnel. The project's success will contribute to the economic growth of 

the region.

New Mexico

Recipient: Sunny State Products Inc, San Jon, NM 

District: NM-003 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $119,612.25 

Match Amount: $119,612.25 

Total Project Amount: $239,224.50

Add Technological Advancements to Organic Food Grade Grain Cleaning Facility 

Sunny State Products, Inc. (SSP) plans to add a high-capacity electric eye color and infrared (IR) sorter to 

enhance the ability to clean organic food grade grain crops. As the organic food processing industry has 

increasingly added higher technological equipment, the need to improve the quality of organic food grains 

has increased substantially. Adding a color/IR sorter will allow SSP to clean and transform organic grain to 

the high-quality standards required by the food grade grain industry. Organic grains typically have a higher 

percentage of foreign material, organic matter, diseased and unacceptable kernels due to the organic 

growing conditions. The addition of a higher technologically advanced machine will enable SSP to accept 

more organic crops and convert the crops to a usable organic commodity in the food grade grain industry. 

This project will also reduce the processing cost of the plant to provide organic food grain at a cheaper cost 

to current customers and to market to new customers in the organic food grade grain market. SSP will be 

able to provide more organic grain and incorporate more organic farmers into their already large group of 

organic farms to make cheaper organic food grade grains possible. 

New York

Recipient: Gianforte Farm LLC, Cazenovia, NY 

District: NY-022 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $95,173.92 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $95,173.92

Purchase Of an On-Farm Grain Storage System for Value-Added Grains to Help Meet the Demand for 

Domestically and Locally Produced Organic Livestock Feed and to Enhance the Local Supply Chain 

As capacity in the middle of the organic supply chain has not kept up with demand for organic products, 

there are a limited number of suppliers for feed grains in Central New York for dairy and livestock 
operations. These funds will be utilized to integrate a blower system, inventory scales, and supporting 

elements into the current operation at Gianforte Farm, LLC. While the facility currently grinds corn and 

soybeans for livestock feed, there is no efficient load out equipment for these feed commodities, leading to 

an overall lack of capacity and agility in the ability to supply current and future feed customers with organic 

feed. By integrating a continuous-flow system with the ability to efficiently load out, regional organic 

livestock and dairy producers will have an additional reliable, consistent, and competitive source of 

domestically/locally produced organic feed. This project enhances the regional organic supply chain and its 

resiliency, improves the local agricultural economy, and provides current and future feed buyers with 

additional options for purchasing domestic organic feed (which may be more cost-effective due to less 

transportation costs). In addition, this capacity expansion will result in an increase in purchasing of organic 

corn and soybeans from other local operations, thus enhancing the impact of this project while also 

keeping feed inputs local.

Recipient: Norwich Meadows Farm, LLC. Norwich, NY

District: NY-019

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $95,261.08

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $95,261.08

Equipping A Commercial Kitchen at Norwich Meadows Farm for Production of Value-Added Products 

from Organic Local Vegetables and Fruits 

Norwich Meadows Farm has been one of the most important suppliers of fresh, local, organic produce to 

the New York City region for more than two decades. The number of viable farms providing fresh local 

produce to this region is small and at risk of getting smaller due to intense pressure from national/global 

competition and increasingly difficult business conditions. It is safe to say that there is no other local farm 

providing the diversity, quality, and quantity of organic produce that Norwich Meadows Farm brings to 

market each year. One key to their success has been continuous development of new markets, resulting in 

a uniquely diversified marketing program including direct sales at farmers’ markets, Community Supported 

Agriculture’s direct sales to restaurants and retail stores, and specialty wholesale distribution. Recently 

Norwich Meadows Farm has partnered with commercial kitchen operators and chefs to pilot a range of 

processed products using vegetables and fruits from the farm; these market tests have shown that there is 

a significant opportunity for unique organic processed products including sauces, purees, broths, 

dried/pickled products, and juices to be marketed through existing channels. They have already begun the 

process of building a 6,000+ square foot packinghouse; this structure will also be the home of a planned 

food hub. This project will allow for the purchase of equipment for a commercial kitchen to be in this 

building.
Recipient: Farmer Ground Flour, LLC, Trumansburg, NY

District: NY-All

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $99,897.14

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $99,897.14

Increasing the Processing Capacity of Food Grade Organic Grains in New York State 

Farmer Ground Flour buys and processes a diversity of organic grain crops, paying a premium to local 

farmers and providing a market for organic crops not otherwise grown in New York. Farmer Ground Flour

contracts with local farmers for hard wheat, which is traditionally grown in western states, to produce 

bread flour for the Northeast market. By shortening the supply chain and reducing food miles, the carbon 

footprint of their flour is reduced relative to the industry standard. This project will help Farmer Ground 

Flour increase its annual grain cleaning and milling capacity, increasing the volume of grain purchased. By 

upgrading grain cleaning and flour milling systems simultaneously, they will have greater capabilities from 

start to finish without bottlenecks. A new grain cleaner will enable Farmer Ground Flour to process crops 

for long-term storage efficiently and with less waste, and a new pair of mills will increase their hourly 

milling capability.

