Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Partnership For Organic Transition
A coalition of organizations providing technical assistance and wrap-around support for transitioning and existing organic farmers.
Are you interested or in the process of transitioning your farm to be certified organic and want support from experienced farmers? Or do you have experience with the certification process and would like to help others succeed in their own organic certification journey? Learn more about the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Partnership for Organic Transition.
Kitchen Table Consultants and Taste Profit Marketing are proud to work with PCO, which is leading the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region’s program development for transitioning land to USDA-certified organic production.
Farmers face technical, ecological, cultural, and market shifts during the transition period and the first few years of organic certification. The work of TOPP will serve to support farmers through this time and prepare them for what comes next. TOPP is a nationwide effort to bring together stakeholders in support of transitioning more operations to organic production and practices.
This Regional Partnership serves producers in Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
PCO is continuously recruiting farmer mentors and transitioning producers for the mentorship program! Mentors receive an annual stipend and mentees receive free mentorship with a 12-month commitment.
You may be a fit for the program if the following sounds like you:
Mentor Qualifications
Mentee Qualifications
- Passionate about organic production and interested in sharing their expertise with others.
- At least 3 years’ direct experience with organic certification (Note that you do not have to currently be working on a certified organic farm)
- Strong understanding of organic standards, challenges, and benefits of organic production and becoming certified organic.
See full list of responsibilities, qualifications, and benefits of becoming a TOPP mentor here.
- At least 2 years’ experience owning or operating a farm.
- Must have existing farming operations or be employees or managers who are at least one of the following:
- Planning to transition an existing operation to organic.
- In the process of transitioning an operation to organic.
- Adding new organic acreage.
- Adding new scopes of organic certification.
- Starting a new certified organic operation.
See full list of responsibilities, qualifications, and benefits of becoming a TOPP mentee here.
About PCO
Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) is a USDA-accredited organic certifying agency that educates and certifies growers, processors and handlers of organic crops, wild crops, livestock and livestock products in the contiguous United States. PCO is also proud to be an accredited certifying agent for OPT Certified Grass-Fed Organic Certification, which is a separate program that builds upon the organic standards.
About TOPP
The Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Partnership for Organic Transition is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).
If you are interested in the program but not in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region, click here to learn more about TOPP partner organizations in your area.