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Organic Resource Manual
A reference book of Organic Resources for Arkansas
Organic Resource Manual
Compiled and Edited by Kristen J. Harper, Graduate student, Horticulture Contributors Dr. Curt Rom, Professor of Horticulture, University of Arkansas Dr. David Hensley, Professor and Extension Horticulturalist, University of Arkansas Dr. M. Elena Garcia, Extension Specialist—Fruits, University of Arkansas Dr. Jefferson Miller, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Communications, University of Arkansas Dr. George Wardlow, Professor of Agricultural and Extension Education, University of Arkansas
Last Revised: May 2006
Welcome to the organic resource manual. This manual was compiled to create a userfriendly directory of organic resources located in or around Arkansas. The directory provides National Organic Program information and identifies resource groups, certification agencies, buyers, publications, consultants, etc., that Extension personnel and organic producers in Arkansas may find helpful.
The information in this manual was accumulated from direct observation, scientific literature, and anecdotes from others. Please be aware that while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, some information may become outdated or incorrect. Periodic updates of the manual will be conducted as necessary. This manual was adapted from other organic resource manuals currently available in other regions of the country such as the Mid-West Organic Sustainable Education Service and Iowa State Extension Service. Special thanks go to Heather Friedrich, University of Arkansas Horticulture Technician.
Table of Contents
I. National Organic Program (NOP) Information
A. Definitions B. National Organic Program Certification C. Production and Handling Requirements D. National List E. Labeling and Marketing Information D. Organic Rules of Thumb 5 20 28 42 54 56
Organic Certification
A. Certification Agencies B. Consultants 59 60
Resource Groups
A. Policy and Government B. State Agencies C. University Programs & Websites D. National Organizations E. Working Groups/Farmers Organizations F. International Organizations G. Organic Grant Agencies 61 62 64 67 69 70 71
Suppliers of Organic Products
A. Fertilizers and Soil Inputs B. Equipment Suppliers C. Pest Management Suppliers D. Seed Suppliers E. Feed Suppliers F. Veterinary Suppliers 72 75 76 77 79 80
A. Brokers & Buyers B. Cooperatives/ Natural Food Stores C. Organic Retailers & Distributors D. Arkansas Farmer's Markets E. Community Supported Agriculture 81 82 85 86 90
A. Journals B. Magazines C. Books D. Printed & Online Resources E. Organic Enterprise Budgets F. Databases & Listservs G. ATTRA Publications 91 93 96 98 101 103 104
VII. Events and Conferences
A. Trade Shows & Expos B. Conferences C. Workshops 105 106 107
VIII. Appendix
A. Common Abbreviations and Acronyms B. Additional References 108 109
I. National Organic Program (NOP) Information
A. Definitions
Definitions listed are related specifically to agricultural production and processing of crops, livestock and crop products relative to their consideration as organic production. Most of the following definitions come directly from the National Organic Program (NOP). Definitions were compiled in April 2006. For online access of NOP definitions visit: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/standards/DefineReg.html § 205.1 Meaning of Words. For the purpose of the regulations in this subpart, words in the singular form shall be deemed to impart the plural and vice versa, as the case may demand. § 205.2 Terms Defined. Accreditation The limit made by the Secretary that authorizes a private, foreign, or State entity to conduct certification activities as a certifying agent under this part. Act The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). Action level The limit at or above which the Food and Drug Administration will take legal action against a product to remove it from the market. Action levels are based on unavoidability of the poisonous or deleterious substances and do not represent permissible levels of contamination where it is avoidable. Administrator The Administrator for the Agricultural Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture, or the representative to whom authority has been delegated to act instead of the Administrator. Agricultural inputs All substances or materials used in the production or handling of organic agricultural products. Agricultural product Any agricultural commodity or product, whether raw or processed, including any commodity or product derived from livestock, that is marketed in the United States for human or livestock consumption.
Allowed synthetic A substance that is included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic production or handling. Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) The Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture Animal drug Any drug as defined in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended (21 U.S.C. 321), that is intended for use in livestock, including any drug intended for use in livestock feed but not including such livestock feed. Annual seedling A plant grown from seed that will complete its life cycle or produce a harvestable yield within the same crop year or season in which it was planted. Area of operation The types of operations: crops, livestock, wild-crop harvesting or handling, or any combination thereof that a certifying agency may be accredited to certify under this part. Audit trail Documentation that is sufficient to determine the source, transfer of ownership and transportation of any agricultural product labeled as "100 percent organic," the organic ingredients of any agricultural product labeled as "organic" or "made with organic (specified ingredients)" or the organic ingredients of any agricultural product containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients identified as organic in an ingredient statement. Biodegradable Subject to biological decomposition into simpler biochemical or chemical components. Biodiversity The variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur. Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequency. For biological diversity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term encompasses different ecosystems, species, genes, and their relative abundance. Biodynamic farming A farming system that is very similar to organic agriculture in that soil fertility is the emphasis. Biodynamic farmers utilize special plants, minerals, and animal preparations, and they also have a formula for making compost that minimizes
loss of nutrients. Cosmic and earth forces play a role in crop production, and farmers often try to plant according to moon phases. Biologics All viruses, serums, toxins and analogous products of natural or synthetic origin, such as diagnostics, antitoxins, vaccines, live microorganisms, killed microorganisms, and the antigenic or immunizing components of microorganisms intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of diseases of animals. Biorational pesticide Products that are considered to be environmentally friendly because they have minimal harmful effects on non-target organisms and the environment. They are frequently more "user friendly" than traditional pesticides. Examples include neem oil, insecticidal soap, horticultural oil and potassium bicarbonate. Breeder stock Female livestock whose offspring may be incorporated into an organic operation at the time of their birth. Buffer zone An area located between a certified production operation or portion of a production operation and an adjacent land area that is not maintained under organic management. A buffer zone must be sufficient in size or other features (e.g., windbreaks or a diversion ditch) to prevent the possibility of unintended contact by prohibited substances applied to adjacent land areas with an area that is part of a certified operation. *General required buffer zone is 25 feet. Bulk The presentation to consumers at retail sale of an agricultural product in unpackaged, loose form, enabling the consumer to determine the individual pieces, amounts, or volume of the product purchased. Certification or certified A determination made by a certifying agent that a production of handling operation is in compliance with the Act and the regulations in the part, which is documented by a certificate of organic operation. Certified operation A crop or livestock production, wild-crop harvesting or handling operation, or portion of such operation that is certified by an accredited certifying agency as utilizing a system of organic production or handling as described by the Act and the regulations in this part.
Certifying agent Any entity accredited by the Secretary as a certifying agent for the purpose of certifying a production of handling operation as a certified production of handling operation. *States are given authority to delegate a certifying agent. Certifying agent's operation All sites, facilities, personnel, and records used by a certifying agent to conduct certification activities under the Act and the regulations in this part. Claims Oral, written, implied, or symbolic representations, statements, advertising or other forms of communication presented to the public or buyers of agricultural products that relate to the organic certification process or the term, "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," or, in the case of agricultural products containing less that 70 percent organic ingredients, the term, "organic," on the ingredients panel. Commercially available The ability to obtain a production input in an appropriate form, quality, or quantity to fulfill an essential function in a system of organic production or handling, as determined by the certifying agent in the course of reviewing the organic plan. Commingling Physical contact between unpackaged organically produced and non-organically produced agricultural products during production, transportation, storage, handling, or processing, other than during the manufacture of a multi-ingredient product containing both types of ingredients. Compost The product of a managed process through which microorganisms break down plant and animal materials into more available forms suitable for application to the soil. Compost must be produced through a process that combines plant and animal materials with an initial C:N ratio of between 25:1 and 40:1. Producers using an in-vessel or static aerated pile system must maintain the composting materials at a temperature between 131° F and 170° F for 3 days. Producers using a windrow system must maintain the composting materials at a temperature between 131° F and 170° F for 15 days, during which time, the materials must be turned a minimum of five times. Compost tea A water extract of compost is brewed, or organisms were extracted from the compost, the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes are given a chance to increase in number and activity using the soluble food resources and nutrients present in the water.
