Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce

Applicants must complete the GAP/GHP Cost-Share Reimbursement Application and W9 form, and attach a copy of the audit bill, score sheet, and documentation of the payment made (in the form of a cancelled check). Completed forms are mailed to: Mississippi Department of Agriculture, Marketing - GAP/GHP, P.O. Box 1609, Jackson, MS 39215. Funds are awarded first-come, first-serve until depleted.

Peyton Pierce

Program Specialist

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) offers a cost-share program for Mississippi farmers to provide financial assistance to cover the cost of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) certification. Funds are provided through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The&#x2004;program reimburses farmers who have successfully passed a GAP/GHP certification for 75% of the cost up to a maximum of $750 per year; farmers may submit the combined amount of the actual audit and the USDA service charge. Reimbursement is for the initial audit only, and audits must be completed by an approved USDA certifier. GAP/GHP audits verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored to minimize microbial food safety hazards. Funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until depleted.



The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) offers a cost-share program for Mississippi farmers to provide financial assistance to cover the cost of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) certification. Funds are provided through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The program reimburses farmers who have successfully passed a GAP/GHP certification for 75% of the cost up to a maximum of $750 per year; farmers may submit the combined amount of the actual audit and the USDA service charge. Reimbursement is for the initial audit only, and audits must be completed by an approved USDA certifier. GAP/GHP audits verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored to minimize microbial food safety hazards. Funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until depleted.

Applicants must be a Mississippi producer and the farm must be located within the State of Mississippi. No wholesale distribution centers may apply. Only audits for specialty crops are eligible for reimbursement; specialty crops are defined as fruit, vegetable, tree nuts, and horticulture and floriculture items.

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

Cost Share

Certified Organic

Marketing

Conservation

Research

Compliance

Public Health

Reimbursement of certification costs already paid, not an upfront grant. MDAC states the program "will reimburse farmers that have successfully passed a GAP/GHP certification for 75% of the cost up to a maximum of $750 per year; farmers can submit the combined amount of the actual audit and the USDA service charge."

What that means in practice: the farmer pays for the audit first, then recovers 75 percent of it, capped at $750 in any one year. Both the audit fee and the USDA service charge can be counted toward the reimbursable total. "Reimbursement is for the initial audit only" — re-audits and renewals are not covered — and "audits must be completed by an approved USDA certifier."

Money is not guaranteed on eligibility alone: "Funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until the funds are depleted." Funding passes through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, so only specialty-crop audits qualify (fruit, vegetable, tree nuts, horticulture and floriculture items).

No match beyond the farmer's own 25 percent share, no application fee, and no contract term are published.

Submit the National Organic Cost-Share Application with proof of certification, an itemized invoice of certification costs, an IRS W-9, and documentation of payment, by mail to MDAC Marketing - Organic Cost-Share, P.O. Box 1609, Jackson, MS 39215.

Susan Lawrence

MDAC-administered National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program (OCCSP) reimbursing Mississippi organic producers and handlers 75% of USDA organic certification costs, up to $750 per certification scope (crops, wild crops, livestock, handling/processing). One reimbursement per operation per year; first-come, first-served until funds are depleted. NOTE: the MDAC page currently documents only the FY2024 cycle (reimbursement period Oct 1, 2023-Sept 30, 2024; application deadline Oct 31, 2024) and states funding 'through fiscal year 2024'; the next cycle is not yet posted -> confirm current-year funding before applying.



Organic producers and handlers located in Mississippi receiving certification or continuation of certification from a USDA-accredited certifying agent.

Certification

Reimbursement of 75 percent of USDA organic certification costs, capped at $750 per certification scope. MDAC: "Individual organic operators are eligible for reimbursement of 75 percent of their 2024 (October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024) certification costs up to a maximum of $750 per certification." The recognized scopes are crops, wild crops, livestock and handling (i.e. processing), so an operation certified in more than one scope can claim up to $750 for each. Operations may receive one reimbursement per year, and funds are first-come, first-served until depleted. No match is required, but this is paid after the fact — you must submit proof of certification from a USDA-accredited certifying agent, a reimbursement form, an itemized invoice for certification-related expenses, an IRS W-9, and documentation of the payment you made.

Caveat: MDAC's page still documents only the FY2024 cycle and states funding "will be through fiscal year 2024," so confirm the current-year rate and cap with MDAC (Susan Lawrence, 601-213-7542) before applying.

The FY2026 application deadline was April 1, 2026, and that round has closed. Submit a completed application packet to MDAC per the annual RFP when the next cycle opens. Recurs annually.

Michael Lasseter

USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program administered by MDAC; competitive grants that solely enhance the competitiveness of Mississippi specialty crops. Authorized by the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 and the 2018 Farm Bill; state departments of agriculture award the funds. Recurring annual cycle: the FY2026 application deadline was 5:00 p.m. CST on April 1, 2026, and MDAC now lists the FY2026 RFP as a reference.



Mississippi non-federal entities and individuals proposing projects that enhance specialty-crop competitiveness.

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

Grant

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Farmers Market

Trials

Trade Relief

Food Systems

No per-project award ceiling or floor is published. The FY2026 MDAC Request for Proposals states no maximum or minimum grant request. The statewide allocation was also unknown at publication: "Each state submitting an application that is approved by USDA will receive an estimated base plus an additional amount based on the most recent available value of specialty crop cash receipts in the state. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is awaiting the estimated funding allocation for FY2026." The RFP carries a disclaimer that "USDA has not yet announced funding availability" and that MDAC "is under no obligation to fund project applications."

Match: none required. "The SCBGP does not have a Federal cost-sharing or matching requirement." An applicant may volunteer cost share, but then must document the source and valuation.

Budget caps within an award: "Requests for personnel/fringe cannot exceed 30% of the total budget." Travel is limited to federal per-diem rates and "a maximum of two travelers per trip." Contractor/consultant hourly rates above a GS-15 step 10 federal salary require written justification.

Project period: "Specialty crop block grant funds will be made available around September 30, 2026. Funded projects must be completed by September 29, 2028" — roughly a two-year performance window.

Supplanting is barred: grant funds must add to, not replace, funds already committed to specialty crops.

List of Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Funding Opportunities