Recipient: Breadtree Farms, LLC, Greenwich, NY

District: NY-021

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $1,957,328.00

Match Amount: $819,837.00

Total Project Amount: $2,777,165.00

Expanding the Market for Organic Chestnuts in the Northeast U.S. 

Breadtree Farms was founded in 2019 with a mission to build the organic chestnut industry to a watershed 

scale in the Northeast. This project will increase organic chestnut consumption by unlocking key gaps 

bottlenecks that currently constrain the growth of the Northeast organic chestnut industry. Chestnuts are a 

historically important, high-value staple food source that has been recently marginalized in the U.S. due to 

the 1904 introduction of c. parasitica (chestnut blight). A century of breeding has delivered hybrid trees 

well-suited for commercial organic production, which can yield 1,500-3,500 lbs./acre of a nutrient-dense, 

gluten-free perennial starch crop. Given growing consumer interest in grain alternatives, gluten-free 

ingredients, and local/sustainable foods, Savanna Institute identifies a present-day market opportunity for 

a +50,000% increase over current production. A growing number of Northeast farmers (particularly 

historically underserved farmers) see organic chestnut agroforestry systems as a key strategy for 

diversifying agricultural landscapes and enterprises. The project will conduct a feasibility/technical 

development study for a best-in-class, global organic chestnut processing facility and complete key 

improvements to a Breadtree-owned, on-farm facility to deliver processing capacity for organic chestnuts. 

The project will allow the purhase and instalaltion of specialized processing, handling, storage, and

distribution equipment. Also, conducting outreach at buyer-engagement events, regional local food events 

festivals markets, product demonstration days targeted at handlers, organic CPGs, food advocacy

marketing professionals-Increase regional producer coordination best practices through technical 

workshops, farm consultation visits, webinars, focused on best practices for product consistency, 

marketing, post-harvest processing coordination. Through this project, Breadtree and a national coalition of 

partners will address the needs of lack of existing in-region commercial processing capacity; demand for 
product development and strengthened supply-chain connections between buyers, consumers, handlers 

and producers; need for improved supply-chain coordination between producers by building enhanced 

processing capacity, developing new paths-to-market, and engaging producers, while building relationships 

with consumers, handlers, and culinary professionals to increase market access and consumption. These 

interventions would transform the Northeast’s organic chestnut industry and contribute to important 

strategic growth of organic chestnut industries in other U.S. regions.

Ohio

Recipient: Great Lakes Natural Fibers Inc. Wooster, OH

District: OR-All 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $99,190.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $99,190.00

The Use of Wool as a Natural Alternative to Synthetic Weed Barriers, a Replacement for Peat, 

Vermiculite and Perlite Ingredients in Organic Potting Mixes, and a Medium for Seed Delivery 

The goal is to purchase wool equiment to create a market for wool in the horticultural industry to replace 

products currently used with more sustainable, certifiable organic products that will benefit both sheep and 

crop farmers. The only regional aggregator of wool from shearing has stopped buying wool. Sheep farming 

in Ohio is increasing, and with it, wool production. Coarse and low-grade wool can substitute soil 

amendments and weed suppression materials used in horticulture. Wool stores up to 33% of its weight in 

water and slowly releases water once the surrounding environment drops below 65% relative humidity, is 

fully degradable, contains Nitrogen, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Sulfur, and other Micro Nutrients. Felted 

wool mats can replace plastic weed barriers. They can regulate soil temperatures, prevent moisture loss, 

add fertilizer, act as a pest barrier to slugs and snails, and provide excellent weed prevention. Shredded 

wool can be mixed with seed to be a delivery method for habitat restoration, landscaping, and crop 

establishment. Soil and potting mixes are currently amended with peat, vermiculite, and perlite to increase 

the water-holding capacity and provide aeration. Adverse ecological impacts resulting from to these soil 

amendments include the depletion of peat bogs and the high carbon footprint of vermiculite and perlite 

from transportation and overseas mining operations. Wool pellets can provide aeration, hold moisture, and 

are naturally high in nitrogen making them the perfect slow-release, all-natural fertilizer.