Control Any method that reduces or limits damage by populations of pests, weeds, or diseases to levels that do not significantly reduce productivity. Conventional farming systems A farming system that relies on intensive chemical programs and reliance on mechanized production, using specialized equipment and facilities. Crop A plant or part of a plant intended to be marketed as an agricultural product or fed to livestock. Crop residues The plant parts remaining in a field after the harvest of a crop, which include stalks, stems, leaves, roots, and weeds. Crop rotation The practice of alternating the annual crops grown on a specific field in a planned pattern or sequence in successive crop years so that crops of the same species or family are not grown repeatedly without interruption on the same field. Perennial cropping systems employ means such as alley cropping, intercropping, and hedgerows to introduce biological diversity in lieu of crop rotation. Crop year That normal growing season for a crop as determined by the Secretary. Cultivation Digging up or cutting the soil to prepare a seed bed; control weeds; aerate the soil; or work organic matter, crop residues, or fertilizers into the soil. Cultivar An unvarying variety of plant produced by selective hybridization, or, sometimes found in wild populations and maintained by vegetative propagation or by inbred seed. Cultural methods Methods used to enhance crop health and prevent weed, pest, or disease problems without the use of substances; examples include the selection of appropriate varieties and planting sites; proper timing and density of plantings; irrigation; and extending a growing season by manipulating the microclimate with green houses, cold frames, or wind breaks. Detectable residues The amount or presence of chemical residues or sample components that can be reliably observed or found in the sample matrix by current approved analytical methodology.
Disease vectors Plants or animals that harbor or transmit disease organisms or pathogens which may attack crops or livestock. Drift The physical movement of prohibited substances from the intended target site onto an organic operation or portion thereof. Emergency pest or disease treatment program A mandatory program authorized by a Federal, State, or local agency for the purpose of controlling or eradicating a pest or disease. Employee Any person providing paid or volunteer services for a certifying agent Excluded methods A variety of methods used to genetically modify organisms or influence their growth and development by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes and are not considered compatible with organic production. Such methods include cell fusion, microencapsulation and macroencapsulation, and recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA technology). Such methods do not include the use of traditional breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, or tissue culture. Feed Edible materials which are consumed by livestock for their nutritional value. Feed may be concentrates (grains) or roughages (hay, silage, fodder). The term, "feed," encompasses all agricultural commodities, including pasture grasses or grains ingested by livestock for nutritional purposes. Feed additive A substance added to feed in micro quantities to fulfill a specific nutritional need; i.e., essential nutrients in the form of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Feed Supplement A combination of feed nutrients added to livestock feed to improve the nutrient balance or performance of the total ration and intended to be: (1) Diluted with other feeds when fed to livestock; (2) Offered free choice with other parts of the ration if separately available; or (3) Further diluted and mixed to produce a complete feed.
Fertilizer A single or blended substance containing one or more recognized plant nutrient(s) which is used primarily for its plant nutrient content and which is designed for use or claimed to have value in promoting plant growth. Field An area of land identified as a discrete unit within a production operation. Forage Vegetative material in a fresh, dried, or ensiled state (pasture, hay, or silage), which is fed to livestock. Genetically modified organism (GMO) (a) An organism that has been modified by gene technology or (b) an organism that has inherited traits from an organism (the initial organism), being traits that occurred in the initial organism because of gene technology, or (c) anything declared by the Gene Technology Regulations to be a genetically modified organism. Governmental entity Any domestic government, tribal government, or foreign governmental subdivision providing certification services. Growth regulator Products registered as pesticides that do not control pests, but change the shape or appearance of the plant, stop or start plant growth, prevent flowering and other natural functions. Handle To sell, process, or package agricultural products, except such term shall not include the sale, transportation, or delivery of crops or livestock by the producer thereof to a handler. Handler Any person engaged in the business of handling agricultural products, including producers who handle crops or livestock of their own production, except such term shall not include final retailers of agricultural products that do not process agricultural products. Handling operation Any operation or portion of an operation (except final retailers of agricultural products that do not process agricultural products) that receives or otherwise acquires agricultural products and processes, packages, or stores such products.
Immediate family The spouse, minor children, or blood relatives who reside in the immediate household of a certifying agent or an employee, inspector, contractor, or other personnel of the certifying agent. For the purpose of this part, the interest of a spouse, minor child, or blood relative who is a resident of the immediate household of a certifying agent or an employee, inspector, contractor, or other personnel of the certifying agent shall be considered to be an interest of the certifying agent or an employee, inspector, contractor, or other personnel of the certifying agent. Inert ingredient Any substance (or group of substances with similar chemical structures if designated by the Environmental Protection Agency) other than an active ingredient which is intentionally included in any pesticide product (40 CFR 152.3(m)). Information panel That part of the label of a packaged product that is immediately contiguous to and to the right of the principal display panel as observed by an individual facing the principal display panel, unless another section of the label is designated as the information panel because of package size or other package attributes (e.g., irregular shape with one usable surface). Ingredient Any substance used in the preparation of an agricultural product that is still present in the final commercial product as consumed. Ingredients statement The list of ingredients contained in a product shown in their common and usual names in the descending order of predominance. Inspector Any person retained or used by a certifying agent to conduct inspections of certification applicants or certified production or handling operations. Inspection The act of examining and evaluating the production or handling operation of an applicant for certification or certified operation to determine compliance with the Act and the regulations in this part. Label A display of written, printed, or graphic material on the immediate container of an agricultural product or any such material affixed to any agricultural product or affixed to a bulk container containing an agricultural product, except for package liners or a display of written, printed, or graphic material which contains only information about the weight of the product.
Labeling All written, printed, or graphic material accompanying an agricultural product at any time or written, printed, or graphic material about the agricultural product displayed at retail stores about the product. Livestock Any cattle, sheep, goat, swine, poultry, or equine animals used for food or in the production of food, fiber, feed, or other agricultural-based consumer products; wild or domesticated game; or other nonplant life, except such term shall not include aquatic animals or bees for the production of food, fiber, feed, or other agricultural-based consumer products. Lot Any number of containers which contain an agricultural product of the same kind located in the same conveyance, warehouse, or packing house and which are available for inspection at the same time. Manure Feces, urine, other excrement, and bedding produced by livestock that has not been composted. Mating disruption, insect pests Form of insect control in which synthetic sex pheromones, usually of the female are maintained artificially at a higher level than the background, interfering with male location; sometimes referred to as male confusion. Market information Any written, printed, audiovisual, or graphic information, including advertising, pamphlets, flyers, catalogues, posters, and signs, distributed, broadcast, or made available outside of retail outlets that are used to assist in the sale or promotion of a product. Mulch Any nonsynthetic material, such as wood chips, leaves, or straw, or any synthetic material included on the National List for such use, such as newspaper or plastic that serves to suppress weed growth, moderate soil temperature, or conserve soil moisture. Narrow range oils Petroleum derivatives, predominately of paraffinic and napthenic fractions with 50 percent boiling point (10 mm Hg) between 415F and 440F. National List A list of allowed and prohibited substances as provided for in the Act.
National Organic Program (NOP) The program authorized by the Act for the purpose of implementing its provisions. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) A board established by the Secretary under 7 U.S.C. 6518 to assist in the development of standards for substances to be used in organic production and to advise the Secretary on any other aspects of the implementation of the National Organic Program. Natural resources of the operation The physical, hydrological, and biological features of a production operation, including soil, water, wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife. Nonagricultural substance A substance that is not a product of agriculture, such as a mineral or a bacterial culture, that is used as an ingredient in an agricultural product. For the purposes of this part, a nonagricultural ingredient also includes any substance, such as gums, citric acid, or pectin, that is extracted from, isolated from, or a fraction of an agricultural product so that the identity of the agricultural product is unrecognizable in the extract, isolate, or fraction. Nonsynthetic (natural) A substance that is derived from mineral, plant, or animal matter and does not undergo a synthetic process as defined in section 6502(21) of the Act (7 U.S.C. 6502(21)). For the purposes of this part, nonsynthetic is used as a synonym for natural as the term is used in the Act. Nontoxic Not known to cause any adverse physiological effects in animals, plants, humans, or the environment. Nonretail container Any container used for shipping or storage of an agricultural product that is not used in the retail display or sale of the product. Nursery stock All field or container-grown and native trees, sod, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, vines, cuttings, grafts, scion, buds, fruit-pits and other seeds of fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs; also other plants and plant products for, or capable of, propagation, except field, vegetable, and flower seeds, bedding plants, bulbs, and roots. Organic A labeling term that refers to an agricultural product produced in accordance with the Act and the regulations in this part.
