Amber Lippon

April 2025 Policy Update

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

OFA continues to track the impacts of recent Executive Orders, including frozen federal funds, new tariffs, and disruptions in USDA staffing. If you have been impacted by these policies, please reach out to Policy Director Lily Hawkins (lily@organicfarmersassociation.org) or Farmer Services Director Juila Barton (julia@organicfarmersassociation.org) for assistance in reaching out to your legislators. Meanwhile, Congress resumed work on Farm Bill marker bills and OFA has ways for you to take action.

Urge legislators to fund organic “orphan programs”

The 2018 Farm Bill has been extended again until September 30, 2025. While major agricultural programs continue their operations, smaller critical initiatives like the Organic Cost Share Program were not extended.

The Organic Certification Cost Share Program is crucial for farmers to enter and remain competitive in the organic market. However, as an “orphan program,” it required specific funding allocation to continue operating under the Farm Bill extension. This action was not taken, and now thousands of American organic farmers will face prohibitive certification costs that could force them out of the organic sector.

Additional orphan programs crucial to organic farming to lose funding under the Farm Bill extension include the Organic Data Initiative, which collects essential data to support organic, and the Organic Certification Trade and Tracking Program, which helps enforce regulations and prevent fraud.

Your voice is crucial right now. Please contact your representatives using our template and letter and urge them to support American organic farmers by reinstating essential organic programs.

Congress at work on Farm Bill Marker Bills

With a continuing resolution to keep the government funded at current levels through September 30, 2025, legislators are beginning work to introduce and reintroduce Farm Bill marker bills. These bills are not intended to pass on their own, but are a vehicle to introduce ideas and build support for policies in hopes that they’ll be included in the next Farm Bill. Bills that OFA supported last year need to be reintroduced in the new Congress elected last November.

OFA has reached out to Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.

Last week, OFA sent a letter welcoming HHS Secretary Kennedy to the role, and highlighting some ways that his agency could work with the organic community. Read the full letter here.

NOSB Meeting is back on

After being moved from in-person to a virtual format, and then being temporarily postponed, the spring meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is back on! 

The meeting will be held virtually: 

• April 22 & 24, 2025, 12-5 pm ET: Public Comment Webinars 
• April 29 - May 1, 2025, 12-5 pm ET: Public Meeting

Public comment webinars:

• Day 1: Tuesday, April 22, 12-5 pm ET
• Day 2: Thursday, April 24, 12-5 pm ET

For more information visit the USDA meeting page.

by Amber Lippon

March 2025 Policy Update

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

Frozen federal funds and USDA staff cuts a focus at OFA’s annual Advocacy Days in D.C.

Organic Farmers Association held our annual Farmer Fly-in in DC this March 3-5 where 32 certified organic farmers and representatives of organic organizations met with 51 Congressional offices, Committee Staff from the House and Senate Agriculture committees, and USDA staff from the National Organic Program. Our members came prepared to advocate for our 2025 legislative priorities; policies that can ensure domestic organic producers can take advantage of the domestic demand for organic products. However, the current events in Washington quickly became a focus.

Farmers spoke with elected officials about the recent executive order freezing many federal grants and programs, including USDA programs that organic farmers and organizations rely on. The freeze has caused a severe disruption to key conservation programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) as well as grants funded through the $3.1 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, the $85 million Organic Market Development Grant program and the $100 million Transition to the Organic Partnership Program, all funded through the Commodities Credit Corporation. Click here to let your members of Congress know how important these funds are to organic farmers. 

Another issue that OFA members discussed was the recent cuts to USDA staffing and the closure of state and regional USDA offices. Local USDA staff are key in helping organic producers access and understand program applications, providing technical assistance, and delivering essential services to farmers. Office closures, particularly in rural areas, create significant barriers to access for those who depend on in-person support. The loss of experienced USDA personnel through staffing cuts and calls for the end of remote work is creating a knowledge gap that will impair the agency's ability to serve organic producers and function effectively for years to come. 