Oregon 

Recipient: Oregon Organic Coalition, Lyons, OR* 

District: OR-005

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $547,600.00

Match Amount: $547,621.00

Total Project Amount: $1,095,221.00

Growing Markets for Pacific Northwest Organic Products 

The Oregon Organic Coalition will lead a multi-sector project to grow the market for organic products from 

the Pacific Northwest (PNW). This project represents a major collaboration with partners including the 
Oregon Department of Agriculture, Organically Grown Company, Hummingbird Wholesale, the Good Food 

Foundation, Tilth Alliance, the Oregon Farm-to-School & School Garden Network, and others to promote 

Oregon and Washington-produced organic food and strengthen organic market channels. Its purpose is to 

drive consumer demand for organic products and expand valuable markets for organic producers, targeting 

the specialty/craft food and farm-to-school markets. While building organic market position across the 

entire food sector, it will focus on products with identified opportunities for significant growth, including 

barley and other grains, fruits and vegetables, hazelnuts, and wine grapes. Key activities will include 

assisting organic producers to become market-ready for wholesale sales, supporting their attendance at 

trade shows, and connecting them to buyers with values-based purchasing goals. Partners will also conduct 

strategic communications to educate consumers about the organic label and the benefits of organic food, 

strengthen organic food in the PNW identity and brand image, and build demand for crops and varieties 

that are regionally adapted, high-performing, and profitable for organic producers. The project will benefit 

organic producers through improved value chain coordination, promotion, and increased connections to 

high-value markets. It will also benefit small and mid-scale craft food manufacturing businesses, people 

served by farm-to-institution programs, and the public, through greater access to organically produced 

food.

Recipient: Camas Country Mill, LLC, Eugene, OR

District: OR-004

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $99,999.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $99,999.00

Pearler for Organic Growth 

Camas County Mill has been certified organic since inception of the mill in 2011. Organic is an important 

and rapidly expanding part of their mill business. Organic farming is important to Camas County Mill

because it provides wholesome food to people with minimal disruption to the soil. Camas County Mill 

currently processes organic wheat, spelt, rye, emmer, oats, and buckwheat. These are all milled into flour 

as well as flakes. Currently, they operate four 950mm Engsko mills producing flour as well as a Roastech 

roaster flaker that produces our flaked grains. This project will allow us to purchase equipment to meet 

increasing demand for healthier organic options. Camas County Mill is currently providing the grains intact 

with hull and bran to consumers. Having the ability to dehull and pearl barley themselves will increase their

organic offerings. The goals of this project include: 1) increasing interest and access to ancient grains in the 

form of pearled organic grains, 2) furthering organic grower base with organic crop options, 3) increasing

resiliency of Camas County Mill and other organic farms, and 4) increasing consumer access to organic 

meat. This project will allow Camas County Mill to increase annual gross income, increase processing 

capacity by 15%, and increase the number of organic products processed by 125,000 pounds. 
Recipient: Grange Cooperative. White City, OR

District: OR-002 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $1,500,000.00 

Match Amount: $1,500,000.00 

Total Project Amount: $3,000,000.00

Expanding Processing and Marketing Capacity for Organic Grain for Livestock Feed 

In 2022, U.S. farmers produced more than 2.35 billion tons of grain feed to serve domestic and 

international livestock producers (USDA Economic Research Service). Still, less than 1% of the grain feed 

produced in the United States is organic, despite strong and consistent growth in U.S. demand for organic 

food. With more than 82% of U.S. households buying organic products regularly (Organic Trade 

Association), the Organic Center notes that driven by growth in demand for U.S. organic livestock feed the 

U.S. has become a substantial net importer of organic products. In fact, U.S. imports of grain feed have 

steadily increased over the past decade, growing from 40% in the 2011/2012 crop year to 60% in the 

2021/2022 crop year. This is primarily due to the major barriers that exist to producing, processing, and 

marketing organic grain feed, namely higher costs of production and lack of processing and marketing 

infrastructure. To meet current U.S. consumer demand and expand opportunities to build the U.S. organic 

grain feed market, Grange Cooperative will perform the following activities: 1) expand its processing 

capacity to create more and better markets for organic producersand 2) execute marketing and 

promotional activities that will help to build commercial markets for U.S. organic grain feed products. This 

project’s goals (deliverables and expected outcomes) include achieving 2,000 additional tons of organic 

grain feed processed and a $1,655,000 increase in domestic organic grain feed sales by the end of the 

project period. 

Pennsylvania 

Recipient: Pa Flax Project, Pottstown, PA* 

District: PA-006

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $1,681,187.00 

Match Amount: $727,775.00

Total Project Amount: $2,408,962.00 

Reestablishing the Fiber Flax Industry in Pennsylvania and greater Mid-Atlantic 

The PA Flax Project (PAFP) is a woman-owned cooperative business whose mission is to reestablish the 

fiber flax industry in Pennsylvania by initiating new organic production and processing capacity. Through 

this project, PAFP will engage with the beginning, middle, and end of the fiber flax supply chain. Growing 

high-quality fiber flax has a proven history in Pennsylvania, yet there is little to no infrastructure dedicated 

to the harvest and post-farm processing of fiber flax in the country – often called the ‘missing middle’. As it 

stands, PAFP sees no way to bring Pennsylvania's fiber flax to market. PAFP will support and educate 

producers, and work to build out the middle of the supply chain bringing Pennsylvania's organic flax for 

linen to market through planning and research of a long line fiber flax scutching mill. PAFP envisions this 

cooperatively owned mill providing an additional income stream to producers after their crop leaves the 

farm. With the support of partners, PAFP hopes to open the door to this high-value market for Pennsylvania 

farmers and manufacturers, putting 12,000 acres of organic fiber flax into production. PAFP will leverage its 

industry connections to establish contracts for domestic and international buyers of fiber flax and co-
products produced in its cooperatively owned mill. This project aims to establish the first complete organic 

fiber flax supply chain in the Eastern U.S.

