This document summarizes the result from a farmer survey conducted in North Carolina and South Carolina as part of the Southeast Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) funded by USDA-AMS. The purpose of this survey is to understand production, market, and regulatory barriers farmers face to organic certification. This survey also aims to understand which USDA programs farmers engage with and their perceptions of those programs. While not representative of all farms across the two states, the results from this survey will be used to prioritize future educational and research needs. The results from this survey will be shared with regional partners and the program funder.
Report Prepared By:
Center for Environmental Farming Systems and NC State Extension; USDA Organic, SouthEast Region Transition to Organic Partnership Program (SE TOPP), Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Organic Growers School, Central Carolina Community College, NC A&T State Extension, Florida Organic Growers, Georgia Organic Growers, and Clemson University’s Organic Certification Program (CU).
NC State University promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment based upon one’s race; color; religion (including belief and non-belief); sex, including but not limited to pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical condition, parenting, and sexual harassment; sexual orientation; actual or perceived gender identity; age; national origin; disability; veteran status; or genetic information.
The Southeast Transition to Organic Partnership Program 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).
