Much of the financial support for organic agriculture finds its way through USDA programs with federal funding. Fastmarkets – The Jacobsen has highlighted in recent commentary USDA funding opportunities ranging from organic fertilizer production to organic cost share transition.

USDA has also developed funding specifically for organic dairies, like the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). ODMAP funds organic dairies for 2023 marketing costs based on 2022 production figures. The agency just provided another $5 million in late September after distributing $15 million already this year.

Dairy production has consolidated geographically in California, Wisconsin, Idaho, New York, and Texas. Traditional dairy states like Vermont, where dairies once numbered in the thousands, have seen them decline steeply, even while milk volume holds steady. In 1969 the state had 4,000 dairies. In 2021, the state counted fewer than 600.

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