During the fly-in, many legislators requested detailed information on exactly which funds were frozen, and which staff had been let go. If your business or organization has been impacted by these issues, we would love to hear from you. Please consider filling out and sharing our Executive Order Impact Survey. Your personal information will not be shared outside of OFA.

A new Continuing Resolution has been passed, no progress on a new Farm Bill yet

Last week, Congress passed a new continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government, averting a potential shutdown. This CR extends funding through September 30, 2025, which marks the end of the fiscal year. The resolution was achieved after intense negotiations, marked by significant partisan divides and disputes between House and Senate members, and notably within the Democratic party. 

While the CR prevented an immediate shutdown, it cut non-defense funding levels by approximately $13 billion, while increasing defense spending by roughly $6 billion. 

Amid this uncertainty, progress on a new Farm Bill remains stalled, with the 2018 Farm Bill extended until September 30th of this year without the inclusion of several key organic programs including organic certification cost share. Click here to ask your legislators to restore funding for cost-share and other “orphan” programs of importance to the organic community.

Spring 2025 NOSB Meeting postponed

Originally planned as an in person meeting in Tempe, AZ, the Spring NOSB meeting was switched to a virtual event. More recently, the NOP announced that the meeting has been postponed, with a new date not yet announced.

For announcements about rescheduling watch the NOP’s NOSB Meetings page.

by Amber Lippon

January 2025 Policy Update

by Amber Lippon

December 2024 Policy Update

by Amber Lippon

November 2024 Policy Update

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

Republicans Win White House, Senate

Republicans fared well in the November 5 election with former President Donald Trump winning another term in the White House and a new majority in the Senate. (At the time of writing, control of the House was still undecided.)

With Republican control of the Senate, Senator Boozman (R-AR) is expected to take leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Other committee changes are assured, with Senate Ag Committee member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and House Ag Committee member Marc Molinaro (R-NY) failing to win reelection, and several House races still undecided.

OFA will be tracking further election results and watching for news of possible cabinet nominees in the coming weeks. 

With the election behind them, members of congress will have time to return to work on the currently expired Farm Bill. While most Farm Bill programs will continue to operate until the end of the year, there is a growing urgency to pass a new Farm Bill or another extension as soon as possible. 

Organic Cost-Share Must Be Protected

The organic certification cost-share program (OCCSP), a vital resource for organic farmers, relies on the Farm Bill for authorization every five years. Because OCCSP is a very small program, cost-share does not have “permanent baseline” funding status. When the 2018 Farm Bill was extended last November, the extension was crafted in a way that preserved funding for cost-share and other so-called “orphan” programs, programs without mandatory baseline funding. If the current Farm Bill is again extended, provisions must be included so that cost share funding is maintained.

Click here to take action today and urge your Senators and Representatives to fight for organic certification cost-share.

Urge Your U.S. Senators to Support the WEATHER Act

This season has brought unprecedented extreme weather events. Current federal crop insurance options do not cover many small, diversified, and organic farms impacted by disasters such as Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience (WEATHER) Act of 2023 (S. 3401) is a bill that calls for the development of an index-based insurance policy that would better support farmers facing income losses after extreme weather events by reducing administrative hurdles and ensuring that insurance payouts are based on agricultural income losses. The policy would likely function similarly to the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance program which provides financial payments to farmers quickly after a disaster.

Send a message to your Senators asking them to include the WEATHER Act in the upcoming Farm Bill!

USDA Provides Funding to Assist Organic Dairy Producers

The USDA recently announced two programs to support organic dairy producers. The USDA announced the availability of $58 million in funding for organic dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) on September 26. This program aims to help producers offset marketing costs incurred in 2024.

The ODMAP program was first launched in 2023 with $104 million allocated, but less than half of those funds were distributed in the first round of disbursements. This was partially due to a lack of data collection about organic dairy marketing by USDA.  

Improvements to the program for 2024 include an increased the payment rate to $1.68 per hundredweight (from $1.10) and raised the eligible production level to nine million pounds (from five million). These improvements address the needs of organic dairy producers and provide much-needed relief.

Producers can apply for ODMAP until November 29 at their local USDA Service Center. To be eligible, applicants must provide documentation of 2023 production, proof of organic certification, and complete an application form.

