REPORT TO CONGRESS 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 

NATIONAL AND AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE 

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION COST SHARE PROGRAMS 

I. BACKGROUND 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers two organic certification cost share programs: 

the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (National) and the Agricultural Management 

Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share Program (AMA), collectively referred to as the Organic 

Certification Cost Share Programs (OCCSP). 

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides cost share assistance in the following two ways: State 

agencies may provide cost share payments to producers and handlers by establishing a grant agreement 

with FSA or producers and handlers may apply directly to one ofFSA's 2,100 county offices (COF) for 

cost share payments. In States where a State agency participates in OCCSP, applicants may not apply 

through both the State agency and FSA COF for cost share assistance for the same costs in the same 

program year. 

In 2018, FSA announced the availability of the National and AMA funds through a variety of 

communication channels, such as telephone calls and emails to State contacts, outreach materials, and 

informational postings to Grants.gov and through the FSA Web site: 

https://www/fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/occsp/index. 

To be eligible for OCCSP, applicants must receive an initial certification or continuation of 

certification from a USDA-accredited certifying agent, in accordance with the USDA organic 

regulations. The annual reimbursement is set at 7 5 percent of certification costs, with a maximum of 

$750 per certification category: crops, livestock, wild crops, processing/handling, and State Organic 

Program fees. 1 Operations that are certified in more than one category are eligible for a maximum 

reimbursement of $750 per certification category, not to exceed 75 percent of total certification costs. 

A. National OCCSP 

The National OCCSP is authorized under Section 10606 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 6523), as amended by Section 10004(c) of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (2014 Farm 

Bill; Pub. L. 113-79), and Section 10105 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of2018 (2018 Farm 

Bill; Pub. L. 115-334) which reauthorized the National OCCSP and provided "no year" funding, 

available to certified organic producers and handlers in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five 

U.S. Territories (hereafter referred to as "States"). Twenty-four State agencies chose not to participate 

in FY 2018; however, certified operations in all states could participate through FSA county offices. 

State agencies that did not participate are American Samoa, Colorado, Delaware, the District of 

Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, 

1 State Organic Program fee was added as an eligible category in 2017. It applies only to producers in a State with a 

recognized State Organic Program under the National Organic Program regulations. 1 
New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, 

Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, and West Virginia. 

In addition to National OCCSP funds provided through FY 2018 grant agreements administered by 

FSA, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued multi-year National OCCSP agreements during 

FY 2015 to all participating State agencies. This enabled the State agencies to continue to have funding 

in later years for reimbursements. Some State agencies had funds remaining from their 2015 

agreements, which they continued to use to reimburse operations for eligible expenses incurred through 

September 30, 2018. 

B. The AMA OCCSP 

The AMA OCCSP is authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA), as amended 

(7 U.S.C. 1524(b)). Under this authority, Congress authorizes USDA to annually provide organic 

certification cost share assistance to certified organic producers operating in 16 specifically named 

States: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, 

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 

State agencies in Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and West Virginia chose not to participate, citing 

inadequate resources to manage the program or a decision to let FSA administer all OCCSP payments 

in that State. To prevent duplicate assistance payments, producers participating in the AMA OCCSP 

are not eligible to participate in the producer portion of the National OCCSP. 

II. FISCAL YEAR 2018 

A. National Participation 

Under the 2018 National OCCSP, $10,741 ,0002 was apportioned for 56 States. FSA allocated 

$6,293,755 to the 32 State agencies that signed grant agreements. These State agencies subsequently 

disbursed $5,961 ,176 in cost share assistance to 12,153 qualifying organic operations. Funds 

apportioned for FY 2018 that were not allocated to State Agencies were available to provide payments 

directly to certified operations through FSA county offices and cover FSA administrative costs. Under 

the 2018 National OCCSP, FSA county offices have disbursed $1 ,711 ,090 to 2,087 applicants. 

Remaining FY 2018 National OCCSP funds that were not spent by State agencies or FSA remain 

available for FY 2019. In addition to 2018 National OCCSP funding, State agencies provided 

$1 ,125,901 in FY 2018 payments using funds remaining from their 2015 multi-year agreements with 

AMS. Total 2018 National OCCSP payments made is $8,798,167. 

The Appendix to this report provides State-by-State data on the funds allocated and disbursed by 

participating State agencies and FSA county offices. National OCCSP agreements signed by 

participating State agencies for 2018 are in effect from October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018. 

