USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced new programs, partnerships and grant awards to expand markets for organic products and help producers transition to organic production. These programs will support the development of new and better markets for domestic organic products, provide hands-on training to producers transitioning to organic production, and ease the financial burden of obtaining organic certification.
“Offsetting the costs for organic transition helps more farmers realize higher margins sooner while giving consumers more access to high-demand organic products,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The partnerships and technical support we offer will ease the transition for producers, and the investments in grant projects we are announcing today will reduce the organic industry’s reliance on imports, lower cost barriers for businesses transitioning to organic, and address crucial infrastructure needs. Together, these resources ensure small and mid-sized producers can gain access to new, profitable markets and further our commitment to maximize American farmers’ share of the food dollar.”
California organic concerns have received more than $22 million in funding via these programs and have pledged millions more in matching funds.
The California recipients are:
- California Certified Organic Farmers, Inc. Santa Cruz — $3 million for market development and promotion.
- Rock Front Ranch, Santa Maria — $89,180 for equipment to facilitate expansion or organic fruit operation.
- California Craft Maltings, Alameda — $99,033 for equipment to facilitate capacity expansion for milled raw grains.
- Zego, San Francisco — $3 million to increase processing and consumption of organic, gluten-free, high-protein oats and rotational crop millet by creating a collaborative integrated value chain
- Tidal Foods, San Francisco — $660,970 for expansion for regenerative kelp.
- Rumiano Cheese Company, Winters — $3 million for processing capacity expansion.
- Heal the Earth, Cardiff by the Sea — $2,473,795 for organic avocado production.
- Burroughs Family Orchards, Denair — $1,166,250 for expansion of organic almond and olive products.
- Lundberg Family Farms, Richvale — $3 million for organic rice processing capacity expansion.
- Straus Family Creamery, Petaluma — $3 million for processing capacity expansion
- Ecocenter Inc., San Juan Capistrano — $2,975,397 for processing capacity and distribution expansion for value-added products utilizing organic corn, legumes and fruit.