Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by California Certified Organic Farms (CCOF)

Applications currently closed. Check back in 2027. Current OTP/P grantees need not re-apply.

Larissa Hernandez

The Organic Transition program gives $10,000 grants to farmers transitioning their land to organic production. 

When farmers transition their land from conventional to organic, they have to wait three years before achieving certification and selling their products as organic. This&#x2004;three-year period is incredibly risky for farmers—they’re learning new farming techniques, creating new systems for their business, and cultivating a new market for their soon-to-be-organic products, all while growing food without earning the price premiums afforded to certified organic goods. Organic Transition grants eliminate the financial barrier for farmers who want to make the leap to organic production. 

Program participants receive grants, mentorship, and technical support in agronomy, business and financial literacy, marketing, and market development over a three-year period. 



The Organic Transition program gives $10,000 grants to farmers transitioning their land to organic production. 
When farmers transition their land from conventional to organic, they have to wait three years before achieving certification and selling their products as organic. This three-year period is incredibly risky for farmers—they’re learning new farming techniques, creating new systems for their business, and cultivating a new market for their soon-to-be-organic products, all while growing food without earning the price premiums afforded to certified organic goods. Organic Transition grants eliminate the financial barrier for farmers who want to make the leap to organic production. 
Program participants receive grants, mentorship, and technical support in agronomy, business and financial literacy, marketing, and market development over a three-year period. 

- Be farming or ranching on the California Central & Southern Coasts and Central Valley (Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Colusa, Glenn, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, Yolo, and Yuba Counties)
- Already be practicing organic production methods
- Have a business plan for transitioning to certified organic production or have identified a means to develop a plan for how they will transition or expand organic acreage on their farm or ranch
- Demonstrate financial need
- Reside and farm/ranch in the United States (this includes U.S. territories)
- Have a minimum of five years of agricultural production experience
- Have at least two years of running or owning their business and/or equivalent experience
- Be willing to conduct an interview as part of the application process
- Submit a Letter of Reference with your application 
- Submit a yearly report and a final report at the end of the grant period

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Succession

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Certified Organic

Trade Relief

Legal & Finance

Certification

Marketing

Conservation

Research

Compliance

One of the clearest deals in the library — a fixed grant paid annually across the whole three-year organic transition window, plus support.

- Grant amount: "Grant Amount: $10,000 per year for three years, for a total of $30,000."
- No match or cost-share is published.
- What comes with the money: "Program participants receive funding, 1:1 organic technical assistance, access to mentorship, and business training opportunities over a three-year period."
- The point of the design: it covers the three years between starting organic practices and earning certification, when you are farming organically without earning organic premiums.

Strings attached
- "Submit a yearly report and a final report at the end of the grant period."
- "All grantees will be required to track, retain, and be able, if requested, to submit all records and/or grant funding expenditures."
- "Grantees will be required to cooperate with the CCOF Foundation to provide information related, but not limited to certification, acreage, crops, land mapping, and organic transition plans."

Status: "Applications currently closed. Check back in Fall 2026." Current OTP grantees need not re-apply. Questions: grants@ccof.org or (831) 346-6324.

Geographic and experience gates are real: you must farm on the California Central & Southern Coasts or Central Valley (20 named counties), already be practicing organic methods, have at least five years of agricultural production experience and two years running or owning the business, and demonstrate financial need.

- Upcoming Application Cycles:
    - March 17 – April 18, 2025
Contact the funding contact for more information. 


Future Organic Farmer grants provide $5,000 scholarships to vocational and higher education students in the United States pursuing degrees or certificates in organic agriculture.


**About the Grant**

- Prior grantees are welcome to re-apply.

- Applications require a letter of reference from a teacher, mentor, or agricultural professional

- Funds can be used for the following purposes: tuition, educational materials or resources, internships or work experience expenses, costs directly associated with your organic studies/career development

- Grant funds cannot be used for organic certification fees




Future Organic Farmer grants provide $5,000 scholarships to vocational and higher education students in the United States pursuing degrees or certificates in organic agriculture.

