Pittsboro, N.C.—Organic agriculture is growing fast in North Carolina, and the NC Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services is helping the state’s farmers seize the opportunity.
The agency has awarded a total of $176,662 since last September to help 220 farms and businesses cope with the costs of strict federally-mandated annual organic audits, thanks to the National Organic Certification Cost Share (NOCCS).
Under the federal National Organic Program, farms that use Earth-friendly organic farming practices must undergo a rigorous audit every year from a third-party certification agency if they want to market their crops with the organic label. Through the NOCCS, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture provides funds to offset the costs of those federally-required audits.
The USDA allocates NOCCS funding roughly in proportion to the amount of organic production in each state, and in North Carolina, organic farming is taking off. In 2016, the most recent year data is available, NC farmers’ sales of organic crops and livestock totaled $145 million—a 76% increase from 2015 and a 279% jump since 2008. North Carolina’s number of organic farms has gone up dramatically as well: There were 134 certified organic farms in the state in 2008, and 247 by 2016.
“Farming with Earth-friendly organic practices is expensive, and USDA data shows organic farms’ production expenses are higher than non-organic farms,” said Roland McReynolds, Executive Director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, a non-profit member organization that represents organic producers in North and South Carolina. “The cost share is a small and important way that North Carolina supports its organic farmers because it reduces the expense of obtaining the annual organic audit that the feds require.” The cost of this annual audit can run from $1,000 to $1,500 or more, and some farms must submit to two audits if they both grow and distribute organic crops. The NOCCS provides a maximum reimbursement of $750 per audit.
“Organic is a bright spot in North Carolina agriculture,” says Sandi Kronick, CEO of Eastern Carolina Organics (ECO), an organic produce distributor based in Durham, NC. While the average age of North Carolina farmers is over 59 and has been steadily increasing for decades, ECO is seeing the trend reverse as more farms make the switch to organic. “The average age of the farmers we work with is going down every year,” says Kronick.
Kronick says the organic cost share is particularly important for new farmers entering the organic market. “Our veteran organic farmers know how much it helped them when they were starting out. Today those farmers often don’t request cost share funds because they want the money to be available for the new generation.”
The NOCCS is authorized under the Farm Bill, wide-ranging federal legislation that sets the rules for everything from food stamps to farm subsidies. Congress renegotiates the Farm Bill every five years, and it is up for renewal this year. As part of the Farm Bill debate, Congress will decide if the NOCCS will continue.
“Federally-approved audits are important for ensuring that customers get what they expect when buying organic foods,” said McReynolds. “So while we can’t get rid of the red tape, we can at least take some of the sting out of having to deal with it, and that’s why the cost share is so important for organic farmers. Organic farmers are dedicated stewards of our natural environment, and deserve our support.”