This webinar will briefly discuss the process of organic certification including the on-farm inspection. The presenter will describe key issues and concerns that are examined in the inspection and review process. The presentation will include a discussion of common mistakes and anecdotal stories to highlight certifier concerns. Certification requirements related to conservation, such as erosion,… Continue reading Insights from an Organic Certifier
Resources Category: Biodiversity and Conservation
Discover strategies to enhance biodiversity and conservation on organic farms. Learn how to promote ecological balance and protect natural resources during your transition to organic agriculture.
Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms and Ranches
Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms and Ranches outlines the new challenges that changing weather patterns pose in agriculture throughout the United States, and what you can do to make your farm more resilient. By understanding the climate risks to your production system and practices that can reduce those risks, you can identify some management steps… Continue reading Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms and Ranches
Water Quality in Organic Production
Fact sheet on water quality management in organic production.
Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects
This 16-page bulletin will help you use cover crops to encourage populations of pollinators and beneficial insects on your farm while you address your other resource concerns. It begins with a broad overview of pollinator and beneficial insect ecology, then describes cover crop selection and management, how to make cover crops work on your farm,… Continue reading Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects
Natural Resource and Biodiversity Conservation
Fact sheet on USDA organic regulations for natural resource and biodiversity conservation.
Pollinator Plantings in Organic Pastures
This webinar investigates how organic pasture systems have the potential to do much more than just feed livestock. If managed properly, pastures and rangeland can include many forbs (herbaceous flowering plant) – from forage legumes to wildflowers – that provide nutrients for livestock, pollen and nectar for honey bees, native bees and other pollinators, and… Continue reading Pollinator Plantings in Organic Pastures
NOP 5020 Guidance on Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation
USDA’s National Organic Program guidance on biodiveristy and conservation for organic production and certification.
An Organic Farmer’s and Certifier’s Guide to Biodiversity Conservation
The Guide clarifies the National Organic Program’s (NOP) new Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation Guidance (released January 2016). The Guide will also increase organic farmers’ and certifiers’ understanding of the myriad of benefits provided by biodiversity conservation.
Conservation Buffers in Organic Systems
The purpose of this document is to provide guidance in installing practices for use as buffers in organic production systems in order to meet the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. Conservation buffers are generally strips of vegetation placed in the landscape to influence ecological processes and provide a variety of services.
Conservation Buffers in Organic Systems: Idaho Implementation Guide
The purpose of this document is to provide guidance in installing practices for use as buffers in organic production systems in order to meet the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. Conservation buffers are generally strips of vegetation placed in the landscape to influence ecological processes and provide a variety of services.