National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program—Agricultural Management Assistance

Providing financial assistance to producers in 15 states to transition into organic farming

The Organic Certification Cost-Share Program is part of the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program. Under this program, cost-share assistance is provided to producers in 15 states that have a historically low participation rate in the Federal Crop Insurance Program—Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The program provides cost-share assistance to organic crop and livestock producers who have been certified by a USDA accredited certifying agent. USDA has determined that payments will be limited to 75 percent of an individual producer's certification costs up to a maximum of $500.

Eligibility, Uses, and Restrictions
To receive reimbursement for the 2004-2005 AMA cost share program, a crop and/or livestock producer must receive certification or update of certification by a USDA accredited certifying agent from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005.

Contact
For application information, contact the state agencies listed below.

Richard Macsuga
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
765 Asylum Avenue
Hartford, CT 06105
Phone: (860) 713-2508

Terry Van Horn
Delaware Department of Agriculture
2320 South Dupont Highway
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 698-4585

Terry Bourgoin
Maine Department of Agriculture
28 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: (207) 287-7506

Deanna Baldwin
Maryland Department of Agriculture
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 841-5775

Mary Jordan
Massachusetts Department of Agriculture
251 Causeway St., Ste 500
Boston, MA 02114-2151
Phone: (617) 626-1750

Peggy McKie
Nevada Department of Agriculture
350 Capitol Hill
Reno, NV 89502
Phone: (775) 688-1182 ext. 244

Vickie Smith
New Hampshire Department of Agriculture,
Markets, and Food
P.O. Box 2042
Concord, NH 03302-2042
Phone: (603) 271-3685

Anne Ference
New Jersey Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 330
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: (609) 292-5575

Jon Thompson
New York Department of Agriculture and Markets
1 Winners Circle
Albany, NY 12235
Phone: (518) 457-7076

Martha Melton
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
2301 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408
Phone: (717) 772-8354

Dan Lawton
Rhode Island Department of the Environment
Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing
235 Promenade St., Room 370
Providence, RI 02908-5734
Phone: (401) 222-2781 ext. 4516

Seth Winterton
Utah Department of Agriculture
350 North Redwood Road
P.O. Box 146500
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6500
Phone: (801) 538-7141

Louise Calderwood
Vermont Department of Agriculture
116 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
Phone: (802) 828-3833

Tom Clark
West Virginia Department of Agriculture
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV 25305
Phone: (304) 558-2210

Renee King
Wyoming Department of Agriculture
2219 Carey Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82001-6593
Phone: (307) 777-6587

Bob Pooler, Marketing Specialist, National
Organic Program
National Organic Program Office
USDA/AMS/TMP/NOP
Room 4008-South, Ag Stop 0268
Washington, DC 20250
Phone: (202) 720-7808; Fax: (202) 205-7808
E-mail: Bob.Pooler@usda.gov

Internet
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/StatePrograms/Statehome.html