Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ

For Immediate Release: July 11, 2012
Contact: Lynne Richmond  
(609) 633-2954

(TRENTON) – Today, the Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Department of Agriculture announced a partnership with the federal government to reduce organic certification costs as part of the Christie Administration’s ongoing efforts to promote Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ-grown and marketed organic food products.

The Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Department of Agriculture is participating in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Certification Cost Share Program.  Each qualified producer and handler of organic products is eligible for a reimbursement of up to 75 percent of its costs of certification not to exceed $750.  Certification costs include fees and charges levied by the certifying agent for certification activities.

To qualify for reimbursement under this program, an organic handler or producer must have been inspected and certified or inspected and receiving continuation of certification during the period of October 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012.  Certification must be through a USDA-accredited certifying agent.

In the event that demand exceeds the amount of funds allocated to Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ, applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis.  In the case of multiple certifications, excluding renewal of certification, only one payment shall be made to the operation.

Applications must be received by the Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Department of Agriculture no later than November 19, 2012.  Applications and more information about the program are available online at .

Please contact Melissa Spakosky with any questions at (609) 984-2225 or Melissa.spakosky@ag.state.nj.us.