Recipient: Pocono Organics, LLC, Long Pond, PA 

District: PA-008 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $69,482.81 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $69,482.81

Post-Harvest Handling Equipment for Regenerative Organic Certified Microgreens Powder 

(PowerGreens) 

Pocono Organics intends to increase the production of Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) microgreens 

for processing into a value-added freeze-dried microgreen powder called PowerGreens. The processing 

method, combined with appropriate packaging systems, extends the microgreens’ shelf life exponentially, 

maintains their high-nutritive attributes, protects the product’s food safety, and supports the product 

quality of an innovative organic product. The equipment requested for processing and packaging will 

expand product market potential to nationwide retail and wholesale outlets through unique channels. It 

will ensure the shelf stability of increased production quantities and reduce energy consumption for 

storage and distribution by eliminating refrigeration needs. The product will be sold directly to consumers 

through physical and online stores and additional regional and national retailers. Various sized packaging 

options will expand organic market opportunities for wholesale target markets including juice bars, fitness 

centers, bakeries, dietary supplement companies, and health care institutions. A mixture of hemp, broccoli, 

and sunflower microgreens are grown in two-week successions year-round using greenhouse operations. 

This production system supports the USDA’s climate smart action goals by minimizing water usage and 

carbon emissions in a controlled indoor environment. The PowerGreens processing results in a nutrient-rich 

organic food source that can be produced and aggregated throughout the entire year, providing expanded 

market opportunity to organic farmers during colder months and creating strong supply chain security. The 

equipment requested will improve production and processing efficiencies resulting in minimal product loss, 

safe product preservation, and expanded organic market potential.

South Dakota

Recipient: Berrybrook Organics LLC, Marion, SD

District: SD-All 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $96,214.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $96,214.00

Alleviating Organic Egg Supply Chain Bottlenecks and Increasing Production Efficiency 

Berrybrook Organics, LLC (Berrybrook) is a certified organic farm and value-added processing company. 

Throughout their 24 years producing and marketing organic value-added grains, meats, and eggs, their 

reputation for product quality and consistency has earned them a loyal customer base, extensive marketing 

experience, and valuable relationships with wholesale clients. The equipment requested addresses two 

needs: supply chain management/improvement through the purchase of a delivery vehicle, and processing 

efficiency through the purchase of an Egg Grader machine for organic egg processing. Berrybrook currently 
supplies Grade A organic eggs to two local grocery stores and nine Sioux Falls wholesale and retail 

customers. Last year, about 95% of total eggs produced were sold to these outlets. In addressing these two 

areas of need, Berrybrook will reach new organic markets, increase processing efficiency for their organic 

goods, and ensure a quality, safe organic product to consumers.

Texas

Recipient: Yaupon Holly Tea, LLC, Cat Spring, TX* 

District: TX-010

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $801,330.00

Match Amount: $267,110.00

Total Project Amount: $1,068,440.00

Promotion of Organic Yaupon Tea as a Domestic Alternative to Imported Tea Distributed to The 

Foodservice Industry 

This project aims to increase the American consumer awareness of organic yaupon tea as a replacement for 

imported tea via the food service sector. An Organic Yaupon Marketing Plan will increase opportunities for 

consumer exposure to organic yaupon tea while also allowing for additional customers, buyers, and parties 

to participate in the domestic organic yaupon tea industry. Yaupon is a caffeinated plant native to North 

America and rich in polyphenols and antioxidants like imported tea. By using a hybrid of traditional tea 

preparation methods, organic yaupon tea has an almost indistinguishable flavor profile from imported 

green and black tea served in both hot and iced tea. Cat Spring Yaupon has created a cohesive marketing

and outreach plan to increase the amount of organic yaupon tea served in restaurants, cafes, hotels, and 

spas. This plan incorporates the opportunity to promote and support additional organic yaupon producers 

through the American Yaupon Association while also supplying to tea companies who would otherwise be 

selling imported tea to their food service customers. This will also allow restaurants to substitute imported 

tea on their menus with organic yaupon tea thus giving their customers and guests an opportunity to 

sample and fall in love with the incredible domestic organic yaupon tea. 

Recipient: Triple J Organics, LLC, Mission, TX 

District: TX-015 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $66,645.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $66,645.00

Diversifying Organic Supply Chains for Small Producers in the Rio Grande Valley 

Triple J Organics is a minority-owned certified organic citrus orchard in Mission, Texas established in 1995. 

Triple J manages 25 acres of certified organic citrus groves, primarily of Ruby Red grapefruit and early 

season oranges, as well as Navel Oranges, Meyer Lemons, Tangerines, and Tangelos in smaller quantities. 