On October 28, the USDA announced a new program, the Organic Dairy Product Promotion (ODPP), allocating $15 million to expand access to organic dairy products in educational institutions and youth programs. Funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the program will help children and young adults access organic dairy products while also creating new markets for small and mid-sized organic dairy farmers. The program will be administered nationally through the four regional Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (DBI) regions. These regional centers may subaward these funds directly to organic dairy businesses, educational institutions including K-12 schools and colleges/universities, and other organizations able to implement the program.

OFA will continue to work for policies that support organic dairy producers in the upcoming Farm Bill.

by Amber Lippon

October 2024 Policy Update

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

Congress Passes Short-Term Funding Patch But Lets Farm Bill Extension Expire

Lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C. after their August recess with expiration dates looming for both the Farm Bill and annual spending bills.

Late last month, Congressional leaders were able to reach a bipartisan deal to keep the Government running on 2024 levels through December 20, with a short-term funding patch called a continuing resolution (CR). There had been some speculation that they would extend the Farm Bill as part of that CR, but they did not include that in the measure.

Since most Farm Bill programs will not expire until the end of the calendar year, there is still time to pass a new Farm Bill after the election this fall. However, there is reportedly some interest among Farm Bill negotiators in passing some sort of emergency assistance package along with a Farm Bill extension if compromise can’t be reached on a new bill.

Any Farm Bill Extension Must Protect Organic Certification Cost Share Program

The organic certification cost-share program is authorized every 5 years through the Farm Bill. 

After reductions in 2020, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced in 2023 that they would restore reimbursement rates for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) to 75% of the certified organic operation’s eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $750 per scope. This brought the amount of funding back up to the maximum allowed by the 2018 Farm Bill.

Because OCCSP is a very small program, cost-share does not have “permanent baseline” funding status. When the 2018 Farm Bill was extended last November, the extension was crafted in a way that preserved funding for cost-share and other so-called “orphan” programs, programs without mandatory baseline funding. If the current Farm Bill is again extended, provisions must be included so that cost share funding is maintained. OFA has been told that funding for 2024 is secure. However provisions in any extension are needed so that organic farmers who use the program can plan ahead for their 2025 certification costs.

Take action: Please visit usa.gov to find contact information for your members of Congress and urge them to renew funding for the organic certification cost share program in any Farm Bill extension and modernize cost-share by supporting the Opportunities in Organic Act in the next Farm Bill. 

USDA Announces Funding to Assist Organic Dairy Producers

On Thursday, September 26, USDA announced the availability of $58 million through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP), which will provide certified organic dairy producers with funding to help cover projected marketing costs for 2024. 

The ODMAP program was first launched in 2023 with $104 million allocated. With less than half of those funds distributed in the first round of disbursements, OFA and allies are pleased to see this effort to get much needed relief to organic dairy producers. 

Improvements to the program for 2024 include an increase in the payment rate to $1.68 per hundredweight from the previous $1.10 per cwt. The production level eligible for marketing cost-share assistance has also increased from 5 million pounds to 9 million pounds. 

OFA will continue to work for policies that support organic dairy producers in the upcoming Farm Bill.

Producers can apply for the program from September 30 to November 29 by contacting their local USDA Service Center. To apply you will need to provide documentation showing 2023 production, proof of organic certification, and complete an application form.

Watch the National Organic Standards Board’s Fall Meeting

The NOSB meets twice a year to work on recommendations to the USDA about organic standards and the National List of materials that are allowed or prohibited in organic production. 

This fall, the NOSB will convene an online Public Comment Webinar in mid-October followed by an in-person meeting in Portland, Oregon the following week.

• Public Comment Webinar Day 1: Tuesday, October 15 from Noon - 5:00 pm Eastern
• Public Comment Webinar Day 2: Thursday, October 17 from Noon - 5:00 pm Eastern

• In- Person Meeting Day 1: Tuesday, October 22 from 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Pacific
• In- Person Meeting Day 2: Wednesday, October 23 from 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Pacific
• In- Person Meeting Day 3: Thursday, October 24 from 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Pacific

For more details on the meeting, including the agenda and materials, visit the USDA webpage here, and read OFA’s written comments here.

by Amber Lippon

September 2024 Policy Update

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

Appropriations Continuing Resolution and Farm Bill Extension Likely

Lawmakers are returning to Washington, D.C. after their August recess with expiration dates looming for both the Farm Bill and annual spending bills.

