California opens application window for new organic transition pilot program

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Department of Food and Agriculture's Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) is accepting applications now until Sep. 15, 2023, for the new Organic Transition Pilot Program.

The pilot program will award block grants to organizations that support farmers and ranchers managing acres they intend to transition to organic operations.

Organizations eligible for the grants include non-profits, resource conservation districts, universities in the University of California network, organizations within the University of California Cooperative Extension, California State Universities, California Community Colleges, and California Native American Tribes.

Judith Redmond, member of the Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel, and co-owner of Full Belly Ranch, a certified organic 350-acre farm in northern California. “It’s a lot of work to learn new procedures, and market-price benefits aren’t available until the transition is complete and organic certification has been achieved. Farmers and ranchers need support during this challenging period of change, and that’s why this new Organic Transition Program is so important.” 

Minimum awards are set at $500,000 with a maximum of $2 million per applicant organization. Grant terms may not exceed three years.

Half of the awarded funding is required to be distributed to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as defined by the Farmer Equity Act, California Assembly Bill 1348 of 2017.

Application materials and additional information can be found here.