The article covers a few common mistakes that the NOFA/Mass Organic Certification Technical Assistance Provider often sees on first-time applications for organic certification.
Resources Category: Organic Crop Certification
Bite by Bite: Organic Certification Made Simple
In this multi-part video series, farmers discuss their firsthand experiences with obtaining organic certification—and why they decided to pursue it. Small video segments show viewers how the USDA organic regulations translate to practices on the ground by following a direct market farmer on his journey through the organic certification process. The video also provides a… Continue reading Bite by Bite: Organic Certification Made Simple
Organic Sound and Sensible Resources: Understanding the Rules, Certification, and Inspections
USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) has put together a resource hub of guides, videos, and other tools that help farms and businesses understand the USDA organic standards, certification process, and inspections in more depth. In this hub of resources is the Sound and Sensible resources, a series of short videos that help to explain the… Continue reading Organic Sound and Sensible Resources: Understanding the Rules, Certification, and Inspections
Evaluating Organic Transitions at the Field Level
This publication provides information on making plans to transition to organic crop production. It helps outline the need for a transition crop plan, the importance of individual crop budgets, and evaluating results.
Making the Transition from Conventional to Organic
Farming organically allows producers to incur many economic and social advantages compared to farming conventionally. Understanding and planning the economic returns of the transition process can aid the producer in planning and in becoming organically certified.
Iowa State University Extension Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture
Detailed information on organic agriculture including history, legalities and logistics, labeling, marketing, and pest and weed management. Includes two field examples on organic soybean and apple production.
National Organic Farming Handbook
The USDA National Organic Farming Handbook
Recordkeeping Case Study: Documenting Material Records
With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program, Oregon Tilth developed a series of farmer-to-farmer case studies on best practices in recordkeeping. The records of a certified organic farm’s operations and activities demonstrate where promise and practice meet for an inspector and certifier. An annual mandatory inspection examines the… Continue reading Recordkeeping Case Study: Documenting Material Records
Guide for Organic Crop Producers
New farmers, and farmers experienced in conventional agriculture, often find that obtaining organic certification for their crops is quite challenging. This guide is intended to help lead farmers through the organic certification process. Chapters 1 through 4 explain the National Organic Program (NOP) and describe the process of organic certification. Later chapters explain specific USDA… Continue reading Guide for Organic Crop Producers