The Washington State Department of Agriculture will stop certifying organic dairies and other livestock operations, saying there aren’t enough producers to support the service.

The department’s organic program manager, Brenda Book, informed producers of the department’s decision in an email Feb. 3. The department certifies 886 organic farms, but only 41 have livestock, according to Book.

Producers have until March 15 to find another organization to certify that their operations meet USDA standards. Book recommended Oregon Tilth, based in Corvallis.

Producers who have not been certified by a new agency by July 15 may lose USDA certification, according to Book.

Rochester, Wash., organic dairy farmer Eric Johnson said Monday he had no warning from the department. “We got blindsided by it,” he said.

Agriculture department spokesman Hector Castro said Tuesday the department decided to end the program rather than try to fill a vacancy. The program was losing money, and Oregon Tilth was ready to provide the service, he said.

Application, inspection and renewal fees support the department’s organic certification program. The department collected less than $121,000 from organic livestock producers in 2021, according to Book.

It was, according to Book, “less than one-third of the cost for the minimum staff needed to meet accreditation requirements.”

To pay, equip and train an organic livestock inspector costs $100,682 year, according to Book. “At a minimum, four trained livestock specialists are needed to provide ruminant certification services,” she wrote.

Book said fees would have to be raised at least 100% to support the program.

“We believe that such a significant increase in fees would be cost prohibitive for the affected businesses,” she wrote.