Over one third of participating State agencies have disbursed all their allocated funds for 2018 at the 

time ofthis report. The other participating State agencies may retain their remaining funds until fully 

dispersed. Disbursements vary by the number of requests for reimbursement submitted by organic 

operations. 

2 In fiscal year 2018, National OCCSP was authorized $11 ,500,000 and then sequestered at 6.6% for a total apportionment of$ 10,741 ,000. 

2 
B. AMA Participation 

Under the 2018 AMA OCCSP, $934,0003 was apportioned for 16 States authorized to receive funds by 

the legislation. FSA allocated $780,000 to the 10 States that signed agreements with FSA to participate. 

The $154,000 difference between the total apportionment for the program and the amount FSA 

allocated to the 10 participating States was available to make payments through FSA county offices and 

cover FSA administrative costs. The participating State agencies subsequently disbursed $756,664 in 

cost share assistance to 1,227 qualifying organic operations. FSA COF 

s disbursed $108,448 to 158 qualifying organic operations. Unused funds are returned to the Treasury 

because AMA OCCSP funds are annual funds. 

The Appendix to this report provides State-by-State data on the funds allocated and disbursed by 

participating State agencies and FSA county offices. AMA OCCSP agreements signed by participating 

State agencies for 2018 were in effect from October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018. Over one 

third of participating State agencies disbursed their total allocation, and others did not receive enough 

requests from eligible organic operations for certification cost reimbursement to expend their total 

allocation. 

3 In fiscal year 2018, AMA OCCSP was authorized $1 ,000,000 and then sequestered at 6.6% for a total apportionment of $934,000. 

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III. APPENDIX 

N a f 10na I O rgamc C e 1 rf fi 1ca f 100 C OS t Sh are p rogram FY2018 All oca f 100 an dD" 1s b ursemen t 

State Agency Funding and Disbursements 

Funds Number of Number of 

Disbursed Operations Operations 

2015 Carryover by FSA Assisted by Assisted by 

FY2018 FY 2018 Funds Funds County State County 

State Allocation' Disbursed2 Disbursed3 Offices Agencies Offices 

Alabama $0 $0 $3 ,093 $2,148 10 2 

Alaska $5,500 $4,729 $0 $0 7 0 

American Samoa NIA $0 NIA $0 0 0 

Arizona $75,000 $73,815 NIA $3 ,000 97 4 

Arkansas $0 $0 $9,400 $6,843 23 11 

California $1,511,000 $1,403,950 NIA $9,273 3,853 12 

Colorado NIA $0 NIA $105,657 105 105 

Connecticut $0 $0 $24,680 $0 88 0 

Delaware NIA $0 $0 $1 ,500 4 I 

Dist. of Columbia NIA $0 NIA $0 0 0 

Florida $136,000 $90,548 $0 $3 ,709 120 5 

Georgia NIA $0 $825 $32,352 45 45 

Guam NIA $0 NIA $0 0 0 

Hawaii NIA $0 $0 $44,532 58 58 

Idaho NIA $0 $0 $96,694 120 120 

Illinois NIA $0 $0 $111,901 152 152 

Indiana NIA $0 $0 $179,525 142 142 

Iowa NIA $0 $0 $269,619 373 373 

Kansas $26,000 $26,000 $0 $8,603 66 12 

Kentucky $50,000 $50,000 NIA $188 127 I 

Louisiana $4,000 $4,000 NIA $11 ,283 17 11 

Maine $273,000 $253,223 · NIA $679 359 I 

Maryland $0 $0 $70,674 $2,918 40 4 

Massachusetts $0 $0 $39,650 $7,782 97 12 

Michigan NIA $0 $7,172 $ I 67,345 216 216 

Minnesota $511,000 $447,994 $44,570 $28,968 571 40 

Mississippi $0 $0 $0 $15,847 15 13 

Missouri $95, 100 $95,077 $0 $25,265 158 35 

Montana $175,000 $170,017 NIA $17,518 244 17 

Nebraska NIA $0 NIA $89,112 115 115 

Nevada NIA $0 $12,201 $6,860 14 6 

New Hampshire $0 $0 $0 13,457 41 41 

New Jersey $30,000 $27,663 $28,881 $1 ,331 49 3 

New Mexico NIA $0 NIA $17,391 19 19 

New York $448,000 $446,810 $0 $35,345 558 46 

North Carolina $181 ,000 $180,999 $0 $12,526 236 17 

North Dakota $0 $0 NIA $0 130 0 

N. Mariana Islands NIA $0 NIA $0 0 0 

Ohio $342,155 $342,155 NIA $37,398 467 49 

Oklahoma NIA $0 $0 $16,692 28 28 

Oregon $258,000 $257,946 $25,750 $29,876 369 28 

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State Aeencv Fundine and Disbursements 

