Free Consulting Services for Organic Certification from CFSA

From the Carolina Farm Stewarship Association (CFSA):

 

Please be aware that the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association is offering FREE consulting services to a limited number of farmers that are seeking USDA Organic Certification. This is open to farm operations that are serious about taking the next steps to apply whether you raise row crops, produce, livestock, medicinal herbs or other agricultural products.  

Please visit our website for program specifics: http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/organic-certification-consulting-services/

 

Be sure to see details for revised program requirements...

Not ready to commit just yet? 

Take the first steps towards future certification by asking questions now! CFSA can be a valuable resource in this process. Feel free to contact me with specific questions regarding your efforts to transition your farming operation to organic.  

See what else we offer through our Farm Service program at: http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/farm-services/

NOP Releases New Guides for Organic Certification

Written by NCAT experts, guides are part of NOP ‘Organic Literacy Initiative’

Beginning farmers and existing organic operations can find detailed information about organic certification in a series of new guides available now on the ATTRA-National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website.

The guides were written by sustainable-agriculture experts at the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in partnership with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP).

They are part of the USDA’s Organic Literacy Initiative, which was launched earlier this year. This effort has included self-paced training modules, outreach materials, and a guide to organic and organic-related USDA programs.

The initiative is focused on answering one of the main questions for farms and businesses considering organic certification: “What would I need to change in order to go organic?”

The earlier Organic Literacy Initiative materials provided an overview designed as a first step in understanding organic certification. The new guides help prospective organic operations take the next step: learning more about their specific type of organic production.

They also are helpful for current organic operations looking to adopt new management approaches and better understand NOP standards.

The four guides provide detailed information about the relevant organic requirements, provide best practices, and further explain the certification process.

• Guide to Organic Crop Producers
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=67

• Guide for Organic Livestock Producers
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=154

• Guide for Organic Processors
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=407

• Organic Certification of Farms and Businesses Producing Agricultural Products
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=152

The guides can be downloaded for free or ordered as a paper publication for a small handling fee either at the links above or on the ATTRA website at www.attra.ncat.org.
ATTRA has been the nation’s leading resource for information on sustainable agriculture since 1987. NCAT developed and maintains ATTRA through a cooperative agreement with the USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

ATTRA covers a wide range of topics, including reducing pesticide use on cropland, promoting food safety in sustainable production systems, reducing farm energy use and costs, enriching soils with the use of cover crops, and providing technical assistance in the growing areas of local farmers markets and urban gardening.


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Since 1976, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has been helping people by championing small-scale, local and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities and protect natural resources. In partnership with businesses, organizations, individuals and agricultural producers, NCAT is working to advance solutions that will ensure the next generation inherits a world that has clean air and water, energy production that is efficient and renewable, and healthy foods grown with sustainable practices. More information about its programs and services is available at www.ncat.org or by calling 1-800-ASK-NCAT.

Tighter Organic Standards Begin in 2013

Source URL: http://southwestfarmpress.com/government/tighter-organic-standards-begin-2013

Farm Press Staff
Southeast Farm Press

Tighter organic standards begin in 2013

A USDA audit that found that agencies monitoring organic food producers were not conducting periodic testing for pesticide residues has led to new rules requiring such tests on 5 percent of organic foods, the Agriculture Department announced.

In a Federal Register notice, USDA said that agencies that certify organic producers must begin testing for residues on at least 5 percent of organic farms next year. The tests, estimated to cost $500 each, would be paid for by the certifying organizations, not their clients.

Under current USDA regulations, organic food producers receive an initial inspection before being certified and allowed to use the USDA Organic Seal. But no one follows up to make sure the farms do not apply synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or other materials not permitted in organic farming operations.

The new requirement will help protect the integrity of the $30-billion-a-year organic food industry, USDA officials said. Periodic testing for prohibited residues will prevent the mislabeling of organic foods in the nation's supermarkets.