Organic matter The remains, residues, or waste products of any organism. Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) An institute that provides certifiers, growers, manufacturers and suppliers with an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling and processing. Organic production A production system that is managed in accordance with the Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Organic system plan A plan of management of an organic production or handling operation that has been agreed to by the producer or handler and the certifying agent and that includes written plans concerning all aspects of agricultural production or handling described in the Act and the regulations in subpart C of this part. Pasture Land used for livestock grazing that is managed to provide feed value and maintain or improve soil, water, and vegetative resources. Peer review panel A panel of individuals who have expertise in organic production and handling methods and certification procedures and who are appointed by the Administrator to assist in evaluating applicants for accreditation as certifying agents. Person An individual, partnership, corporation, association, cooperative, or other entity. Pesticide Any substance which alone, in chemical combination, or in any formulation with one or more substances is defined as a pesticide in section 2(u) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136(u) et seq). Petition A request to amend the National List that is submitted by any person in accordance with this part. Planting stock Any plant or plant tissue other than annual seedlings but including rhizomes, shoots, leaf or stem cuttings, roots, or tubers, used in plant production or propagation.
Practice standard The guidelines and requirements through which a production or handling operation implements a required component of its production or handling organic system plan. A practice standard includes a series of allowed and prohibited actions, materials, and conditions to establish a minimum level performance for planning, conducting, and maintaining a function, such as livestock health care or facility pest management, essential to an organic operation. Principal display panel That part of a label that is most likely to be displayed, presented, shown, or examined under customary conditions of display for sale. Private entity Any domestic or foreign nongovernmental for-profit or not-for-profit organization providing certification services. Processing Cooking, baking, curing, heating, drying, mixing, grinding, churning, separating, extracting, slaughtering, cutting, fermenting, distilling, eviscerating, preserving, dehydrating, freezing, chilling, or otherwise manufacturing and includes the packaging, canning, jarring, or otherwise enclosing food in a container. Processing aid (a) substance that is added to a food during the processing of such food but is removed in some manner from the food before it is packaged in its finished form; (b) a substance that is added to a food during processing, is converted into constituents normally present in the food, and does not significantly increase the amount of the constituents naturally found in the food; and (c) a substance that is added to a food for its technical or functional effect in the processing but is present in the finished food at insignificant levels and does not have any technical or functional effect in that food. Producer A person who engages in the business of growing or producing food, fiber, feed, and other agricultural-based consumer products. Production lot number/identifier Identification of a product based on the production sequence of the product showing the date, time, and place of production used for quality control purposes. Prohibited substance A substance the use of which in any aspect of organic production or handling is prohibited or not provided for in the Act or the regulations of this part.
Records Any information in written, visual, or electronic form that documents the activities undertaken by a producer, handler, or certifying agent to comply with the Act and regulations in this part. Residue testing An official or validated analytical procedure that detects, identifies, and measures the presence of chemical substances, their metabolites, or degradations products in or on raw or processed agricultural products. Responsibly connected Any person who is a partner, officer, director, holder, manager, or owner of 10 percent or more of the voting stock of an applicant or a recipient of certification or accreditation. Retail food establishment A restaurant; delicatessen; bakery; grocery store; or any retail outlet with an instore restaurant, delicatessen, bakery, salad bar, or other eat-in or carry-out service of processed or prepared raw and ready-to-eat-food. Routine use of parasiticide The regular, planned, or periodic use of parasiticides. Secretary The Secretary of Agriculture or a representative to whom authority has been delegated to act in the Secretary's stead. Sewage sludge A solid, semisolid, or liquid residue generated during the treatment of domestic sewage in a treatment works. Sewage sludge includes but is not limited to: domestic septage; scum or solids removed in primary, secondary, or advanced wastewater treatment processes; and a material derived from sewage sludge. Sewage sludge does not include ash generated during the firing of sewage sludge in a sewage sludge incinerator or grit and screenings generated during preliminary treatment of domestic sewage in a treatment works. Slaughter stock Any animal that is intended to be slaughtered for consumption by humans or other animals. Split operation An operation that produces or handles both organic and nonorganic agricultural products.
Soil and water quality Observable indicators of the physical, chemical, or biological condition of soil and water, including the presence of environmental contaminants. State Any of the several States of the United States of America, its territories, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. State certifying agent A certifying agent accredited by the Secretary under the National Organic Program and operated by the State for the purposes of certifying organic production and handling operations in the State. State organic program (SOP) A State program that meets the requirements of section 6506 of the Act, is approved by the Secretary, and is designed to ensure that a product that is sold or labeled as organically produced under the Act is produced and handled using organic methods. State organic program's governing State official The chief executive official of a State or, in the case of a State that provides for the statewide election of an official to be responsible solely for the administration of the agricultural operations of the State, such official who administers a State organic certification program. Synthetic A substance that is formulated or manufactured by a chemical process or by a process that chemically changes a substance extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral sources, except that such term shall not apply to substances created by naturally occurring biological processes. Tolerance The maximum legal level of a pesticide chemical residue in or on a raw or processed agricultural commodity or processed food. Transplant A seedling which has been removed from its original place of production, transported, and replanted. Unavoidable residual environmental contamination (UREC) Background levels of naturally occurring or synthetic chemicals that are present in the soil or present in organically produced agricultural products that are below established tolerances.
Wild crop Any plant or portion of a plant that is collected or harvested from a site that is not maintained under cultivation or other agricultural management.
B. National Organic Program Certification
These requirements for organic certification come directly from the National Organic Program (NOP) as of April 2006. For up to date requirements visit the NOP online at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm. § 205.400 General requirements for certification. A person seeking to receive or maintain organic certification under the regulations in this part must: A. Comply with the Act and applicable organic production and handling regulations of this part; B. Establish, implement and update annually an organic production or handling systems plan that is submitted to an accredited certifying agent as provided in § 205.200; C. Permit on-site inspections with complete access to the production or handling operation, including noncertified production and handling areas, structures, and offices by the certifying agent as provided for in § 205.403; D. Maintain all records applicable to the organic operation for not less than 5 years beyond their creation and allow authorized representatives of the Secretary, the applicable State organic program's governing State official, and the certifying agent access to such records during normal business hours for review and copying to determine compliance with the Act and the regulations in this part, as provided for in § 205.104; E. Submit the applicable fees charged by the certifying agent; and F. Immediately notify the certifying agent concerning any: 1. Application, including drift, of a prohibited substance to any field, production unit, site, facility, livestock, or product that is part of any operation; and 2. Change in a certified operation or any portion of a certified operation that may affect its compliance with the Act and the regulations in this part. § 205.401 Application for Certification. A person seeking certification of a production or handling operation under this subpart must submit an application for certification to a certifying agent. The application must include the following information: A. An organic production or handling system plan, as required in § 205.200;
B. The name of the person completing the application; the applicant's business name, address and telephone number; and, when the applicant is a corporation, the name, address, and telephone number of the person authorized to act on the applicant's behalf; C. The name(s) of any organic certifying agent(s) to which application has previously been made; the year(s) of application; the outcome of the application(s) submission, including, when available, a copy of any notification of noncompliance or denial of certification issued to the applicant for certification; and a description of the actions taken by the applicant to correct the noncompliances noted in the notification of noncompliance, including evidence of such correction; and D. Other information necessary to determine compliance with the Act and the regulations in this part.
