National Organic Program

1
National Organic Program

• Organic Foods Production Act passed in 1990
• Final NOP Rule enacted into law Dec. 2001
• NOP became fully effective Oct, 2002
• www.ams.usda.gov/nop

2
Exemptions

• Annual gross income from organic sales 5000 or
  less
• Retail food establishments that do not process
• Handle only products that contain less than 50
  organic ingredients (unless handler produces
  also)
• Handle products that contain at least 50 organic
  ingredients but choose not to use term Organic"
• Handler receives only products in final package

3
Organic Certifiers Based in Ohio

• Ohio Ecological Food Farm Association (OEFFA)
  419-853-4060
• OCIA Chapter 1 419-853-4060
• OCIA Chapter 2 740-499-3672
• Global Organic Alliance 937-593-1232

4
Annual Certification Process

• Obtain Certification Packet
• Organic Standards
• Application Form
• Approved Products
• Submit Application Form
• Application reviewed for completeness
• On-site Inspection
• Certification Committee Review
• Notification of Decision
• Approval
• Conditional Approval
• Denial (right of appeal)

5
Basic Crop Requirements

• No prohibited substances for 3 years
• Distinct, defined boundaries buffer zones
• Soil improvement, minimize erosion, prevent
  contamination of soil or water
• Manage crop nutrients fertility. May include
• Crop rotation, cover crops, plant animal
  materials, mined minerals.
• Organic seeds or, if unavailable, untreated,
  non-organic seeds (edible sprouts must be
  organic)
• Manage pests, weeds disease
• No GMO crops or products
• No sewage sludge

6
Basic Livestock Requirements

• Raised organically from last third of gestation
  (or 2nd day from hatching)
• 100 organic feed (12 months for dairy
  conversion)
• 80 Organic feed first 9 months
• 100 Organic feed last 3 months
• Space to exercise, freedom of movement, reduce
  stress, dry bedding
• Acess to outdoors, fresh air, shade, direct
  sunlight, shelter pasture for ruminants
• No excessive feed supplements/additives
• No feeding of manure, urea or plastic pellets
• No mammalian or poultry slaughter by-products in
  feed
• No antibiotics
• No growth hormones
• No withholding of treatment

7
Records Required for Certification

• Four-year field history including
• Crops grown, pasture, fallow
• Inputs (anything used on the land or the crops)
• Prior land use affidavit if needed
• Production records including
• Source quantities of seeds inputs
• Dates of planting, tilling, input application,
  harvest, yields
• Equipment clean-out for custom field work
• Problems - weeds, insects, weather
• Storage records including
• Amount harvested date
• Quantity put in bin/cooler/freezer (with plot or
  field number) by date
• Quantity taken from storage by date disposition
• Truck clean-out
• Sales records including
• Amount sold by date purchaser
• Any non-organic crops sold
• Any organic products purchased for re-sale by
  grower, date, quantity
• Disposition of buffer harvests

8
Fees

• OEFFA Farm Certification Fee - 550.00
• OEFFA Livestock Certification Fee - 50
• OEFFA Farm Handler Fee - 50

9
Organic Seals