While the new USDA regulations will help, they don’t go far enough to ensure that all organic farmers are playing by the rules, according to critics who have been following the ongoing debate on the Agriculture Department’s National Organic Program or NOP.

Other 95 percent?

“The USDA recently announced plans to begin testing 5 percent of the farms and processors it certifies under its decade-old National Organic Program,” said Mischa Popoff, a former organic farm inspector. “But in the interests of keeping organic food in America as pure and as nutritious as possible, we have to ask: What about the other 95 percent?

Popoff, a policy advisor to The Heartland Institute and author of a recent book called “Is It Organic,” also questioned the timing of the testing that will be conducted under the new USDA format.

“Of the 5 percent of farms and processors the USDA plans to test, officials say they will require that some of them are subjected to pre-harvest testing. But surely it would be advisable to do mostly pre-harvest testing. After all, the benefits of organic production all occur in the field. So what better way to ensure that organic crops and livestock are indeed purer and more nutritious than to do all testing in the field?”

With the exception of genetically-modified organisms, almost everything that’s prohibited in organic production dissipates and in many cases becomes undetectable over time, Popoff notes. “So there’s little point wasting time or money testing organic crops post-harvest. In order to prevent cheating, all testing in the organic industry must occur prior to harvest.

“Whether it’s herbicides, pesticides, hormones, improperly-composted manure, or the big-money-maker: synthetic ammonium nitrate, only an unannounced inspection and field test will deter fraud and gross negligence in the multibillion dollar organic sector.”

USDA said the certifying agencies will decide which organic farms and processors will be tested. Allowing flexibility in inspections will help reduce costs.

Critics also are concerned about inspections of organic food that's imported into the United States every year, under USDA oversight, from countries like China, Mexico and Brazil. Imports account for nearly half of the organic food sold in the U.S. annually.

In-season testing

“Consider that Olympic athletes are tested before and during the games, not after. And the good news in the case of organic farming is that doing such tests in the field – 100 percent of the time instead of just 5 percent of the time – will drastically reduce a farmer’s cost of being certified, because field testing costs about one-tenth what the current system of record-keeping and record-checking costs.

While USDA officials say the cost of this new plan will be about $500 per test, a broad-spectrum herbicide analysis costs just $125, Popoff notes. “And what about testing for fecal coliforms? That costs just $16 per test, money well spent when one considers the risks inherent in improperly-composted manure.”

Popoff says Heartland does not suggest testing for everything every year. “As long as the party being inspected doesn't know what’s being tested for, a broad-spectrum herbicide analysis or a fecal coliform test, or any of a host of other inexpensive tests, would suffice to prove or disprove a farmer’s or processor’s adherence to the NOP and hopefully keep everyone honest.”

Another issue concerns the ‘royalties’ being collected by USDA-accredited certifiers. Private, for-profit companies collect 1 percent to 3 percent of a farmer’s gross revenue from each transaction they certify? Critics believe organic field testing must be carried out by independent inspectors.

USDA mulls tougher organic inspection rules

The Packer
03/23/2012

Federal officials are considering how to implement unannounced inspections of certified organic operations and beef up qualification criteria for inspectors, at the recommendation of the National Organic Standards Board.

In a March 21 memo to the NOSB, the deputy administrator of the National Organic Program, Miles McEvoy, responded to those and other recommendations the standards board made at its 2011 fourth-quarter meeting.

Recommendations for inspector qualifications are:

•A baseline pre-requisite expertise for initial organic inspectors;
•Continuing education requirements for inspectors; and
•Accreditation criteria for certifying agents to ensure adequate oversight.

McEvoy said in the memo that the NOP will use the recommendation to develop baseline criteria. He also said NOP has commissioned “additional work in this area” with the International Organic Inspectors Association.

In response to the NOSB recommendation for unannounced inspections, McEvoy said the NOP will “explore ways to implement inspection requirements to enhance organic integrity.”

The standards board had three specific recommendations regarding unannounced inspections, which the board members contend would help “uphold organic integrity” for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic certification seal.