§ 205.402 Review of Application A. Upon acceptance of an application for certification, a certifying agent must: 1. Review the application to ensure completeness pursuant to § 205.401; 2. Determine by a review of the application materials whether the applicant appears to comply or may be able to comply with the applicable requirements of subpart C of this part; 3. Verify that an applicant who previously applied to another certifying agent and received a notification of noncompliance or denial of certification, pursuant to § 205.405, has submitted documentation to support the correction of any noncompliances identified in the notification of noncompliance or denial of certification as required in § 205.405(e); and 4. Schedule an on-site inspection of the operation to determine whether the applicant qualifies for certification if the review of application materials reveals that the production or handling operation may be in compliance with the applicable requirement of subpart C of this part. B. The certifying agent shall within a reasonable time: 1. Review the application materials received and communicate its findings to the applicant; 2. Provide the applicant with a copy of the on-site inspection report, as approved by the certifying agent, for any on-site inspection performed; and
3. Provide the applicant with a copy of the test results for any samples taken by an inspector. C. The applicant may withdraw its application at any time. An applicant who withdraws its application shall be liable for the costs of services provided up to the time of withdrawal of its application. An applicant that voluntarily withdrew its application prior to the issuance of a notice of noncompliance will not be issued a notice of noncompliance. Similarly, an applicant that voluntarily withdrew its application prior to the issuance of a notice of certification denial will not be issued a notice of certification denial. § 205.403 On-site inspections. A. On-site inspections. 1. A certifying agent must conduct an initial on-site inspection of each production unit, facility and site that produces or handles organic products and that is included in an operation for which certification is requested. An on-site inspection shall be conducted annually thereafter for each certified operation that produces or handles organic products for the purpose of determining whether to approve the request for certification or whether the certification of the operation should continue. 2. (i) A certifying agent may conduct additional on-site inspection of applicants for certification and certified operations to determine compliance with the Act and the regulations in this part. (ii) The Administrator of State organic program's governing State official may require that additional inspections be performed by the certifying agent for the purpose of determining compliance with the Act and the regulations in this part. (iii) Additional inspection may be announced or unannounced at the discretion of the certifying agent or as required by the Administrator or State organic program's governing State official. B. Scheduling. 1. The initial on-site inspection must be conduced within a reasonable time following a determination that the applicant appears to comply or may be able to comply with the requirements of subpart C of this part: Except, That, the initial inspection may be delayed for up to 6 months to comply with the requirements that the inspection be conducted when the land,
facilities, and activities that demonstrate compliance or capacity to comply can be observed. 2. All on-site inspections must be conducted when an authorized representative of the operation who is knowledgeable about the operation is present and at a time when land, facilities, and activities that demonstrate the operation's compliance with or capability to comply with the applicable provisions of subpart C of this part can be observed, except that this requirement does not apply to unannounced on-site inspections. C. Verification of information. The on-site inspection of an operation must verify: 1. The operation's compliance or capability to comply with the Act and the regulations in this part; 2. That the information, including the organic production or handling system plan, provided in accordance with §§ 205.401, 205.406, and 205.200, accurately reflects the practice used or to be used by the applicant for certification or by the certified operation; 3. That prohibited substances have not been and are not being applied to the operation through means which, at the discretion of the certifying agent, may include the collection and testing of soil; water; waste; seeds; plant tissue; and plant, animal and processed products samples. D. Exit interview. The inspector must conduct an exit interview with an authorized representative of the operation who is knowledgeable about the inspected operation to confirm the accuracy and completeness of inspection observations and information gathered during the on-site inspection. The inspector must also address the need for any additional information as well as any issues of concern. E. Documents to the inspected operation. 1. At the time of the inspection, the inspector shall provide the operation's authorized representative with a receipt for any samples taken by the inspector. There shall be no charge to the inspector for the samples taken. 2. A copy of the on-site inspection report and any test results will be sent to the inspected operation by the certifying agent.
§ 205.404 Granting certification. A. Within a reasonable time after completion of the initial on-site inspection, a certifying agent must review the on-site inspection report, the results of any
analyses for substances conducted, and any additional information requested from or supplied by the applicant. If the certifying agent determines that the organic system plan and all procedures and activities of the applicant's operation are in compliance with the requirements of this part and that the applicant is able to conduct operations in accordance with the plan, the agent shall grant certification. The certification may include requirements for the correction of minor noncompliances within a specified time period as a condition of continued certification. B. The certifying agent must issue a certificate of organic operation which specifies the: 1. Name and address of the certified operation; 2. Effective date of certification; 3. Categories of organic operation, including crops, wild crops, livestock, or processed products produced by the certified operation; and 4. Name, address, and telephone number of the certifying agent. C. Once certified, a production or handling operation's organic certification continues in effect until surrendered by the organic operation or suspended or revoked by the certifying agent, the State organic program's governing State official, or the Administrator.
§ 205.405 Denial of certification. A. When the certifying agent has reason to believe, based on a review of the information specified in § 205.402 or § 205.404, that an applicant for certification is not able to comply or is not in compliance with the requirements of this part, the certifying agent must provide a written notification of noncompliance to the applicant. When correction of noncompliance is not possible, a notification of noncompliance and a notification of denial of certification may be combined in one notification. The notification of noncompliance shall provide: 1. A description of each non-compliance; 2. The facts upon which the notification of noncompliance is based; and 3. The date by which the applicant must rebut or correct each noncompliance and submit supporting documentation of each such correction when correction is possible. B. Upon receipt of such notification of noncompliance, the applicant may:
4. Correct noncompliances and submit a description of the corrective actions taken with supporting documentation to the certifying agent; 5. Correct noncompliances and submit a new application to another certifying agent: Provided, That, the applicant must include a complete application, the notification of noncompliance received from the first certifying agent, and a description of the corrective actions taken with supporting documentation; or 6. Submit written information to the issuing certifying agent to rebut the noncompliance described in the notification of noncompliance. C. After issuance of a notification of noncompliance, the certifying agent must: 7. Evaluate the applicant's corrective actions taken and supporting documentation submitted or the written rebuttal, conduct an on-site inspection if necessary, and i. When the corrective action or rebuttal is sufficient for the applicant to qualify for certification, issue the applicant an approval of certification pursuant to § 205.404; or ii. When the corrective action or rebuttal is non sufficient for the applicant to qualify for certification, issue the applicant a written notice of denial of certification. 8. Issue a written notice of denial of certification to an applicant who fails to respond to the notification of noncompliance. 9. Provide notice of approval or denial to the Administrator, pursuant to § 205.501 (a)(14). D. A notice of denial of certification must state the reason(s) for denial and the applicant's right to: 10. Reapply for certification pursuant to §§ 205.401 and 205.405(e); 11. Request mediation pursuant § 205.663 or, if applicable, pursuant to a State organic program; or 12. File an appeal of the denial of certification pursuant to § 205.681 or, if applicable, pursuant to a State organic program. E. An applicant for certification who has received a written notification of noncompliance or a written notice of denial of certification may apply for certification again at any time with any certifying agent, in accordance with
§§ 205.401 and 205.405(e). When such applicant submits a new application to a certifying agent other than the agent who issued the notification of noncompliance or notice of denial of certification, the applicant for certification must include a copy of the notification of noncompliance or notice of denial of certification and a description of the actions taken, with supporting documentation, to correct the noncompliances noted in the notification of noncompliance. F. A certifying agent who receives a new application for certification, which includes a notification of noncompliance or notice of denial of certification, must treat the application as a new application and begin a new application process pursuant to § 205.402. G. Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, if a certifying agent has reason to believe that an applicant for certification has willfully made a false statement or otherwise purposefully misrepresented the applicant's operation or it compliance with the certification requirement pursuant to this part, the certifying agent may deny certification pursuant to paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section without first issuing a notification of noncompliance. § 205.406 Continuation of certification. A. To continue certification, a certified operation must annually pay the certification fees and submit the following information, as applicable, to the certifying agent: 1. An updated organic production or handling system plan which includes: i. A summary statement, supported by documentation, detailing any deviations from, changes to, modifications to, or other amendments made to the previous year's organic system plan during the previous year; and ii. Any additions or deletions to the previous year's organic system plan, intended to be undertaken in the coming year, detailed pursuant to § 205.200; 2. Any additions to or deletions from the information required to pursuant to § 205.401(b); 3. An update on the corrections of minor noncompliances previously identified by the certifying agent as requiring correction for continued certification; and 4. Other information as deemed necessary by the certifying agent to determine compliance with the Act and the regulations in this part.
