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.