With progress well behind schedule on both efforts, it is nearly impossible that they will complete either process before the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30. If they do not pass a FY2025 budget by that date, Congress will likely pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend the current federal spending levels to avoid an October government shutdown. The programs funded by the Farm Bill are separate from the annual appropriations bills, and expire more gradually. However, lawmakers could choose to include a Farm Bill extension as part of a CR.

Any Farm Bill Extension Must Protect Organic Certification Cost Share Program

The organic certification cost-share program is authorized every 5 years through the Farm Bill. 

After reductions in 2020, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced in 2023 that they would restore reimbursement rates for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) to 75% of the certified organic operation’s eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $750 per scope. This brought the amount of funding back up to the maximum allowed by the 2018 Farm Bill.

Because OCCSP is a very small program, cost-share does not have “permanent baseline” funding status. When the 2018 Farm Bill was extended last November, the extension was crafted in a way that preserved funding for cost-share and other so-called ‘orphan’ programs, programs without mandatory baseline funding. If the current Farm Bill is again extended, provisions must be included so that cost share funding is maintained. OFA has been told that funding for 2024 is secure. However provisions in any extension are needed so that organic farmers who use the program can plan ahead for their 2025 certification costs.

Take action: Please visit usa.gov to find contact information for your members of Congress and urge them to renew funding for the organic certification cost share program in any Farm Bill extension and modernize cost-share by supporting the Opportunities in Organic Act in the next Farm Bill.

Participate in the National Organic Standards Board’s Fall Meeting

The NOSB meets twice a year to work on recommendations to the USDA about organic standards and the National List of materials that are allowed or prohibited in organic production. 

This fall, the NOSB will convene an online Public Comment Webinar in mid-October followed by an in-person meeting in Portland, Oregon the next week.

• Public Comment Webinar Day 1: Tuesday, October 15 from 12pm - 5pm ET
• Public Comment Webinar Day 2: Thursday, October 17 from 12pm - 5pm ET
  

• In- Person Meeting Day 1: Tuesday, October 22 from 8:30am - 6pm PT
• In- Person Meeting Day 2: Wednesday, October 23 from 8:30am - 6pm PT
• In- Person Meeting Day 3: Thursday, October 24 from 8:30am - 6pm PT

For more details on the meeting, including the agenda and materials, and to register for virtual testimony visit the USDA webpage here.  

OFA will be focusing our comments on the materials Meloxicam and Methionine, plastics in compost, and residue testing for organic imports.

If you would like to register to provide oral testimony or need help with written comments please call our Farmer Helpline at (833) 724-3834, or contact OFA Farmer Services Director Julia Barton at julia@organicfarmersassociation.org.

by Amber Lippon

August 2024 Policy Update

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

Farm Bill Progress Stalls

This spring we at last saw encouraging progress towards a new Farm Bill with either proposals or full bill text released in both the House and Senate Ag committees. However, as we enter August progress has slowed, even as the September 30 deadline approaches. The House Agriculture Farm Bill must still pass on the House Floor—this was always going to be difficult due to the inclusion of several policies Democrats view as red-lines. Recently the Congressional Budget Office stated that the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill would raise the federal budget deficit by $33 billion over the next decade, making a way forward even more challenging.

Meanwhile in the Senate, the Republican response to the Majority Senate Farm Bill Framework closely resembled the House Bill, and the Senate Agriculture Committee will need to work to pass a consolidated Senate version. Once both chambers have passed their own version of the bill, leaders from the House and Senate will work to combine the two bills into one bill, which can then be voted on by the full Congress.

