Resources Category: Organic Certification

Find detailed information on the organic certification process. Understand the requirements, documentation, and steps needed to achieve certified organic status for your farm or products.

Transitioning to Organic Profiles

The publication highlights organic opportunities and offers strategies to address the unique challenges that transitioning producers face. It features livestock, crop, and vegetable producers who were in the process of transitioning or were recently certified organic between 2012 and 2015. The producers’ profiles highlight their motivations to transition, significant challenges encountered, and the outcomes they… Continue reading Transitioning to Organic Profiles

DOCUMENTATION FORMS FOR ORGANIC CROP AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS

There are three types of documentation that enable accredited certifying agents (certifiers) to verify a producer’s compliance with the National Organic Program (NOP) Regulations: a) The producer’s records of farm/livestock operation activities b) The Organic System Plan (OSP) c) Audit trail documents (e.g., purchase invoices, organic certificates, contracted custom application or harvest records, soil test… Continue reading DOCUMENTATION FORMS FOR ORGANIC CROP AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS

Investing in Organic Production: Economics of Transition

Transitioning to organic requires upfront investments in soil building and organic weed management. Organic price premiums may cover some of these initial expenditures, but the returns on these investments are typically delayed until the end of the three-year transition period. This webinar explores the economics of transitioning to organic and report on strategies that are… Continue reading Investing in Organic Production: Economics of Transition

Breaking New Ground: Farmer Perspective on Organic Transition

Breaking New Ground: Farmer Perspectives on Organic Transition, a joint report released by Oregon Tilth and Oregon State University’s Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems, highlights key recommendations for organizations and agencies that can provide support in crop research, infrastructure and market development as well as shaping public policies for transition to organic… Continue reading Breaking New Ground: Farmer Perspective on Organic Transition

Quick Start Guide: Transition Your Farm Operation to Organic

Need a quick reference guide for how to get started with transitioning to organic? Oregon Tilth’s condensed Quick Start Guide series is designed to answer your big questions quickly, give examples, and point to helpful tools to get started.

Audit Trail: A Sample Documentation Process

One of the core practices of your certified organic operation is developing good quality record-keeping and documentation (commonly referred to as an “audit trail”). Use this tool as an example when developing the documentation process for your operation.

Recordkeeping for Organics: Tips, Tricks, and Questions Answered

This webinar video helps producers understand what records are required to apply for organic certification. We also share “sound and sensible” recordkeeping practices that producers can implement to demonstrate organic compliance to inspectors and certifiers.