OMDG Application Deadline Extended & Webinar 5/24/2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for the Organic Market Development Grants (OMDG) Request for Applications (RFA) to August 8, 2023. 

Through OMDG, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will issue up to $75 million in competitive grants. Eligible entities include businesses that produce or handle organic foods, non-profit organizations, tribal governments, and state and local government entities to fund projects designed to expand and improve markets for domestically produced organic products. OMDG is intended to increase the consumption of domestic agricultural commodities by aiding in the expansion of markets or development of new markets, marketing facilities, and uses for such commodities. For example, applicants may seek funding to develop and launch new consumer products using rotational grains or invest in infrastructure like processing equipment to give producers better access to markets.  

AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers and underserved communities.   

Applications must be submitted through www.grants.gov by August 8, 2023.

USDA Offers Assistance to Help Organic Dairy Producers Cover Increased Costs 

On May 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced assistance for dairy producers with the new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). ODMAP is established to help mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. Specifically, under the ODMAP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is making $104 million available to organic dairy operations to assist with projected marketing costs in 2023, calculated using their marketing costs in 2022. 

“Organic dairy producers have faced significant and unique increases in their marketing costs, compounded by increases in feed and transportation costs and the limited availability of organic grain and forage commodities,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Without assistance, many organic dairies, particularly small organic dairies, will cease production, which not only impacts the domestic supply and consumption of organic milk but also the well-being of many rural communities across the country. This program will keep our small organic dairies in operation as they continue to weather a combination of challenges outside of their control.” 

FSA is accepting applications from May 24 to July 24, 2023. Eligible producers include certified organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats and sheep. 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Webinar on Organic Soil Health Practices for Water Management and Quality  

 June 26, 2023 at 1:00 pm Eastern 

Join USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for a webinar discussing water management in organic agriculture, cover the ways that soil health can enhance water use efficiency and nutrient retention, and outline conservation strategies that optimize the stewardship of water resources.   

Farmers must manage water resources to provide sufficient yet not excessive moisture to their crops, and to protect surface and groundwater from nutrients and other contaminants. While the soil’s capacity to hold and provide moisture to crops is determined in part by soil texture and other inherent properties, organic soil health management practices can improve soil water relations, expand water holding capacity, and enhance crop resilience to drought and flood, which have become more intense as a result of climate change. This webinar will describe how soil health enhances water use efficiency and nutrient retention and will outline conservation strategies that organic farmers use to optimize stewardship of the water resource.