a quick overview of what it means and what it takes to be organic presented by george kuepper kerr...
TRANSCRIPT
A Quick Overview of What It Means and What It Takes to
be Organic
Organic Certification …
and Not
Presented by George KuepperKerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Who Must Be Certified?Any producer or
handler who markets more than $5000 of organic product annually MUST be certified
Producers selling less than $5000 of organic products annually are exempt from certification, though they may still opt to be certified.
Exempt producers may sell their organic produce as “organic” but have several restrictions.
Exempt Organic Growers must follow
the same Regulations as
Certified Organic Growers!!!!!!
What Does It Mean to Be Organic?…
Today?
Organic Practices Prohibited Substances
FertilizersPesticides Land Requirement
Food SafetyIntegrity
ContaminationCommingling
Seeds & Planting StockMarketing
What It Means to Be Organic:
Organic Practices Prohibited Substances
FertilizersPesticides Land Requirement
Food SafetyIntegrity
ContaminationCommingling
Seeds & Planting StockMarketing
What It Means to Be Organic:
There are Two Fundamental Strategies for Crop Nutrition:
• Feeding the Plant, Directly, with Soluble Nutrients—the Conventional Approach
• Feeding the Soil Food Web, and Allowing it To Feed The Plant—the Organic Approach
Diverse crop rotations including sod crops, cover crops, green manures, and inoculated legumes
Crop residue management
Application of livestock manures & composts
Liming and use of other natural rock minerals
Mulching with organic materials
Practices that Feed the Soil
Timed planting
Pest barriers and traps
Tillage, cultivation, and hand-weeding
Release of beneficial insects
Sanitation protocols
Grazing and mowing
Organic Cultural Practices
Botanicals (pyrethrum, garlic)
Minerals (coppers, sulfur, DE, baking soda)
Biologicals (B. bassiana, B. thuringiensis)
Soaps (insecticidal soap, herbicidal soap)
Oils (vegetable, narrow-range distilled dormant)
Allowed Pesticides
Organic PracticesProhibited
Substances FertilizersPesticidesLand Requirement
Food Safety Seeds & Planting
StockIntegrity
ContaminationCommingling
Marketing
What It Means to Be Organic:
3-Year Transition for Conventionally-Farmed Land
Rule of Thumb #1
If it is natural (nonsynthetic), assume that it is ALLOWED in organic crop production UNLESS it is specifically prohibited and placed on the National List under §205.602
All synthetic products (fertilizers, amendments, pesticides, growth regulators, etc.) are PROHIBITED, UNLESS specifically allowed and placed on the National List under §205.601
Rule of Thumb #2
Fertilizers & Soil Amendments: See p. 6
Pesticides: See p. 9
Organic PracticesProhibited
SubstancesFertilizersPesticidesLand Requirement
Food Safety Seeds & Planting
StockIntegrity
ContaminationCommingling
Marketing
What It Means to Be Organic:
Food Safety & Manure Management
• Livestock Manure Must either be composted*, applied according to the 90- and 120-day rules, or used on non-food crops.
• Biosolids (Sewage Sludge) is a prohibited substance.• Regulations regarding composting are specific for C/N ratios,
temperatures, turning, etc.
Organic PracticesProhibited
SubstancesFertilizersPesticidesLand Requirement
Food SafetySeeds & Planting
Stock Integrity
ContaminationCommingling
Marketing
What It Means to Be Organic:
Seed And Planting Stock
Organic seed and planting stock must be used
If not commercially available, untreated seed or planting stock may be used; no GMOs
Conventional seed treatments are prohibited, unless required by Federal or State regulations
Organic transplants must be used
Don’t Confuse Hybrids w/GMOs!Crop Hybrids result from
crossing plants using traditional breeding methods that mimic natural processes. Organic hybrids of many crops are found in seed catalogs.
Genetically Modified Organisms result from recombinant DNA and related technologies that change organisms by means not possible under natural conditions, e.g. inserting fish or animal genes into plants.
The 3-Source CustomAOSCA Organic Seed Finder*http://www.organicseedfinder.org/
* Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies
Finding Organic Seed
Organic PracticesProhibited
SubstancesFertilizersPesticidesLand Requirement
Food SafetySeeds & Planting
StockIntegrity
ContaminationCommingling
Marketing
What It Means to Be Organic:
Ensuring Organic Integrity
Graphic from Four Winds Farm, River Falls, Wisconsin
An Ideal Field Buffer
Horizontal
Ver
tica
l10
Organic PracticesProhibited
SubstancesFertilizersPesticidesLand Requirement
Food SafetySeeds & Planting
StockIntegrity
ContaminationCommingling
Marketing
What It Means to Be Organic:
MarketingDo not sell anything as organic if it’s
not…
Do not say it’s certified if it’s not…
You may display the USDA Organic Seal only if you’re certified.
Small Scale Organics is a guide for exempt organic farms (<$5000 annual sales) and those in the marketplace that interact with these small growers, such as farmers market managers and produce buyers.
This 34-page guide includes details for assessing compliance with the National Organic Standard, templates for abbreviatedOrganic System Plans (OSPs), and simplified record forms.
Copies can be downloaded free-of-charge at:http://www.kerrcenter.com/publications/small-scale-organics.pdf
Print copies can be requested from:
The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
P.O. Box 588Poteau, OK 74953Tel: 918-647-9123
DO I NEED BE ORGANIC?
Steps to Certification
What Is Organic Certification?/How Do I Get Certified Organic? http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004346
National Organic Program
National Organic Program 1400 Independence Ave., SW
Room 2646-South, STOP 0268 Washington, DC 20250
Tel: (202) 720-3252Fax: (202) 205-7808
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/
Resources for CertificationGuidebook for Organic Certificationhttp://mosesorganic.org/publications/guidebook-for-certification/
How to Choose An Organic Certification Agency & the Organic Certification Processhttp://mosesorganic.org/wp-content/uploads/Publications/Fact_Sheets/07CertificationAgencyprocess.pdf
MOSESPO Box 339
Spring Valley, WI 54767 715-778-5775
ResourcesAvailable on the ATTRA Web site* www.attra.ncat.org
Guide for Organic Crop Producers
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=67
* Note that many ATTRA publications are no longer free-of-charge. There is a small charge for some PDF downloads and for print publications.
ResourcesAvailable on the ATTRA Web site* www.attra.ncat.org
• Organic Farm Certification and the NOP• The Organic Certification Process• Organic Materials Compliance• Documentation Forms• Preparing for an Organic Inspection
* Note that many ATTRA publications are no longer free-of-charge. There is a small charge for some PDF downloads and for print publications.
Thanksfor your
attention!
George KuepperThe Kerr Center
P.O. Box 588Poteau, OK 74953
[email protected]://www.kerrcenter.com/