B. Following the receipt of the information specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the certifying agent shall within a reasonable time arrange and conduct an on-site inspection of the certified operation pursuant to § 205.403: Except, That, when it is impossible for the certifying agent to conduct the annual on-site inspection following receipt of the certified operation's annual update of information, the certifying agent may allow continuation of certification and issue a certificate of organic operation on the basis of the information submitted and the most recent on-site inspection conducted within the previous 12 months: Provided, That, the annual on-site inspection, required pursuant to § 205.403, is conducted within the first 6 months following the certified operation's scheduled date of annual update. C. If the certifying agent has reason to believe, based on the on-site inspection and a review of the information specified in § 205.404, that a certified operation is not complying with the requirements of the Act and the regulations in this part, the certifying agent shall provide a written notification of noncompliance to the operation in accordance with § 205.662. D. If the certifying agent determines that the certified operation is complying with the Act and the regulations in this part and that any of the information specified on the certificate of organic operation has changed, the certifying agent must issue an updated certificate of organic operation pursuant to § 205.404(b).
C. Production and Handling Requirements
These requirements for organic production and handling come directly from the National Organic Program (NOP) as of April 2006. For up-to-date requirements, visit the NOP online, at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/standards/ProdHandReg.html. § 205.200 General. The producer or handler of a production or handling operation intending to sell, label, or represent agricultural products as "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))" must comply with the applicable provisions of this subpart. Production practices implemented in accordance with this subpart must maintain or improve the natural resources of the operation, including soil and water quality. § 205.201 Organic production and handling system plan. A. The producer or handler of a production or handling operation, except as exempt or excluded under § 205.101, intending to sell, label, or represent agricultural products as "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))" must develop an organic production or handling system plan that is agreed to by the producer or handler and an accredited certifying agent. An organic system plan must meet the requirements set forth in this section for organic production or handling. An organic production or handling system plan must include: 1. A description of practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including the frequency with which they will be performed; 2. A list of each substance to be used as a production or handling input, indicating its composition, source, location(s) where it will be used, and documentation of commercial availability, as applicable; 3. A description of the monitoring practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including the frequency with which they will be performed, to verify that the plan is effectively implemented; 4. A description of the recordkeeping system implemented to comply with the requirements established in § 205.103; 5. A description of the management practices and physical barriers established to prevent commingling of organic and nonorganic products on a split operation and to prevent contact of organic production and handling operations and products with prohibited substances; and
6. Additional information deemed necessary by the certifying agent to evaluate compliance with the regulations. B. A producer may substitute a plan prepared to meet the requirements of another Federal, State, or local government regulatory program for the organic system plan: Provided, That, the submitted plan meets all the requirements of this subpart. § 205.202 Land Requirements. Any field or farm parcel from which harvested crops are intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as "organic," must: A. Have been managed in accordance with the provisions of §§ 205.203 through 205.206; B. Have had no prohibited substances, as listed in § 205.105, applied to it for a period of 3 years immediately preceding harvest of the crop; and C. Have distinct, defined boundaries and buffer zones such as runoff diversions to prevent the unintended application of a prohibited substance to the crop or contact with a prohibited substance applied to adjoining land that is not under organic management. § 205.203 Soil fertility and crop nutrient management practice standard. A. The producer must select and implement tillage and cultivation practices that maintain or improve the physical, chemical, and biological condition of soil and minimize soil erosion. B. The producer must manage crop nutrients and soil fertility through rotations, cover crops, and the application of plant and animal materials. C. The producer must manage plant and animal materials to maintain or improve soil organic matter content in a manner that does not contribute to contamination of crops, soil, or water by plant nutrients, pathogenic organisms, heavy metals, or residues of prohibited substances. Animal and plant materials include: 1. Raw animal manure, which must be composted unless it is: i. Applied to land used for a crop not intended for human consumption; ii. Incorporated into the soil not less than 120 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion has direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles; or
iii. Incorporated into the soil not less than 90 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles; 2. Composted plant and animal materials produced though a process that i. established an initial C:N ratio of between 25:1 and 40:1; and ii. maintained a temperature of between 131 F and 170 F for 3 days using an in-vessel or static aerated pile system; or iii. maintained a temperature of between 131F and 170F for 15 days using a windrow composting system, during which period, the materials must be turned a minimum of five times. 3. Uncomposted plant materials. D. A producer may manage crop nutrients and soil fertility to maintain or improve soil organic matter content in a manner that does not contribute to contamination of crops, soil, or water by plant nutrients, pathogenic organisms, heavy metals, or residues of prohibited substances by applying: 1. A crop nutrient or soil amendment included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production; 2. A mined substance of low solubility; 3. A mined substance of high solubility, Provided, That, the substance is used in compliance with the conditions established on the National List of nonsynthetic materials prohibited for crop production; 4. Ash obtained from the burning of a plant or animal material, except as prohibited in paragraph (e) of this section: Provided, That, the material burned has not been treated or combined with a prohibited substance or the ash is not included on the National List of nonsynthetic substances prohibited for use in organic crop production; and 5. A plant or animal material that has been chemically altered by a manufacturing process: Provided, That, the material is included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production established in § 205.601. E. The producer must not use:
1. Any fertilizer or composted plant and animal material that contains a synthetic substance not included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production; 2. Sewage sludge (biosolids) as defined in 40 CFR Part 503; and 3. Burning as a means of disposal for crop residues produced on the operation: Except, That, burning may be used to suppress the spread of disease or to stimulate seed germination. § 205.204 Seed and planting stock practice standard. A. The producer must use organically grown seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock: Except, That, 1. Nonorganically produced, untreated seeds and planting stock may be used to produce an organic crop when an equivalent organically produced variety is not commercially available, Except, That, organically produced seed must be used for the production of edible sprouts; 2. Nonorganically produced seeds and planting stock that have been treated with a substance included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production may be used to produce an organic crop when an equivalent organically produced or untreated variety is not commercially available; 3. Nonorganically produced annual seedlings may be used to produce an organic crop when a temporary variance has been granted in accordance with § 205.290(a)(2); 4. Nonorganically produced planting stock to be used to produce a perennial crop may be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced only after the planting stock has been maintained under a system of organic management for a period of no less than 1 year; and 5. Seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock treated with prohibited substances may be used to produce an organic crop when the application of the materials is a requirement of Federal or State phytosanitary regulations. § 205.205 Crop rotation practice standard. The producer must implement a crop rotation including but not limited to sod, cover crops, green manure crops, and catch crops that provide the following functions that are applicable to the operation: A. Maintain or improve soil organic matter content;
B. Provide for pest management in annual and perennial crops; C. Manage deficient or excess plant nutrients; and D. Provide erosion control. § 205.206 Crop pest, weed, and disease management practice standard. A. The producer must use management practices to prevent crop pests, weeds, and diseases including but not limited to: 1. Crop rotation and soil and crop nutrient management practices, as provided for in §§ 205.203 and 205.205; 2. Sanitation measures to remove disease vectors, weed seeds, and habitat for pest organisms; and 3. Cultural practices that enhance crop health, including selection of plant species and varieties with regard to suitability to site-specific conditions and resistance to prevalent pests, weeds, and diseases. 4. Pest problems may be controlled through mechanical or physical methods including but not limited to: B. Pest problems may be controlled through mechanical or physical methods including but not limited to: 1. Augmentation or introduction of predators or parasites of the pest species; 2. Development of habitat for natural enemies of pests; 3. Nonsynthetic controls such as lures, traps, and repellents. C. Weed problems may be controlled through: 1. Mulching with fully biodegradable materials; 2. Mowing; 3. Livestock grazing; 4. Hand weeding and mechanical cultivation; 5. Flame, heat, or electrical means; or
