Farming Industry Regulations for Organic Produce Cultivation
In the United States, the process of obtaining organic certification ensures that farmers, processors, and retailers maintain the highest standards of organic production. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to navigate this process.
Choosing a Certifying Agency
The first step in obtaining organic certification is to select a certifying agent accredited by the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP). This agency will oversee your certification, application review, inspections, and issuance of the organic certificate.
Contact details for some certifying agencies include:
- Dan Ruesink at OCIA Michigan, 517-400-3764, [email protected]
- Pat Graham at OCIA Michigan Chapter, 989-433-0197, [email protected]
- T. Lye Ferderber at OCIA Pennsylvania, 724-898-2263, [email protected]
- Karen Kinstetter at OCIA Illinois and Northeast Wisconsin, 920-388-4369, [email protected]
- Leslie Zuck at Certified Organic, 814-364-1344, [email protected]
- Cissy Bowman at Indiana Certified Organic, 317-539-4317, [email protected]
- Betty Kananen at Global Organic Alliance, 937-593-1123, [email protected]
Eligibility and Application
Ensure your farm or operation meets the eligibility criteria, such as having land free from prohibited substances for a transition period (usually 3 years for crops), and adhering to organic practices like no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Submit an initial application along with detailed information about your practices, land use, and organic system plan (OSP) to the chosen certifier. Pay any applicable fees.
Documentation Review
The certifying agent reviews your application and supporting documentation, checking that your practices comply with USDA organic regulations, including inputs, crop rotation, and facility conditions.
On-site Inspection
An inspector visits the farm or processing facility to verify compliance by reviewing records, inspecting production areas, and interviewing personnel to verify adherence to the organic system plan.
Certification Decision
The certifying agency reviews the inspector’s report and your documentation before making a certification decision. If approved, you receive an organic certificate and can use the USDA Organic seal.
Maintaining Certification
To maintain certification, your operation must undergo annual updates to your organic system plan, keep detailed and accurate records of farming or processing activities, and submit to annual inspections to ensure ongoing compliance.
Record-keeping Requirements
Maintaining complete records is an essential part of obtaining and keeping organic certification. Records must be adapted to the particular business, fully disclose all activities and transactions, be maintained for not less than five years beyond their creation, and be sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the Act and the regulations.
The NOP website includes a copy of the national organic standards, information about the certification process, and a complete list of domestic and international certifying organizations. The ATTRA Publication provides documentation forms for organic crop and livestock producers: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/documentation-forms-for-organic-crop-and-livestock-producers
If you market less than $5,000 annually, you will not need to obtain certification, but you must still follow the federal standards for organic production and handling.
The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is a nonprofit organization that specializes in the review of substances for use in organic production, processing, and handling.
This process ensures consumer trust in the organic label. By October 2002, all organic farmers, processors, handlers, and certifiers had to be in full compliance with the regulation.
- Maintaining a home-and-garden where organic practices are implemented can start with adopting the organic standards for farming, such as avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and following the right record-keeping procedures to demonstrate compliance.
- The transition to organic farming might involve ensuring soil and crops are free from prohibited substances for a transition period, usually three years for crops, before applying for organic certification from a USDA-accredited agency like OCIA Michigan or Certified Organic.
- Besides growing organic crops, livestock farmers can also promote an organic lifestyle by choosing certified feed sources and following organic practices to ensure the welfare of their animals, such as maintaining clean living conditions, providing access to the outdoors, and avoiding the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