About the Grant
- Prior grantees are welcome to re-apply.
- Applications require a letter of reference from a teacher, mentor, or agricultural professional
- Funds can be used for the following purposes: tuition, educational materials or resources, internships or work experience expenses, costs directly associated with your organic studies/career development
- Grant funds cannot be used for organic certification fees


Future Organic Farmer grant applicants must:
- Be enrolled in an educational program in the United States that will benefit their career in organic agriculture, including vocational training/certificate programs or two/four-year degrees
- Demonstrate financial need
- Demonstrate a strong interest and commitment to a career in organic agriculture
- Submit a final report at the end of the award year
- Graduate degrees/programs are not eligible for funding


Stewardship

- Prior grantees are welcome to re-apply.
- Funds can be used for the following purposes: tuition, educational materials or resources, internships or work experience expenses, costs directly associated with your organic studies/career development 
- Grant funds cannot be used for organic certification fees

- Email: grants@ccof.org to apply. 

- The application is available in both English and Spanish.


When farmers transition their land from conventional to organic, they have to wait three years before achieving certification and selling their products as organic. During this three-year period, farmers are learning new farming techniques, creating new systems for their business, and generating new markets for their soon-to-be-organic products, all while cultivating products that are not yet able to earn certified organic premiums.

Organic Transition grants provide financial support to farmers who want&#x2004;to shift into to organic production. These grants and technical assistance are available to farmers and ranchers in California who are interested in transitioning to organic production.

Program participants receive grants, mentorship, and technical support in agronomy, business and financial literacy, marketing, and market development over a three-year period.

**Grant Amount: **$10,000 per year for three years, for a total of $30,000.

There may be the opportunity for eligible transitioning farmers to qualify for an additional $1,000/transitioning acre up to 30 acres for soil building practices.



When farmers transition their land from conventional to organic, they have to wait three years before achieving certification and selling their products as organic. During this three-year period, farmers are learning new farming techniques, creating new systems for their business, and generating new markets for their soon-to-be-organic products, all while cultivating products that are not yet able to earn certified organic premiums.
Organic Transition grants provide financial support to farmers who want to shift into to organic production. These grants and technical assistance are available to farmers and ranchers in California who are interested in transitioning to organic production.
Program participants receive grants, mentorship, and technical support in agronomy, business and financial literacy, marketing, and market development over a three-year period.
Grant Amount: $10,000 per year for three years, for a total of $30,000.
There may be the opportunity for eligible transitioning farmers to qualify for an additional $1,000/transitioning acre up to 30 acres for soil building practices.

Organic Transition grant applicants must:

- Be farming or ranching in California (and must reside in California)
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Already be practicing regenerative organic production methods
- Provide written documentation of landowner’s approval to transition if renting/leasing
- Have a business plan, marketing plan (for after certification), and/or an Organic Systems Plan for transitioning to certified organic production and/or be in the process of completing these plans
- Demonstrate financial need
- Submit supporting financial documentation (i.e. Profit and Loss Statements from current and previous years)
- Have a minimum of five years of agricultural production experience
- Have at least two years of running or owning a farming or ranching business and/or equivalent experience
- Be willing to conduct an interview as part of the application process
- Submit a Letter of Reference with your application
- Submit a yearly report and a final report at the end of the grant period
Producers of all crop and livestock eligible for organic certification are encouraged to apply.
Applicants from underserved and socially disadvantaged communities, as well as small and medium sized farms and ranches, will be prioritized.  

Grantees will be required to track and retain all records of grant funding expenditures;

Grantees will be required to cooperate with the CCOF Foundation to provide information related, but not limited to certification, acreage, crops, land mapping, and organic transition plans.
Allowable Costs:
- Organic livestock, poultry, and related expenses, such as animal health management required by organic standards;
- Organic feed;
- Educational materials, training on organic certification and production, or meeting attendance, in addition to services offered by CCOF;
- Inspection and certification fees;
- On-farm water or soil testing fees;
- Outside consultant fees if desired, as for development of an Organic System Plan (OSP);
- Farming supplies to be applied to organic farming on the transitioning acres, such as organic-approved plastic mulch;
- Farm equipment and repair to that equipment, where equipment is specific or widely preferred for organic farming of the type expected to occur on the transitioning acres. Qualifying equipment must be drawn from the following list, or authorized by CDFA:
    - Compost production, storage or spreading installations and equipment;
    - Weed management tools such as flamers or tines, tarps, row cover;
    - Transplanting or direct seeding equipment;
    - Intercropping equipment and modifications;
    - IPM-aligned equipment;
    - Other cover-cropping equipment;
- On-farm processing and distribution equipment (e.g., peelers, coolers, produce washing, sorting and sizing bins, refrigerated vehicles for transporting whole or minimally processed food) where it is applicable to the products expected from transitioning acres.
Unallowable Costs: 
- Property or land rent or lease;
- Taxes;
- Owner or employee labor;
- Inputs for land outside the defined transitioning field(s), or for animals not dependent on the transitioning field(s).