This project will increase consumption of locally produced organic orange juice in the Rio Grande Valley and 

increase the profitability and long-term viability of Triple J Organics through special purpose equipment 

purchases that allow Triple J to process 32,000 lbs. of “waste”, or seconds, oranges into fresh juice and 

deliver it safely to customers in the Valley. The project will target school districts as potential customers, as 

well as supermarkets, restaurants, health food stores, daycare facilities, and eldercare facilities as needed. 

Beneficiaries include Triple J Organics, local schools and businesses who purchase the new product, as well 
as other organic citrus growers in the Valley who may be able to cooperate and aggregate to produce a 

higher margin value-added product.

Recipient: Steelbow Farm LLC, Austin, TX

District: TX-035

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $90,372.62

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $90,372.62

Steelbow Farm: Expanding Access to Local, Organic Produce in Central Texas 

Steelbow Farm is seeking to broaden its delivery range and increase local food access and supply chain 

resilience by procuring a delivery vehicle. The overarching purpose of the proposed project is to expand 

access to local, organic produce by eliminating the current constraint of distance and delivery radius, while 

simultaneously addressing the growing demand for product in the current marketplace. Currently, 

Steelbow Farm has demand for their product that exceeds their capacity because they do not have a 

vehicle and therefore have a limited delivery range. This bottleneck is hampering Steelbow Farm’s ability to 

rise to the organic market demands. They believe access to this equipment would drastically improve 

access to organic produce, as they could radically increase their customer base and range. For context, 

currently, within Travis County, only .06% of food is produced locally. The Austin and Travis County areas

are seeing a decline in the amount of vegetable farms and farmland, which are disappearing at an alarming 

16.8 acres a day. Amidst these startling statistics, this business is thriving and demand for their produce is 

extremely high. Steelbow Farm wants to be able to meet the market demand and fill the gap within the 

local food system. As organic vegetable producers, they are striving to increase the percentage of local food 

consumed within their community. 

Recipient: Armagh Fine Foods LLC dba Armagh Creamery, Dublin TX

District: TX-025

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $100,000.00

Enhancing Organic Dairy Production and Market Access in Texas 

The primary goal of this project is to enhance and expand the production capabilities of the Armagh 

Creamery organic farming and dairy operations. By acquiring essential equipment, the project aims to 

achieve increased efficiency, product diversification, and expanded distribution. This equipment will enable

us to venture into new product lines, including heavy cream and butter, expand production of existing 

products, and streamline the production process, reducing the workload on current employees and 

enhancing overall efficiency for creating new butter product lines. The acquisition of a delivery vehicle will 

significantly improve distribution capabilities, allowing us to reach local retailers and drop locations in 

Central, North, and West Texas. This expansion will promote the availability of organic dairy products to a 

wider consumer base. The specific objectives of this project are two-fold: 1) to scale yogurt production to 

the full daily capacity of 10,000 units per day, two days a week. This increase will enable us to supply more 

retailers throughout Texas and cater to the growing demand in the direct-to-consumer market and 2) to

expand raw milk and cream production to 600 gallons a day for 3-4 days a week, resulting in a weekly 
output of 1800 to 2400 gallons. This expansion will further support the direct-to-consumer market and 

provide ample resources for the planned heavy cream and butter product lines.

Recipient: RKH GIN LLC, dba Woolam Gin, Odonnell, TX

District: TX-019

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion

Award Amount: $3,000,000.00

Match Amount: $1,000,236.13

Total Project Amount: $4,000,236.13

Expanding Capacity and Improved Quality of Organic Cotton. 

RKH Gin LLC, dba Woolam Gin is a primarily woman owned ginning facility that has processed organic 

cotton for 33 years, being the first United States to do so. It is located in a high poverty area in Lynn 

County, Texas and serves other high poverty areas including Dawson and Terry Counties. Woolam Gin is 

seeking a grant award to purchase and install equipment to expand the services and improve processing to

increase production of organic cotton for farmers which will improve overall market production of the 

beneficial product. The overarching project purpose is to improve efficiency, therefore improving outcomes 

for farmers and the organic market. The equipment will increase production from 25 bales an hour to up to 

40 bales an hour. The increase in processing will improve the housing time of cotton in the warehouse 

which will improve the grades and facilitate earlier entry into the marketplace, benefiting farm producers, 

processors, and consumers. The faster processing will improve turnaround for the farmer and further 

increase production possibilities. The primary partners and collaborators of the project will include 

participating organic farmers, the project manager, project supervisor, gin manager and other supporting 

human resources workers. This grant award will create improved markets and expand processing capacity 

which in turn will enrich market availability and further development of production resources and 

production.