The standards board wants mandatory unannounced inspections for at least 5% of certified operations each year. The board recommended the inspections could be random, risk-based or the result of a complaint or investigation.

The scope of unannounced inspections, as recommended by the NOSB, could be limited, with the collection of samples depending on individual situations. The NOSB recommended that an unannounced “full inspection” could serve as the annual on-site inspection for a certified operation.

The NOSB also recommended that the NOP regulate material review organizations. Currently NOP has accreditation processes for third-party organic certifiers for crops, livestock, handling and wild harvest, but not for the review of materials used in organic operations.

Members of the standards board recommend that accreditation of material review organizations include:

•A requirement that they use the NOP material classification guidance — which is still in development — to determine whether a material is synthetic or non-synthetic;
•Implementation of a quality management system with detailed review protocols and policies as required by ISO Guide 65 accreditation standards;
•Mandatory use of the NOP’s guidance for permitted generic substances, which is under development;
•A requirement that part of their financing come from manufacturers of products seeking review; and
•Adoption of the appeals process used by certifying agents.

The standards board also recommended that material review organizations be subject to compliance and enforcement actions of the NOP.

McEvoy’s memo did not indicate whether the NOP would develop an accreditation process for material review organizations. He merely said the NOP would report back to the NOSB “on how we plan to proceed with these recommendations.”

Organic Certification Cost-Share

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is providing cost share reimbursements for the costs of organic certification through September 2012. Last year they provided cost share assistance to 90 organic farmers in North Carolina for a total of $54,000. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to get cost share assistance to help cover your certification fees!

What costs qualify? Allowable expenses include application fees, inspection costs, travel costs, user fees, sales assessments and postage. Late fees, materials and supplies, equipment and transitional certifications are not eligible.

How do I apply? Submit your application and supporting documentation to NCDA&CS by September 30, 2012. You can download the forms on the NCDA&CS Organics Website.

How much am I eligible for? Payments are limited to 75% of an individual producer’s or handler/processor’s certification costs up to a maximum of $750 per certification per year. Expenses related to the certification must have been incurred between October 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012.

Contact Heather Barnes with any questions at heather.barnes@ncagr.gov.

Organic Certification Information Session June 30

From our friends at Blue Ridge Food Ventures:

Interested in information about getting your product or farm organically certified? Brad Stancil, from Clemson University will take you through what is required for certification. The training can be applied across all facets of organic certification. So anyone from a vegetable grower to an egg producer to a salsa maker can get the information they will need to become certified organic. Hope to see you there!

Clemson University's Department of Plant Industry is a USDA approved Accredited Certifying Agent. This accreditation allows DPI (Department of Plant Industry) to certify organic operations in the three major categories of certification. Those three categories are crops, livestock and processing. The USDA's NOP (National Organic Program) Accreditation also allows DPI to certify operations anywhere in the world.

When: June 30, 2011, 6 - 8 pm

Where: AB-Tech, Enka Campus. Small Business Center. 1465 Sand Hill Rd. Candler, NC 28715

For more information and to register: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1707032781

2011 EQIP Sign-Up for Organics Deadline May 20

From Southeast Farm Press:

"The USDA — NRCS is offering a second sign up for conservation assistance on certified organic farms or agricultural ventures transitioning to organic production in North Carolina through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Farmers and growers who are transitioning to organic production, or are currently certified, must sign up for EQIP before the May 20, 2011 deadline in order to be considered.

A number of conservation practices may be funded including irrigation, cover crops, crop rotations, prescribed grazing, forage harvest management, nutrient management, pest management, and seasonal high tunnels (also known as hoop — houses).

Cost-share assistance is provided based on the average cost of conservation practices implemented, and is usually between 75 and 90 percent of the practice costs.

Once again, the deadline is Friday, May 20, 2011. For more information on Organic Initiative, NRCS, and how to sign up for EQIP, please contact your local USDA Service Center or NRCS office."