To Apply: Applications must be completed online. Click this link to begin your application. Applications must be filled out completely, including financial documentation, to be eligible for consideration. The application is available in both English and Spanish.

Community is at the heart of the CCOF Foundation and we're here to support you. If you have questions or need assistance completing your application, please reach out to grants@ccof.org or 831-346-6324. Se habla español.

The Hardship Assistance Fund gives $5,000 – $20,000 direct financial disaster assistance grants for hardship related to extreme weather or climate impacts to organic&#x2004;farmers and ranchers.

CCOF has partnered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to administer extreme weather and climate impact grants through the CUSP.

These are reimbursement grants for expenses incurred as a result of extreme weather and climate impacts.

Extreme weather and climate impact relief funding is open to organic producers in California.\*

Grant amounts range between $5,000 to $20,000.

\*Extreme weather and climate impact grants: applications accepted from non-certified organic operations, but organic operations will be prioritized.



The Hardship Assistance Fund gives $5,000 – $20,000 direct financial disaster assistance grants for hardship related to extreme weather or climate impacts to organic farmers and ranchers.
CCOF has partnered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to administer extreme weather and climate impact grants through the CUSP.
These are reimbursement grants for expenses incurred as a result of extreme weather and climate impacts.
Extreme weather and climate impact relief funding is open to organic producers in California.*
Grant amounts range between $5,000 to $20,000.
*Extreme weather and climate impact grants: applications accepted from non-certified organic operations, but organic operations will be prioritized.

Hardship Assistance Fund applicant requirements:
- Be a certified organic operation with a valid organic certificate from any third-party USDA-accredited certifier (CDFA registration alone is not sufficient).*
- Be a small or medium scale California agricultural producer, defined by this program as any farmer making up to $400,000 or dairy operation making up to $1,000,000 in annual gross sales.
- Must be an organic farming or ranching business in California.*
- Submit a complete and detailed description of hardship endured.
- Submit supporting financial documentation of economic loss (Ex: Profit and Loss Statements).
- Grant funds cannot be used for organic certification fees.
- Submit receipts and/or verification of loss.
- Submit a final progress report six months after grant is awarded (for grant recipients only).

*Extreme weather and climate impact grants: applications accepted from non-certified organic operations, but organic operations will be prioritized.

Organic Crops

Coronavirus

Fencing

Trees

Wildfire

Drought

Flood

Hurricane

Tornado

Weather

Emergency

Disaster Relief

Timeline and Details:
- Applications must be completed online.
- Applications periods are on a quarterly basis. Granting rounds open the first Monday and close the last Friday of each quarter: January 5 – March 27, 2026; April 6 – June 26, 2026; July 6 – September 25, 2026; October 5 – December 11, 2026. Awards are granted the following quarter.
- Only fully complete applications are reviewed.
- Once applications are initiated, they should be completed by the quarterly deadline.
- Funds are provided as direct assistance.
- Grant amounts range from $5,000 – $20,000.

Examples of covered expenses can include but are not limited to: infrastructure damage/loss; equipment damage/loss; expenses associated with soil erosion/mud or water damage and/or clean-up/debris removal; purchase or rental of flood control equipment; replacement of livestock feed, fertilizer, or other farm inputs or soil inputs (including compost and cover crop); livestock mortality/beehive loss/livestock veterinary expenses or transportation/moving costs; water/soil testing; replacement of crops (trees, nursery stock, perennial plant losses) or payments to services for tree removal or replacement; crop loss/replacement for annual vegetable production, perennial crops, and cover crops due to extreme weather (flooding, extreme heat/sunburn, wildfire); labor; and land tenure.

List of California Certified Organic Farms (CCOF) Funding Opportunities