Funds Number of Number of 

Disbursed Operations Operations 

2015 Carryover by FSA Assisted by Assisted by 

FY2018 FY 2018 Funds Funds County State County 

State Allocation 1 Disbursed2 Disbursed3 Offices A2encies Offices 

Pennsylvania $149,000 $147,989 $66,844 $9,398 202 11 

Puerto Rico NIA $0 $0 $0 0 0 

Rhode Island $6,000 $5,930 $1,409 $1,650 9 11 

South Carolina NIA $0 $13,768 $4,678 10 10 

South Dakota NIA $0 $0 $38,782 55 55 

Tennessee NIA $0 $0 $15,729 21 21 

Texas $15,000 $13, 110 $0 $69,403 98 73 

U.S. Virgin Islands NIA $0 $0 $750 I 1 

Utah NIA $0 NIA $10,633 9 9 

Vermont $350,000 $349,627 NIA $7,761 468 8 

Virginia $36,000 $29,639 $10,822 $55,060 123 58 

Washington $594,000 $584,998 NIA $23, 103 964 24 

West Virginia NIA $0 $0 $3,723 6 6 

Wisconsin $1,005,000 $954,957 NIA $52,329 1,025 58 

Wyoming $18,000 $0 $0 $4,955 29 7 

Total $6,293,755 $5,961,176 $359,739 $1,711,090 12,153 2,096 

1 Amount FSA authorized the State agency to use for reimbursement to certified organic operations plus indirect cost, if applicable, to cover 

State agencies administrative expenses. N/ A represents non-participation by the State agency.20 15 carryover funds were used for States that 

did not request a 2018 allocation. 2 Funds paid by State agency to reimburse certified organic operators plus indirect cost, if applicable, to cover State agencies administrative 

expenses. Any difference between the amount requested and the amount paid to operators is held for disbursement if needed for FY 2018. 3

This column includes funds requested in the program year, but some requests may include funds reimbursed during the 2018 program year, 

but covering 2017 program year payments. N/ A represents the State agency has no carryover funds remaining. $0 represents the Stage agency 

has carryover funds, but did not use those funds in 20 18 program year. 

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AMA O n~am. c C er tifi 1ca f ion C ost Sh are p ro~ram FY 2018 All ocahon an dD1' s b ursemen t 

State Agency Funding and 

Disbu rsements 

Funds Number of Number of 

Disbursed by Operations Operations 

FY 2018 FY 2018 Funds FSA County Assisted by Assisted by 

State Allocation1 Disbursed2 Offices State A2:encies County Offices 

Connecticut $24,000 $24,000 $638 84 1 

Delaware NIA $0 $2,235 4 4 

Hawaii NIA $0 $14,460 24 24 

Maine $100,000 $99,546 $679 141 1 

Maryland $18,000 $13,565 $239 36 I 

Massachusetts $21 ,000 $21 ,000 $6,409 81 9 

Nevada NIA $0 $5,776 8 8 

New Hampshire NIA $0 $4,426 8 8 

New Jersey $20,000 $19,553 $3,173 24 6 

New York $255,000 $255,000 $43,830 382 61 

Pennsylvania $189,000 $189,000 $5,203 229 8 

Rhode Island $5,000 $5,000 $0 19 0 

Utah NIA $0 $12,012 15 15 

Vermont $130,000 $130,000 $669 155 I 

West Virginia NIA $0 $8,354 10 10 

Wyoming $18,000 $0 $345 7 I 

Total $780,000 $756,663 $108,448 1,227 158 

1 Amount FSA authorized the State agency to use for reimbursement to certified organic operations plus indirect cost, if applicable, to cover 

State agencies administrative expenses. NIA represents non-participation by the State agency. 

2 Funds paid by State agency to reimburse certified organic operators plus indirect cost, if applicable, to cover State agencies administrative 

expenses. Any difference between the amount requested and the amount paid to operators is returned to the federal government. 

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