Recipient: Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin, TX

District: TX-ALL

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $197,603.77

Match Amount: $197,603.77

Total Project Amount: $395,207.54

Texas Organic Market Development & Promotion 

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will use a multi-faceted approach to promote local organic 

producers in the produce, grains, dairy, and fiber markets. Though these industries are each unique in their 

production, the issues they experience are similar. These challenges include, but are not limited to, lack of 

knowledge among consumers of each industry’s availability/benefits, existing gaps between producers and 

buyers that result in barriers for growth, and an absence of public resources that assist organic farmers 

from promoting themselves more efficiently. Through this project, TDA will increase local consumer 

knowledge, support activities to develop new markets, increase demand for domestically produced organic 

agricultural products, and provide additional market paths for organic farmers in Texas. Goals of this 

project include: 1) increase public knowledge of Texas organic agriculture industry, 2) provide opportunities 

to improve market share and sales of local organic producers, and 3) build new connections between Texas 

producers and potential buyers to accomplish these goals. TDA Marketing will produce new marketing 

materials targeted for the organic industry, assist organic producers with attending trade shows relevant to 
their respective industries, facilitate business to business interactions, and run a social media campaign that 

highlights each industry. These activities will strengthen the relationships between Texas organic 

crop/product producers and buyers, as well as better inform the public on the availability and benefits of 

Texas organic products. These relationships would aid in ongoing efforts to strengthen the supply chain 

issues, build on current opportunities with Texas agriculture associations, assist historically underserved 

communities, and increase demand for locally produced organic products. To further assist the organic 

industries of Texas, TDA will assist in the production of the Field View Organics program. This program aims 

to identify organic operations across the state and mark them for aerial spraying companies to help prevent 

potential chemical drift or contamination of organic crops. By supporting this initiative, TDA will protect the 

current organic producers across the state and alleviate potential concerns for new members wanting to 

enter the industry. 

Virginia 

Recipient: Organic Marketing Institute, Sterling, VA

District: VA-010 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $722,500.00 

Match Amount: $735,692.00 

Total Project Amount: $1,458,192.00

Increasing Awareness of Third-party Grass-Fed Organic Certification to Increase Demand and 

Consumption of Grass-Fed Organic Dairy 

The Organic Marketing Institute (OMI) expands the marketplace for organic agricultural products by 

supporting innovative certification programs that extend the third-party organic certification baseline into 

novel product categories. OMI promotes third-party certifications that enhance National Organic Program 

(NOP) standards and offer transparency and full supply chain traceability while benefiting the environment. 

The Organic Plus Trust (OPT) Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program has set the first national 

standard for grass-fed, organic ruminant livestock production for meat and dairy that builds upon USDAcertified organic dairy standards and helps differentiate farmers’ products. An end-to-end, third-party 

certification, it verifies all production and handling of certified products from farm through processing to 

sale. Grass-fed Organic Certification has seen initial producer interest and customer satisfaction due to the

market stability, transparency, trust, and climate benefits of the products certified. There is demonstrated 

need and opportunity to scale the certification as a value add for organic producers, retailers, and 

customers. With funding from USDA, OMI will support farmers and brands, having the OPT Grass-Fed 

Organic Certification, with expanded marketing and promotional support. We will do this by enhancing 

supplier relationships, creating a marketing strategy that promotes the climate benefits, third-party 

integrity, full-supply chain traceability and regenerative characteristics of the products, and executing 

robust consumer marketing efforts. With these efforts, to grow the market for Grass-Fed, organic dairy 

products, supporting an additional 50 farmers per year and engaging an additional 10 brands over the 

course of the grant.
Vermont 

Recipient: Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, Richmond, VT* 

District: VT-All 

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $1,016,593.00 

Match Amount: $1,019,076.00 

Total Project Amount: $2,035,669.00 

The “Vermont Way” Forward: Expanding Market Access and Increasing Demand for Vermont 

Organic Products 

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), in partnership with Vermont Way Foods 

(VWF) and Food Connects (FC), proposes to grow, and develop markets for Vermont’s organic producers in 

three way: 1) expanding access to promising identified markets throughout the Northeast by developing 

sales channels to large retailers and other wholesale buyers with consumer bases that are validated by 

market research to value and support the qualities inherent in Vermont organic food, 2) by developing new 

dairy, maple, and other Vermont organic wholesale products to be branded and marketed under the VWF 

brand and distributed regionally by FC, and 3) increasing consumer awareness and demand for organic food 

through targeted marketing and promotions in Vermont and throughout the Northeast. Key outcomes 

include new and expanded wholesale markets for Vermont organic producers, including an overall increase 

in the percentage of organic products sold through the Food Connects food hub, and increased sales of 

VWF organic products. Additionally, the project will result in increased awareness of and preference for 

locally produced organic food among regional consumers. Key beneficiaries of the project include organic

dairy producers, organic dairy processors, additional food hubs (certified organic handlers), and organic 

maple producers. As VWF scales its production and increases sales capacity, we expect these initial 

producers to see increased sales to VWF, and ultimately, for VWF to onboard additional producers and 

processors. The project will leverage support from Migrant Justice to support the coordination of Milk with 

Dignity certification of VWF dairy products which aim to engender consumer trust in the values-aligned 

brand.

