September 2023

By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

New OFA Farm Bill Marker Bill Tracker

In the lead up to drafting the massive omnibus bill that is the Farm Bill, smaller marker bills are introduced to promote policy ideas in the hope that they will be included in the final Farm Bill.

Marker bills are not intended to pass as standalone bills, but rather they’re introduced to show collective interest in an idea and build momentum. Marker bills with more congressional support have a better chance of making it into the final version of the Farm Bill.

OFA has introduced a tracker to help you learn more about the marker bills we are supporting that may impact organic farming. Check back regularly for updates as Farm Bill conversations continue in D.C.

Click here to view the tracker! 

Please visit https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials to find contact information for your members of Congress, and call or email to ask them to support organic-friendly marker bills in the Farm Bill. 

Don’t see a bill you think OFA should be tracking? Feel free to reach out to OFA Policy Director Lily Hawkins lily@organicfarmersassociation.org) to flag it for us!

Farm Bill Timeline

September 30th is the date when both the annual federal spending bills and the Farm Bill (last passed in 2018) are set to expire. With the Republicans pushing spending bills with no Democratic support it’s increasingly unlikely that they will avoid needing to pass a continuing resolution (an emergency funding patch) to keep federal agencies running. 

With efforts to finalize spending bills ongoing, efforts to complete the 2023 Farm Bill will almost certainly continue into the fall. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (MI) has indicated that there are currently no plans to include a farm bill extension in a continuing resolution for government spending. Passing the deadline with no extension will impact different programs in different ways. 

Some programs, like SNAP and crop insurance, will keep running even after the deadline is passed. Other programs, usually smaller or newer ones, will stop running if the Farm Bill is allowed to expire. Organic Certification Cost Share is one of these. Fortunately, funds are already secured for 2023 reimbursements, so there is time for the Farm Bill negotiations to run their course before cost-share funding for 2024 is at risk. At this time, OFA is communicating with Congress about the importance of preserving and modernizing the cost share program in the Farm Bill and, if needed, will advocate for a Farm Bill extension that covers all Farm Bill programs.

Cost Share Application Deadline is October 31

This spring, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that they will be restoring reimbursement rates for the OCCSP to 75 percent of the certified organic operation’s eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $750 per scope. This brings the amount of funding back up to the maximum allowed by the 2018 Farm Bill, after a 2020 reduction to 50 percent of the certified organic operation’s eligible expenses, and a maximum of $500 per scope.

Producers can apply for certification cost share through FSA at their local USDA Service Center. The deadline for producers to apply for reimbursement for 2023 certification costs is October 31. 

Organic certification provides producers with a way to validate the valuable ecosystem services they provide, but the associated fees can be burdensome, especially for small and beginning farmers. The Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) provides reimbursements to organic farms and handling operations to help cover certification costs, and is crucial for farmers transitioning to and maintaining organic certification. 

Ask your members of congress to protect and build upon OCCSP by supporting the Opportunities in Organic Act (S. 1582, H.R. 3650). You can find your legislator’s contact information here. When you call or email them, be sure to share details on why the cost share program is important to you, how long you’ve used it, and urge lawmakers to stabilize and modernize the program through the Farm Bill.