It is increasingly unlikely that this process will be completed before the deadline at the end of September. It’s possible that a bill could be passed this fall, but the closer we creep to the 2024 election process the greater the likelihood that the Farm Bill will be extended again until 2025.  There are lots of unknowns, and the future path of the bill rides on election outcomes and how a possible extension might be drafted.

Meanwhile, new marker bills continue to be introduced with the hope that the policies in them will be included in the final Farm Bill. You can read more about them in our Farm Bill Marker Bill Tracker.

Appropriations Progress at a Stand-Still

OFA has been tracking work on annual government spending bills in Washington. In June, the House Appropriations Agriculture-FDA Subcommittee approved a draft version of its fiscal 2025 Agriculture-FDA spending bill on a party-line vote. The bill would provide $25.9 billion in funding across USDA and FDA, with approximately $22 billion going to USDA, representing a more than 1% cut from current funding levels. The Senate Appropriations Committee has also passed a bill, however House lawmakers left early for their August Recess without bringing the bill to the floor for a vote as originally planned.

This leaves only three weeks in September for legislators to push through final spending bills before the start of the 2025 fiscal year on October 1, making it very likely that the legislation will have to be extended until after the election and dealt with by the next Congress. 

Opportunity to Submit Content Request for the 2027 Census of Agriculture

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is currently accepting stakeholder feedback in the form of content requests for the 2027 Census of Agriculture. The deadline for comments is August 19, 2024. For more information and to comment visit the Federal Register here.

OFA will be drafting comments in the coming weeks. If you have a new question that you would like to see added to the 2027 Census of Agriculture, contact OFA Policy Director Lily Hawkins at lily@organicfarmersassociation.org.

by Amber Lippon

July 2024 Policy Update

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

New and Upcoming Marker Bills

The past few months have shown encouraging progress towards a new Farm Bill with either proposals or full bill text released in both the House and Senate Ag committees. However, there is still a long way to go to pass a final bill by the September 30 deadline. The House Agriculture Farm Bill must still pass on the House  Floor—sure to be  difficult due to the inclusion of Democrat’s red line components. With the Senate Republican response to the Majority Senate Farm Bill Framework closely resembling the House bill, the Senate Agriculture Committee will have to pass a consolidated Senate version. Once both chambers have passed their own version of the bill, leaders from the House and Senate will work to combine the two bills into one bill, which can then be voted on by the full Congress.

It is possible that this process will be completed before the deadline at the end of September. However, the closer we creep to the 2024 election process the greater the likelihood that the Farm Bill may be extended again until 2025.  There are lots of unknowns, and the future path of the bill rides on election outcomes and how a possible extension might be drafted.

Meanwhile, new marker bills continue to be introduced with the hope that the policies in them will be included in the final Farm Bill. 

OFA is supporting several of these:

The Organic Imports Verification Act (not yet introduced) would promote organic integrity and a level playing field for domestic organic producers by requiring USDA to test high-risk bulk imports of organic feedstuffs for residues of substances that are prohibited in organic production.

The Save our Small Farms Act includes improvements to the Non-Insured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), as well as the full text of the Whole Farm Revenue Program Protection Act and the Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience Act.

The Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act directs the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to develop a multi-year operating loan pilot for beginning farmers to finance initial assets and the development of production and management systems. These expenditures can include intangible business infrastructure for crop records, payroll, and regulatory compliance, investments to increase soil fertility, and more.

To read more about these and the other marker bills OFA supports, check out our Farm Bill Marker Bill Tracker. 

House Subcommittee Approves Draft Ag/FDA Spending Bill

In June, the House Appropriations Agriculture-FDA Subcommittee approved a draft version of its fiscal 2025 Agriculture-FDA spending bill on a party-line vote.

The bill would provide $25.9 billion in funding across USDA and FDA, with approximately $22 billion going to USDA, representing a more than 1 percent cut from current funding levels.

Report language for the bill, which will detail how specific programs will be funded, has yet to be released.  We do know that House Republican leaders are not pursuing the abortion pill rider that would restrict access to abortion pills in the Ag-FDA spending bill. This represents a major concession to swing-district Republicans facing competitive elections this fall, and could make it easier for Republicans to pass the bill on the floor this summer.

by Amber Lippon