Recipient: Thornhill Farm, LLC, Greensboro Bend, VT 

District: VT-All 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $48,552.60 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $48,552.60

Grain drying & Cleaning Equipment for Thornhill Farm, LLC Grain Center 

Grain farming is returning to the region, and the tide is rising. There are a growing number of bakeries and 

distilleries in Vermont and the region needs organic grain that is grown and processed locally. Many 

farmers cannot grow grain because they lack the capacity to clean, dry, and/or store grain. The grain drying 

machine and grain cleaning machine will be a great help and be used to process the grain of many farms.

The purchase and installation of more efficient grain drying and cleaning equipment to replace less 

efficient equipment and hand labor will allow us to: 1) accept and purchase more organic grain from 

farmers on the day of harvest, and after, to dry and clean the grain, 2) to support the re-emergence of local 

and regional grain production in Vermont, New York, and Maine, 3) to increase local organic grain market 
availability by making a greater amount of grain and flour available on the market for baking and spirits, 

and 4) to ultimately, support Northeastern grain farmers, organic agronomy and soil health, and increase 

regional grain markets, all of which help mitigate climate impacts through reducing climate miles, 

increasing organic agronomy practices, reducing exposure to flooding and drought through water-soil 

interactions, and sequestering carbon. 

Washington 

Recipient: Mainstem Malt SPC, Walla Walla, WA * 

District: WA-005

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $930,720.00 

Match Amount: $931,431.00 

Total Project Amount: $1,862,151.00 

Driving Landscape-Scale Conservation in The Cascadia Region by Developing New Markets for 

Organic Malt 

Through this project, Mainstem Malt will launch a new certified organic malt line that coordinates an 

ecologically responsible grain value chain from farmer to buyer. As a unique Certified B Corp malt company 

sourcing exclusively from Salmon-Safe certified farmers, Mainstem came to market in 2017 to provide 

regional producers with a premium market for grains being grown with exceptional water quality and 

habitat conservation practices. Since its founding, the company has made significant purchases of 

domestically grown Northwest grain all while retaining elevated transparency throughout the grain valuechain and simultaneously developing the market for domestic malt. Mainstem Malt aims to build upon this 

successful model to develop expanded markets for certified organic grain producers in the Cascadia Region. 

Together with a diverse set of partners, Mainstem Malt will increase domestic organic supply chain capacity 

for organic barley. The project will accomplish this by expanding expert staff capacity, building, and 

maintaining relationships with certified organic growers and processors, establishing new markets for 

organic malt, and developing and executing a marketing plan that differentiates organic, regionally grown 

and produced malt to both buyers and end consumers. Mainstem Malt has commitments from certified 

organic and transitioning-to-organic growers who recognize the value of barley within a feed grain rotation 

and are seeking high-end markets for their crops as well as long-standing relationships with certified 

organic craft beverage makers. Paired with a growing demand for organic in the craft beverage sector, 

Mainstem Malt is eager to build out this important regional market.

Recipient: Lukens Farms, Inc. DBA Grace Harbor Farms, Custer,WA 

District: WA-002 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $99,860.70 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $99,860.70

Grace Harbor Farms Organic Milk Products Expansion 

Grace Harbor Farms is a vertically integrated farm and food business. From the farm to the grocery store, 

they control their products through every stage of the supply chain. They sell wholesale and deliver directly 

80% of their volume, using a distributor for the other 20% of clients that they cannot service easily 

themselves. Grace Harbor Farms is a trusted name in the greater Puget Sound area and have established a 
strong relationship with PCC Natural Foods, Whole Foods, Safeway, Albertsons, QFC, Fred Meyer, Town 

&Country, Haggen, and local independent Co-Ops. There is a strong demand for their conventional milk 

products and Grace Harbor Farms is now ready to partner with their organic dairy neighbors to bring more 

organic dairy products to market. The addition of this equiment will allow Grace Harbor Farms to meet that 

demand.

Recipient: Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative, Mount Vernon, WA

District: WA-002

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $86,379.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $86,379.00

Equipment Purchasing for Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative’s Processing Program 

The Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative (PSFHC) is a farmer owned cooperative, incorporated in 2016, with 

a mission to support and champion local, family scale farms by providing a direct connection with buyers in 

our region seeking high quality, locally produced food. PSFHC member-producers include over 80 farmers, 

ranchers, and value added agricultural producers providing products sourced from the Puget Sound region 

of Western Washington. PSFHC purchases produce from its member-producers and then markets, sells, and 

distributes to a diverse customer base. PSFHC is focusing on the development of a strategic financial plan 

for sustainable expansion. This plan includes development of processing services that will add value to 

member-producers products, and provide them with enhanced and competitive market access. The 

strategy addresses the critical need for an efficient means to prepare certified organic and conventional 

produce for sale as fresh cut or frozen. The 50% of produce sold through PSFHC is certified organic, the 

forthcoming certification of our facility will ensure organic segregation strategies comply with use of this 

equipment towards producing certified organic products. PSFHC will utilize funds to purchase appropriate 

processing equipment that will create the capacity for the organization to provide this needed service as we 

expand member-producers' benefit offerings.

