The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has awarded approximately $40.5 million for 60 grant projects through its Organic Market Development Grant program.
The projects support the development of new and existing organic markets and support infrastructure to improve processing capacity, purchase equipment to meet organic product demands and explore technologies to promote organic products, according to a news release.
“This round of awards through the Organic Market Development Grant program will address critical needs within the nation’s growing organic industry — funding projects that further our goals of creating and expanding markets for producers,” Jenny Lester Moffitt, agriculture undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said in the release. “The program is a key component of USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative and will increase value-added agricultural opportunities for organic producers in rural America.”
The USDA said the projects will benefit more than 27,000 producers and 31.8 million consumers through an increase in organic market opportunities.
“Farmers who choose to grow organic often access new, more and better markets,” Torres Small, agriculture deputy secretary, said in the release. “At USDA, we are committed to making it easier for farmers who make that choice through programs like the Organic Market Development Grant Program, which supports farmers and increases access to fresh, healthy foods.”
In May 2023, the USDA’s Organic Market Development Grant program set aside $75 million to increase availability and demand for domestic organic products. In January, the USDA awarded $9.75 million in the first round of awards for equipment-only and processing expansion projects.
The USDA highlighted one of the funding recipients: Almar Orchards in Flushing, Mich. Grant funding helped the family-owned apple orchard install a washing and sorting line to expand into additional markets and serve as an aggregator for other growers in the region. Almar Orchard also plans to expand its organic apple production by 100 acres, the release said.