6. Plastic or other synthetic mulches: Provided, That, they are removed from the field at the end of the growing or harvest season. D. Disease problems may be controlled through: 1. Management practices which suppress the spread of disease organisms; or 2. Application of nonsynthetic biological, botanical, or mineral inputs. E. When the practices provided for in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section are insufficient to prevent or control crop pests, weeds, and diseases, a biological or botanical substance or a substance included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production may be applied to prevent, suppress, or control pests, weeds, or diseases: Provided, That, the conditions for using the substance are documented in the organic system plan. F. The producer must not use lumber treated with arsenate or other prohibited materials for new installations or replacement purposes in contact with soil or livestock. § 205.207 Wild-crop harvesting practice standard. A. A wild crop that is intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic must be harvested from a designated area that has had no prohibited substance, as set forth in § 205.105, applied to it for a period of 3 years immediately preceding the harvest of the wild crop. B. A wild crop must be harvested in a manner that ensures that such harvesting or gathering will not be destructive to the environment and will sustain the growth and production of the wild crop. § 205.236 Origin of livestock. A. Livestock products that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic must be from livestock under continuous organic management from the last third of gestation or hatching: Except, That, 1. Poultry. Poultry or edible poultry products must be from poultry that has been under continuous organic management beginning no later than the second day of life; 2. Dairy animals. Milk or milk products must be from animals that have been under continuous organic management beginning no later than 1 year prior to the production of the milk or milk products that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic, Except, That, when an entire, distinct herd is converted to organic production, the producer may:
i. For the first 9 months of the year, provide a minimum of 80-percent feed that is either organic or raised from land included in the organic system plan and managed in compliance with organic crop requirements; and ii. provide feed in compliance with § 205.237 for the final 3 months. iii. Once an entire, distinct herd has been converted to organic production, all dairy animals shall be under organic management from the last third of gestation. 3. Breeder stock. Livestock used as breeder stock may be brought from a nonorganic operation onto an organic operation at any time: Provided, That, if such livestock are gestating and the offspring are to be raised as organic livestock, the breeder stock must be brought onto the facility no later than the last third of gestation. B. The following are prohibited: 1. Livestock or edible livestock products that are removed from an organic operation and subsequently managed on a nonorganic operation may be not sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced. 2. Breeder or dairy stock that has not been under continuous organic management since the last third of gestation may not be sold, labeled, or represented as organic slaughter stock. 3. The producer of an organic livestock operation must maintain records sufficient to preserve the identity of all organically managed animals and edible and nonedible animal products produced on the operation. § 205.237 Livestock feed. A. The producer of an organic livestock operation must provide livestock with a total feed ration composed of agricultural products, including pasture and forage, that are organically produced and, if applicable, organically handled: Except, That, nonsynthetic substances and synthetic substances allowed under § 205.603 may be used as feed additives and supplements. B. The producer of an organic operation must not: 1. Use animal drugs, including hormones, to promote growth;
2. Provide feed supplements or additives in amounts above those needed for adequate nutrition and health maintenance for the species at its specific stage of life; 3. Feed plastic pellets for roughage; 4. Feed formulas containing urea or manure; 5. Feed mammalian or poultry slaughter by-products to mammals or poultry; or 6. Use feed, feed additives, and feed supplements in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. § 205.238 Livestock health care practice standard. A. The producer must establish and maintain preventive livestock health care practices, including: 1. Selection of species and types of livestock with regard to suitability for sitespecific conditions and resistance to prevalent diseases and parasites; 2. Provision of a feed ration sufficient to meet nutritional requirements, including vitamins, minerals, protein and/or amino acids, fatty acids, energy sources, and fiber (ruminants); 3. Establishment of appropriate housing, pasture conditions, and sanitation practices to minimize the occurrence and spread of diseases and parasites; 4. Provision of conditions which allow for exercise, freedom of movement, and reduction of stress appropriate to the species; 5. Performance of physical alterations as needed to promote the animal's welfare and in a manner that minimizes pain and stress; and 6. Administration of vaccines and other veterinary biologics. B. When preventive practices and veterinary biologics are inadequate to prevent sickness, a producer may administer synthetic medications: Provided, That, such medications are allowed under § 205.603. Parasiticides allowed under § 205.603 may be used on 1. Breeder stock, when used prior to the last third of gestation but not during lactation for progeny that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced; and
2. Dairy stock, when used a minimum of 90 days prior to the production of milk or milk products that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic. C. The producer of an organic livestock operation must not: 1. Sell, label, or represent as organic any animal or edible product derived from any animal treated with antibiotics, any substance that contains a synthetic substance not allowed under § 205.603, or any substance that contains a nonsynthetic substance prohibited in § 205.604. 2. Administer any animal drug, other than vaccinations, in the absence of illness 3. Administer hormones for growth promotion; 4. Administer synthetic parasiticides on a routine basis; 5. Administer synthetic parasiticides to slaughter stock; 6. Administer animal drugs in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; or 7. Withhold medical treatment from a sick animal in an effort to preserve its organic status. All appropriate medications must be used to restore an animal to health when methods acceptable to organic production fail. Livestock treated with a prohibited substance must be clearly identified and shall not be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced. § 205.239 Livestock living conditions. A. The producer of an organic livestock operation must establish and maintain livestock living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of animals, including: 1. Access to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, and direct sunlight suitable to the species, its stage of production, the climate, and the environment; 2. Access to pasture for ruminants; 3. Appropriate clean, dry bedding. If the bedding is typically consumed by the animal species, it must comply with the feed requirements of § 205.237; 4. Shelter designed to allow for: i. Natural maintenance, comfort behaviors, and opportunity to exercise;
ii. Temperature level, ventilation, and air circulation suitable to the species; and iii. Reduction of potential for livestock injury; B. The producer of an organic livestock operation may provide temporary confinement for an animal because of: 1. Inclement weather; 2. The animal's stage of production; 3. Conditions under which the health, safety, or well being of the animal could be jeopardized; or 4. Risk to soil or water quality. C. The producer of an organic livestock operation must manage manure in a manner that does not contribute to contamination of crops, soil, or water by plant nutrients, heavy metals, or pathogenic organisms and optimizes recycling of nutrients. § 205.270 Organic handling requirements. A. Mechanical or biological methods, including but not limited to cooking, baking, curing, heating, drying, mixing, grinding, churning, separating, distilling, extracting, slaughtering, cutting, fermenting, eviscerating, preserving, dehydrating, freezing, chilling, or otherwise manufacturing, and the packaging, canning, jarring, or otherwise enclosing food in a container may be used to process an organically produced agricultural product for the purpose of retarding spoilage or otherwise preparing the agricultural product for market. B. Nonagricultural substances allowed under § 205.605 and nonorganically produced agricultural products allowed under § 205.606 may be used: 1. In or on a processed agricultural product intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as "organic," pursuant to § 205.301(b), if not commercially available in organic form. 2. In or on a processed agricultural product intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," pursuant to § 205.301(c). C. The handler of an organic handling operation must not use in or on agricultural products intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as "100 percent organic,"
