An official website of the State of Maryland.

Maryland.gov Translate

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Maryland Department of Agriculture

Apply for Organic Certification

Organic Certification with MDA

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is a USDA-accredited certifying agent for farms located in Maryland.

MDA certifies farm operations to the USDA organic regulations under the following scopes:

  • Crops
  • Livestock
  • Wild Crops
  • Handling/Processing (small scale, on-farm processing/handling only. MDA does not certify individual handling/processing facilities)

Before Applying for Certification

Review NOP standards

The first step for any operator interested in organic certification is to become familiar with the USDA organic regulations, which outline the requirements of a certified operation. Additional information regarding the requirements for certification can be found on the USDA National Organic Program website.

Develop an Organic System Plan (OSP)

New applicants for organic certification must develop an Organic System Plan (OSP) that outlines how the operation will comply with the USDA organic regulations. OSP template forms are part of MDA's application for organic certification. MDA recommends that you apply for organic certification no earlier than 3-6 months before your land completes its 3 year transition 

Organic Certification Process

This is the basic application and certification process for a farm:

  1. Submit an application and $500 certification fee to MDA. The application will include the farm's written organic system plan (OSP) for the type of operation being certified.
  2. MDA reviews the application to determine if the OSP appears to be in compliance with the USDA organic regulations.
  3. If the OSP appears to be in compliance with the organic regulations, MDA will contact the applicant to schedule an on-site inspection. The on-site inspection will evaluate the implementation of the OSP and the operation's compliance with the organic regulations. 
  4. MDA reviews the inspection report to determine if the operation is in compliance with the USDA organic regulations.
  5. MDA issues an organic certificate to applicants that have met all the requirements.
The Organic Certification Process

Apply for Organic Certification

Use the link below to access MDA's organic certification application packet. 

Apply on Maryland OneStop

Producers Who Qualify for Exemption

Producers who gross $5,000 or less in organic agricultural sales annually are exempt from organic certification. Exempt operations must operate in accordance with all NOP regulations, including recordkeeping requirements.

MDA has created an optional registered organic exempt program. Producers who qualify and submit the required forms and fees ($30 annually) will be listed as a registered organic exempt operation on MDA's website. Producers who wish to register exempt with MDA should submit an Organic Exempt Application - PDF - 349.7 KB and associated fees.

Exempt registrations must be updated annually to maintain listing on MDA's website.