8/8 Deadline - USDA Organic Market Development Grant
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Hi everyone,
The USDA is offering a one-time grant opportunity for operations that are certified organic via a USDA accredited certifier. The deadline is fast approaching (August 8th), but there's still time to get together an application!
Read on for more details.
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The OMDG program support the development of new and expanded organic markets to help increase the consumption of domestic organic agricultural commodities. OMDG support projects that increase domestic organic supply chain capacity for producers, handlers, suppliers, and processors; facilitate market development for domestically produced organic food products; and remove barriers to entry to organic certification for smaller producers and historically underserved entities. The program aims to create new and better markets access for organic products, increase capacity for processing, storage, handling/shipping, and increase the consumption of organic agricultural commodities. The program has three project types: Market Development and Promotion, Processing Capacity Projects, and Simplified Equipment -only projects. Project activities may take place over a 24- to 36-month period.
Examples of eligible activities include but are not limited to:- Product development activities which create uses for organic commodities that currently lack markets, such as rotational row crops.
- Market development related to producer and consumer education that creates or increases demand for new or existing organic product categories domestically or abroad.
- Create or strengthen farm to institution market channels, farm to local retail, or other markets that build local and regional food systems opportunities in organic agriculture.
- Purchase and installation of equipment to support on-farm or cooperatively owned processing facilities to help agricultural producers add value to their products at the farmgate level by generating new or enhanced products.
- New or expanded aggregation, processing, storage, marketing, and distribution mechanisms for organic commodities to create a path to market for producers, including purchase and installation of equipment.
- Expanding processing capacities within existing facilities to increase organic production volumes, process additional commodities, create parallel production needed to segregate organic production lines, and/or add new value-added product types.
AMS is soliciting applications from certified organic or transitioning food producers or handlers, non-profit organizations, tribal governments, and state and local government. The program looks for applications that address the following pinpointed organic markets or other markets with clearly defined needs.
- Organic grains and livestock feed,
- Organic dairy,
- Organic fibers,
- Organic legumes and other rotational crops
- Organic ingredients currently unavailable in commercial form
You can find more information at https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/omdg. The 2023 OMDG Request for Application has the full description of the program requirements and process for applying. You can review the recording of the webinar at View the OMDG Webinar.
