Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC)

USDA's Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides financial assistance to specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2024 and 2025. The program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory and market-driven food safety certification requirements.

FSA accepted applications for calendar year 2024 from July 1, 2024, through January 31, 2025, and accepted applications for calendar year 2025 from January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026.

The calendar year 2025 application period closed January 31, 2026. No newer cycle is described on the current program page.

• Must have obtained or renewed a 2025 food safety certification issued during the 2025 calendar year.

• Must have paid eligible expenses; expenses incurred but not yet paid are not eligible.

• Must be a specialty crop operation, and meet the definition of a small business (average annual monetary value of specialty crops sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of no more than $500,000) or a medium-sized business (at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000).

• Must be located in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Cost-share on food-safety certification expenses you have already paid, reimbursed at a set percentage per category with its own cap:

• Developing a food safety plan: "75 percent (no maximum)."

• Maintaining or updating an existing plan: "75 percent, up to a maximum of $675."

• Obtaining the certification itself: "75 percent, up to a maximum of $2,000."

• Uploading audit reports / certification documents to commercial audit databases: "75 percent, up to a maximum of $375."

• Microbiological testing of products, soil amendments and water: "75 percent, up to five tests, including postage" — five per category, not five total.

• Food safety training: "100 percent, up to a maximum of $500."

How it is paid and what limits it:

• Each category is calculated separately, and "This amount, plus any additional cost share assistance received, cannot exceed the total amount of the eligible expense." You must report any other cost-share you got for the same expenses.

• The expense must already be paid: "Expenses that have been incurred by the applicant, but have not yet been paid, will not be eligible."

• Split payment and possible haircut: "For program year 2025, the Farm Service Agency will issue 50% of the calculated payment following application approval, with the remaining amount to be paid after the application deadline. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated."

• Ineligible costs: "infrastructure improvements, equipment, supplies, salaries and benefits, and fees or penalties for late payment."

• Group certifications count: an operation certified under a group food safety management system "are eligible to apply for assistance for their share of eligible expenses paid by the group, in addition to any eligible expenses they incur individually."

No match is required and there is no overall per-operation ceiling — the caps are per category, and plan development has none.

The FSCSC application period for calendar year 2025 was January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026 (now closed). Eligible specialty crop operations applied through the Farm Service Agency office at their local USDA Service Center, or via the FSCSC Application Portal with an eAuthentication account. Applications were accepted by mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.

The following forms are needed to apply for FSCSC:

• FSA-888-1, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program For Program Years 2024 and 2025 Application — certifies the applicant's status as a specialty crop operation and a small or medium-sized business, and their eligible expenses.

• AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet — required if not already on file with FSA.

• SF-3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form — required if not already on file with FSA; collects banking information for direct deposit.

Supporting documentation (paid invoices, receipts, test results, food safety plans, certifications, training records) may be requested to substantiate reported expenses. Contact the FSA office at your local USDA Service Center, or call 877-508-8364, with questions about eligibility or the application process.

• Frequently Asked Questions about the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program

• Notice of Funds Availability: Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program

• Fact Page