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.