Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools

Connect with CROPP through the Farmer Hotline at 1-888-809-9297 or farmerhotline@organicvalley.coop; see https://www.farmers.coop/farm-with-us/.

Deadline text on the page: No deadline published; contact the Farmer Hotline.

Farmer Hotline

CROPP Cooperative (Organic Valley) pays dairy farms that are transitioning to certified organic a per-hundredweight premium during the final 12 months of transition, to help with the extra costs. The premium rate depends on whether the farm commits to two or three years of co-op membership. Farms must ultimately be certified organic by a USDA-accredited certifier to ship to the co-op.



- Dairy farms in their final 12 months of transition to organic
- Commit to a minimum of two or three years of membership with CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley
- Every member farm must be organically certified (NOP) before selling as organic

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Paid per hundredweight of milk during the last 12 months of transition; rate tied to a 2- or 3-year membership commitment. Members also make an equity investment equal to 5.5% of the farm's base annual income from products sold to the co-op (payment options available).

Published amounts: The premium paid per hundredweight is based on the transitioning farm committing to a minimum of two or three years of membership with the cooperative.

Non-profit organizations and academic/research institutions are eligible to submit a letter of interest (LOI) via  FAFO's online grant portal. LOIs will be reviewed and responded to within two weeks. If an LOI is approved, an organization will be invited to submit a full application.

Shannon Suddeth

Farmers Advocating for Organic (FAFO) began with the 2002 Farm Bill, which included an exemption for organic farmers from contributing&#x2004;to national promotion programs like “Got Milk?” In response, Organic Valley devised a way for farmers to pool their exemptions into an organic-focused granting fund as a way to promote and advance organic farming.

FAFO is a grant program funded entirely by annual, voluntary contributions from Organic Valley farmers. It's the largest farmer-funded grant program in the U.S. and one of the few focused solely on organic.

The fund provides a way for Organic Valley farmers to address the long-term needs of the organic marketplace and the future of organic agriculture by supporting the development of long-term solutions. Through combining resources, Organic Valley farmers are able to invest in projects that affect the livelihoods of organic farmers across the country.

Within this context, FAFO is currently prioritizing projects that focus on:

- Projects that benefit family farmers who produce organic dairy, eggs, meat, produce, and grain/forage

- Projects that focus on organic soil health and biology

- Projects that strengthen CROPP Cooperative (internal)



Farmers Advocating for Organic (FAFO) began with the 2002 Farm Bill, which included an exemption for organic farmers from contributing to national promotion programs like “Got Milk?” In response, Organic Valley devised a way for farmers to pool their exemptions into an organic-focused granting fund as a way to promote and advance organic farming.
FAFO is a grant program funded entirely by annual, voluntary contributions from Organic Valley farmers. It's the largest farmer-funded grant program in the U.S. and one of the few focused solely on organic.
The fund provides a way for Organic Valley farmers to address the long-term needs of the organic marketplace and the future of organic agriculture by supporting the development of long-term solutions. Through combining resources, Organic Valley farmers are able to invest in projects that affect the livelihoods of organic farmers across the country.
Within this context, FAFO is currently prioritizing projects that focus on:
- Projects that benefit family farmers who produce organic dairy, eggs, meat, produce, and grain/forage
- Projects that focus on organic soil health and biology
- Projects that strengthen CROPP Cooperative (internal)

Check if your organization and project meet the following criteria before applying:
- Non-profit or academic/research institution
- Advances FAFO’s mission of protecting and promoting the organic industry or the livelihood of organic farmers (with an explicit focus on organic)
- Category of research, education, or advocacy
- Aligned with FAFO’s strategic priorities (optional, but projects meeting this criteria will be prioritized)
- Organization's impact reaches beyond local community 
- One-time grant requested in the amount of $5,000-$50,000, corresponding to scope and impact of project
- Administrative overhead does not exceed 5% of amount requested


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

Grant

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Certified Organic

Trade Relief

Certification

Marketing

Conservation

Research

Compliance

One-time grants are awarded in the amounts of $5,000-$50,000, with an average grant award of $20,000 and the size of the award corresponding to the scope and impact of the project. Grants exceeding $50,000 and multi-year grants are considered under extraordinary circumstances by invitation only.

List of Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools Funding Opportunities