"organic," or "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," or in or on any ingredients labeled as organic: 1. Practices prohibited under paragraphs (e) and (f) of § 205.105. 2. A volatile synthetic solvent or other synthetic processing aid not allowed under § 205.605, Except, That, nonorganic ingredients in products labeled "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))" are not subject to this requirement. § 205.271 Facility pest management practice standard. A. The producer or handler of an organic facility must use management practices to prevent pests, including but not limited to: 1. Removal of pest habitat, food sources, and breeding areas; 2. Prevention of access to handling facilities; and 3. Management of environmental factors, such as temperature, light, humidity, atmosphere, and air circulation, to prevent pest reproduction. B. Pests may be controlled through: 1. Mechanical or physical controls including but not limited to traps, light, or sound; or 2. Lures and repellents using nonsynthetic or synthetic substances consistent with the National List. C. If the practices provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section are not effective to prevent or control pests, a nonsynthetic or synthetic substance consistent with the National List may be applied. D. If the practices provided for in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section are not effective to prevent or control facility pests, a synthetic substance not on the National List may be applied, Provided, That, the handler and certifying agent agree on the substance, method of application, and measures to be taken to prevent contact of the organically produced products or ingredients with the substance used. E. The handler of an organic handling operation who applies a nonsynthetic or synthetic substance to prevent or control pests must update the operation's organic handling plan to reflect the use of such substances and methods of application. The updated organic plan must include a list of all measures taken to prevent
contact of the organically produced products or ingredients with the substance used. F. Notwithstanding the practices provided for in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this section, a handler may otherwise use substances to prevent or control pests as required by Federal, State, or local laws and regulations, Provided, that, measures are taken to prevent contact of the organically produced products or ingredients with the substance used. § 205.272 Commingling and contact with prohibited substance prevention practice standard. A. The handler of an organic handling operation must implement measures necessary to prevent the commingling of organic and nonorganic products and protect organic products from contact with prohibited substances. B. The following are prohibited for use in the handling of any organically produced agricultural product or ingredient labeled in accordance with subpart D of this part: 1. Packaging materials, and storage containers, or bins that contain a synthetic fungicide, preservative, or fumigant; 2. The use or reuse of any bag or container that has been in contact with any substance in such a manner as to compromise the organic integrity of any organically produced product or ingredient placed in those containers, unless such reusable bag or container has been thoroughly cleaned and poses no risk of contact of the organically produced product or ingredient with the substance used. § 205.290 Temporary variances. A. Temporary variances from the requirements in §§ 205.203 through 205.207, 205.236 through 205.239, and 205.270 through 205.272 may be established by the Administrator for the following reasons: 1. Natural disasters declared by the Secretary; 2. Damage caused by drought, wind, flood, excessive moisture, hail, tornado, earthquake, fire, or other business interruption; and 3. Practices used for the purpose of conducting research or trials of techniques, varieties, or ingredients used in organic production or handling. B. A State organic program's governing State official or certifying agent may recommend in writing to the Administrator that a temporary variance from a
standard set forth in subpart C of this part for organic production or handling operations be established: Provided, That, such variance is based on one or more of the reasons listed in paragraph (a) of this section. C. The Administrator will provide written notification to certifying agents upon establishment of a temporary variance applicable to the certifying agent's certified production or handling operations and specify the period of time it shall remain in effect, subject to extension as the Administrator deems necessary. D. A certifying agent, upon notification from the Administrator of the establishment of a temporary variance, must notify each production or handling operation it certifies to which the temporary variance applies. E. Temporary variances will not be granted for any practice, material, or procedure prohibited under § 205.105.
D. National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances
This list of allowable substances comes directly from the National Organic Program (NOP) as of April 2006. For online access of most up-to-date lists visit: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/standards/ListReg.html § 205.600 Evaluation criteria for allowed and prohibited substances, methods, and ingredients. The following criteria will be utilized in the evaluation of substances or ingredients for the organic production and handling sections of the National List: A. Synthetic and nonsynthetic substances considered for inclusion on or deletion from the National List of allowed and prohibited substances will be evaluated using the criteria specified in the Act (7 U.S.C. 6517 and 6518). B. In addition to the criteria set forth in the Act, any synthetic substance used as a processing aid or adjuvant will be evaluated against the following criteria: 1. The substance cannot be produced from a natural source and there are no organic substitutes; 2. The substance's manufacture, use and disposal do not have adverse effect on the environment and are done in a manner compatible with organic handling; 3. The nutritional quality of the food is maintained when the substance is used and the substance, itself, or its breakdown products do not have an adverse effect on human health as defined by applicable Federal regulations; 4. The substance's primary use is not as a preservative or to recreate or improve flavors, colors, textures, or nutritive value lost during processing, except where the replacement of nutrients is required by law; 5. The substance is listed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when used in accordance with FDA's good manufacturing practices (GMP) and contains no residues of heavy metals or other contaminates in excess of tolerances set by FDA; and 6. The substance is essential for the handling of organically produced agricultural products. C. Nonsynthetic used in organic processing will be evaluated using the criteria specified in the Act (7 U.S.C. 6517 and 6518). § 205.601 Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production.
In accordance with restrictions specified in this section, the following synthetic substances may be used in organic crop production: Provided, That, use of such substances do not contribute to contamination of crops, soil, or water. Substances allowed by this section, except disinfectants and sanitizers in paragraph (a) and those substances in paragraphs (c), (j), (k), and (l) of this section, may only be used when the provisions set forth in § 205.206 (a) through (d) prove insufficient to prevent or control the target pest. A. As algicide, disinfectants, and sanitizer, including irrigation system cleaning systems. 1. Alcohols i. Ethanol ii. Isopropanol
2. Chlorine materials—Except, That, residual chlorine levels in the water shall not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act. i. Calcium hypochlorite ii. Chlorine dioxide iii. Sodium hypochlorite 3. Copper sulfate—for use as an algicide in aquatic rice systems, is limited to one application per field during any 24-month period. Application rates are limited to those which do not increase baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited certifying agent. 4. Hydrogen peroxide. 5. Ozone gas—for use as an irrigation system cleaner only. 6. Peracetic acid—for the use in disinfecting equipment, seed, and asexually propagated planting material. B. As herbicides, weed barriers, as applicable. 1. Herbicides, soap-based—for use in farmstead maintenance (roadways, ditches, right of ways, building perimeters) and ornamental crops.
2. Mulches i. Newspaper or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks ii. Plastic mulch and covers (petroleum-based other than polyvinyl chloride (PVC)). C. As compost feedstocks. 1. Newspapers or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks. D. As animal repellents 1. Soaps, ammonium—for use as a large animal repellant only, no contact with soil or edible portion of crop E. As insecticides (including acaricides or mite control). 1. Ammonium carbonate—for use as bait in insect traps only, no direct contact with crop or soil. 2. Boric acid—structural pest control, no direct contact with organic food or crops. 3. Copper sulfate—for use as tadpole shrimp control in aquatic rice production, is limited to one application per field during any 24-month period. Application rates are limited to levels with do not increase baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited certifying agent. 4. Elemental sulfur. i. Lime sulfur—including calcium polysulfide. 5. Oils, horticultural—narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils. 6. Soaps, insecticidal. 7. Sticky traps/ barriers. F. As insect management. Pheromones. G. As rodenticides. 1. Sulfur dioxide—underground rodent control only (smoke bombs).
2. Vitamin D3. H. As slug or snail bait—None. I. As plant disease control. 1. Coppers, fixed—copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride, includes products exempted from EPA tolerance, Provided, That, copperbased materials must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation in the soil and shall not be used as herbicides. 2. Copper sulfate—Substance must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation of copper in the soil. 3. Hydrated lime. 4. Hydrogen peroxide. 5. Lime sulfur. 6. Oils, horticultural, narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils. 7. Peracetic acid—for use to control fire blight bacteria. 8. Potassium bicarbonate. 9. Elemental sulfur. 10. Streptomycin, for fire blight control in apples and pears only. 11. Tetracycline (oxytetracycline calcium complex), for fire blight control only. J. As plant or soil amendments. 1. Aquatic plant extracts (other than hydrolyzed)—Extraction process is limited to the use of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide; solvent amount used is limited to that amount necessary for extraction. 2. Elemental sulfur. 3. Humic acids—naturally occurring deposits, water and alkali extracts only. 4. Lignin sulfonate—chelating agent, dust suppressant, floatation agent.