USDA/NRCS Service Centers

Money Available for Organic Ag Production Conservation: Deadline March 4

Contact: Stuart A. Lee, 919.873.2107

Raleigh, NC - The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in North Carolina is currently signing-up farmers and growers who are transitioning to organic production, or are currently certified organic in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (Organic Initiative). In North Carolina, NRCS has more than $1 million in EQIP Organic Initiative financial assistance available to help farmers meet this conservation goal.

"EQIP has always been available for organic producers to treat resource concerns on their land," said NRCS Assistant State Conservationist Greg Walker, "but the 2008 farm bill allows for dedicated funds to be set aside to assist organic producers."

Farmers must sign-up for EQIP Organic Initiative by March 4th to be eligible for funds that are currently available. Though applications for general EQIP and EQIP Organic Initiative are taken continuously throughout the year, it is important that farmers contact their local NRCS field office today and apply by the March 4th deadline for available funds. If farmers interested in EQIP Organic Initiative miss the March 4th deadline, it could be next year before financial assistance is made available again for farmers in North Carolina.

A number of conservation practices may be funded through the EQIP organic ranking category, including cover crops, crop rotations, prescribed grazing, forage harvest management, nutrient management, pest management, and seasonal high tunnels better known as hoop-houses.

Under Organic Initiative contracts, producers are paid a percentage based on an average cost of the organic conservation measures they implement. Beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers are paid 90 percent. Small scale organic producers with less than $5000 in gross agricultural income are exempt from some national criteria.

Visit with NRCS staff at your local USDA Service Center today to learn more. You can find contact information for your local USDA Service Center by visiting the NRCS North Carolina website at www.nc.nrcs.usda.gov

NC Organic Production Assistance Deadline March 4, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Stuart A. Lee

Date: December 14, 2010 Phone: 919.873.2107

Raleigh, NC –North Carolina organic producers and those transitioning to organic farming have until March 4, 2011 to sign up for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the initiative. Under the EQIP Organic Initiative, approved applicants can receive up to $20,000 per year or $80,000 over six years.

A number of "core" organic conservation practices may be funded through the initiative including cover crops, conservation crop rotation, prescribed grazing, pest management and nutrient management. All conservation practices offered under "general" EQIP are also available through the EQIP Organic Initiative including but not limited to fence and watering facilities for rotational grazing, erosion control practices, field borders, etc.

Applicants who are currently certified organic will need to include their organic system plan (OSP) reviewed by a USDA accredited organic certifier when applying for financial assistance in the EQIP Organic Initiative. Applicants who are transitioning to organic will need to submit a self-certification form to the NRCS acknowledging that agree to develop and implement conservation practices for certified organic production that are consistent with an organic system plan. The self-certification form may be obtained at time of application from any NRCS Service Center.

For more information on NRCS, programs and the EQIP Organic Initiative contact your local field office or visit us on the Web at www.nc.nrcs.usda.gov.

Organic Hops Growers Score Big!

Here is some exciting news for organic hops producers from the American Hop Grower Association webpage:

"The organic hop industry scored a big win on October 28, 2010 when the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) unanimously voted in favor of removing hops from the USDA National Organic Program’s National List of Approved and Prohibited Substances (section 205.606), effective January 1, 2013. Since hops were added to the National List in 2007, the production of organic hops in the U.S. has increased substantially...."

To read the entire article click here.

You may remember my post a few weeks ago entitled:"Should Organic Beers Contain Organic Hops?". I guess the National Organic Program Standards Board believes they should!

Should Organic Beers Contain Organic Hops?

Here is an article from the Yakima Herald-Republic via the Kitsap Sun website that was forwarded to me about the struggle for organic hops producers in the Pacific-Northwest to sell their crop.
For Organic Hops Farmers in Washington, Gov. Obstacles

The difficulty lies in the National Organic Program exemptions for some non-organic ingredients that are allowed in organic products.

I'd like to hear what you think about these exemptions. Use the the comments function below.