Recipient: Snowgrass Farm LLC, Leavenworth, WA

District: WA-008

Project Type: Simplified Equipment

Award Amount: $86,935.00

Match Amount: N/A

Total Project Amount: $86,935.00

Machinery Acquisition to Expand Organic Production

Snowgrass Farm, woman-owned and located in rural Eastern Washington, seeks to purchase equipment 

with implements to expand processing and post-harvest activities in the winter months by providing access 

to their high tunnels during the winter and enabling them to grow year-round, increasing yearly production 

by 30%. The equipment will enable Snowgrass Farm to transport produce, planting materials, the washing, 

packing, processing, and storage of harvested crops. With winter access, they can grow continuously 

harvestable crops in their 2,760 sq ft heated tunnel, producing over 1,000lbs of produce the first winter. 

Improved accessibility will also increase spring production with earlier planting in both the heated and nonheated tunnels. Snowgrass Farm will sell directly to its rural community through local grocers and food 

banks, while also creating winter farm positions. This region does not have any organic farmers growing in 

winter despite the demand. Currently, Snowgrass doesn’t grow between October and April due to cold 
temperatures and heavy snowfall. While a propane heater in a high tunnel was installed, the tunnels

remain blocked by snow and inaccessible for propane refilling. 

Recipient: Tapenade, Inc. DBA Wilridge Winery, Seattle, WA 

District: WA-004 

Project Type: Processing Capacity Expansion 

Award Amount: $2,909,121.00 

Match Amount: $975,557.00 

Total Project Amount: $3,884,678.00

Washington Organic Wine Market Share and Production Expansion 

This project will increase the domestic and international market share for organic wines produced in 

Washington State and it will double the capacity of Wilridge Winery’s production facility, thereby increasing 

the local market for USDA certified-organic wine grapes in Washington generally, and in the Yakima area 

specifically. By increasing demand and, therefore, the premium paid, for USDA certified-organic wine 

grapes, the project will encourage other wine-grape producers in Washington to initiate the USDA organic 

certification process. Starting with a market study and the development of a marketing plan in year one, 

Wilridge Winery will identify the factors constraining the expansion of organic Washington wines into the 

growing organic wine market. At the same time, the project will double the capacity of Wilridge Winery’s 

USDA certified-organic processing facility in preparation for the implementation of the marketing plan. In 

year two Wilridge Winery will implement its marketing plan to persuade wine distributors (wholesalers), 

retailers, and consumers to purchase more organic Washington wine. The marketing plan will include 

intentional outreach to the highly diverse local viticulture community in the Yakima area which includes 

beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, limited-resource farmers, and tribal farmers. As a 

mentor in the Northwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), Wilridge Winery is committed 

to fostering strong connections in the local supply chain. By increasing the market share for organic 

Washington wines, this project serves the organic community at large by expanding the organic wine 

market, expanding the market for locally grown wine grapes, and encouraging partners to pursue organic 

certification.

Wisconsin 

Recipient: Bickford Farms Inc. dba Meadowlark Organics, Ridgway, WI

District: WI-002 

Project Type: Simplified Equipment 

Award Amount: $97,165.00 

Match Amount: N/A 

Total Project Amount: $97,165.00

Grain Infrastructure Enhancement Project 

This project’s goal is to expand the on-farm cleaning and handling capacity to facilitate market pathways for 

diversified organic grain growers in the Upper Midwest. Bickford Farms Inc. dba Meadowlark Organics, has 

successfully cultivated certified organic, food-grade grains and run a wholesale and direct marketed flour 

business since 2016. Significant progress has been made toward addressing the need for grain cleaning and 

storage infrastructure in the region by constructing granary (grain cleaning facility) and on-farm flour mill, 

Meadowlark Community Mill. Vertical integration enables storage, cleaning, milling, packaging, and 

distribution from a single location. One-third of the 1,000-acre farm produces culinary grains, and an 
additional $150,000 of grain are sourced annually from regional farmers to meet demand. A flour mill 

produces and distributes approximately 13,000 pounds of flour per week. Together, we make locally grown 

organic grain accessible across the Upper Midwest. While the existing infrastructure has enabled growth, 

Meadowlark Organics’ granary needs a gravity table, optical sorter, and connecting bucket elevator to clean 

a wider variety of grains with improved precision, and increased capacity. These purchases will serve area 

farmers who are seeking markets for their diverse crops such as wheat, rye, corn, buckwheat, and dry 

beans. With this funding, it will enhance grain cleaning equipment, and strengthen partnerships with local 

organic farmers. This project will advance market paths for domestic organic agricultural producers, 

contribute to crop rotation diversity, and promote sustainable farming practices in this region.