5. Magnesium sulfate—allowed with a documented soil deficiency 6. Micronutrients—not to be used as defoliant, herbicide or desiccant. Those made from nitrates or chlorides are not allowed. Soil deficiency must be documented by testing. i. Soluble boron products. ii. Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and cobalt. 7. Liquid fish products—can be pH adjusted with sulfuric, citric or phosphoric acid. The amount of acid used shall not exceed the minimum needed to lower the pH to 3.5. 8. Vitamins, B1, C and E. K. As plant growth regulators. Ethylene gas—for regulation of pineapple flowering. L. As floating agents in postharvest handling. 1. Lignin sulfonate. 2. Sodium silicate—for tree fruit and fiber processing.
M. As synthetic inert ingredients as classified by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), for use with nonsynthetic substances or synthetic substances listed in this section and used as an active pesticide ingredient in accordance with any limitations on the use of such substances. 1. EPA List 4—Inerts of Minimal Concerns 2. EPA List 3—Inerts of unknown toxicity—for use only in passive pheromone dispensers. § 205.602 Nonsynthetic substances prohibited for use in organic crop production. The following nonsynthetic substances may not be used in organic crop production: A. Ash from manure burning. B. Arsenic. C. Calcium chloride, brine process is natural and prohibited for use except as a foliar spray to treat a physiological disorder associated with calcium uptake.
D. Lead salts. E. Potassium chloride—unless derived from a mined source and applied in a manner that minimizes chloride accumulation in the soil. F. Sodium fluoaluminate (mined). G. Sodium nitrate—unless use is restricted to no more than 20% of the crop's total nitrogen requirement; use in spirulina production was unrestricted until October 21, 2005. H. Strychnine. I. Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate). § 205.603 Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic livestock production. In accordance with restrictions specified in this section the following synthetic substances may be used in organic livestock production: A. As disinfectants, sanitizer, and medical treatments as applicable. 1. Alcohols i. Ethanol—disinfectant and sanitizer only, prohibited as a feed additive. ii. Isopropanol—disinfectant only. 2. Aspirin—approved for health care use to reduce inflammation. 3. Biologics—Vaccines 4. Chlorhexidine—Allowed for surgical procedures conducted by a veterinarian. Allowed for use as a teat dip when alternative germicidal agents and/or physical barriers have lost their effectiveness. 5. Chlorine materials—disinfecting and sanitizing facilities and equipment. Residual chlorine levels in the water shall not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act. i. Calcium hypochlorite. ii. Chlorine dioxide.
iii. Sodium hypochlorite. 6. Electrolytes—without antibiotics. 7. Glucose. 8. Glycerine—Allowed as a livestock teat dip, must be produced through the hydrolysis of fats or oils. 9. Hydrogen peroxide. 10. Iodine. 11. Magnesium sulfate. 12. Oxytocin—use in postparturition therapeutic applications. 13. Paraciticides. Ivermectin—prohibited in slaughter stock, allowed in emergency treatment for dairy and breeder stock when organic system plan-approved preventive management does not prevent infestation. Milk or milk products from a treated animal cannot be labeled as provided for in subpart D of this part for 90 days following treatment. In breeder stock, treatment cannot occur during the last third of gestation if the progeny will be sold as organic and must not be used during the lactation period for breeding stock. 14. Phosphoric acid—allowed as equipment cleaner. Provided, That, no direct contact with organically managed livestock or land occurs. B. As topical treatment, external parasiticide or local anesthetic as applicable. 1. Copper sulfate. 2. Iodine. 3. Lidocaine—as a local anesthetic. Use requires a withdrawal period of 90 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter and 7 days after administering to dairy animals. 4. Lime, hydrated—as an external pest control, not permitted to cauterized physical alterations or deodorize animal wastes. 5. Mineral oil—for topical use and as a lubricant.
6. Procaine—as a local anesthetic, use requires a withdrawal period of 90 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter and 7 days after administering to dairy animals. C. As feed supplements—milk replacers without antibiotic, as emergency use only, no nonmilk products or products from BST treated animals. D. As feed additives. 1. DL-Methionine, DL-Methionine—hydroxy analog, and DL-Methionine —hydroxyl analog calcium (CAS#-59-51-8; 63-68-3; 348-67-4)—for use only in organic poultry production until October 1, 2008. 2. Trace minerals, used for enrichment or fortification when FDA approved. 3. Vitamins, used for enrichment or fortification when FDA approved. E. As synthetic inert ingredients as classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for use with nonsynthetic substances or a synthetic substances listed in this section and used as an active pesticide ingredient in accordance with any limitations on the use of such substances. 1. EPA List 4—Inerts of Minimal Concern. § 205.604 Nonsynthetic substances prohibited for use in organic livestock production. The following nonsynthetic substances may not be used in organic livestock production: A. Strychnine. § 205.605 Nonagricultural (nonorganic) substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as "organic" or "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))." The following nonagricultural substances may be used as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as "organic" or "made with organic (specified ingredients or food groups(s))" only in accordance with any restrictions specified in this section. A. Nonsynthetics allowed: Acids (Alginic; Citric—produced by microbial fermentation of carbohydrate substances; and Lactic). Agar-agar.
Animal enzymes—(Rennet—animal derived; Catalase-bovine liver; Animal lipase; Pancreatin; Pepsin; and Trypsin). Bentonite. Calcium carbonate. Calcium chloride. Calcium sulfate—mined. Carageenan. Colors, nonsynthetic sources only. Dairy cultures. Diatomaceous earth—food filtering aid only. Enzymes—must be derived from edible, nontoxic plants, nonpathogenic fungi, or nonpathogenic bacteria). Flavors, nonsynthetic sources only and must not be produced using synthetic solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative. Glucono delta-lactone—production by the oxidation of D-glucose with bromine water is prohibited. Kaolin. Magnesium sulfate, nonsynthetic sources only. Nitrogen—oil-free grades. Oxygen—oil-free grades. Perlite—for use only as a filter aid in food processing. Potassium chloride. Potassium iodide. Sodium bicarbonate. Sodium carbonate.
Tartaric acid. Waxes—nonsynthetic (Carnauba wax; and Wood resin). Yeast—nonsynthetic, growth on petrochemical substrate and sulfite waste liquor is prohibited (Autolysate; Bakers; Brewers; Nutritional; and Smoked—nonsynthetic smoke flavoring process must be documented). B. Synthetics allowed: Alginates. Ammonium bicarbonate—for use only as a leavening agent. Ammonium carbonate—for use only as a leavening agent. Ascorbic acid. Calcium citrate. Calcium hydroxide. Calcium phosphates (monobasic, dibasic and tribasic). Carbon dioxide. Cellulose—for use in regenerative casings, as an anti-caking agent (nonchlorine bleached) and filtering aid. Chlorine materials—disinfecting and sanitizing food contact surfaces, Except, That, residual chlorine levels in the water shall not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act (Calcium hypochlorite; Chlorine dioxide; and Sodium hypochlorite). Ethylene—allowed for postharvest ripening of tropical fruit and degreening of citrus. Ferrous sulfate—for iron enrichment or fortification of foods when required by regulation or recommended (independent organization). Glycerides (mono and di)—for use only in drum drying of food. Glycerin—produced by hydrolysis of fats and oils. Hydrogen peroxide.
Lecithin—bleached. Magnesium carbonate—for use only in agricultural products labeled "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," prohibited in agricultural products labeled "organic." Magnesium chloride—derived from sea water. Magnesium stearate—for use only in agricultural products labeled "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," prohibited in agricultural products labeled "organic." Nutrient vitamins and minerals, in accordance with 21 CFR 104.20, Nutritional Quality Guidelines for Foods. Ozone. Pectin (low-methoxy). Phosphoric acid—cleaning of food-contact surfaces and equipment only. Potassium acid tartrate. Potassium tartrate made from tartaric acid. Potassium carbonate. Potassium citrate. Potassium hydroxide—prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables except when used for peeling peaches during the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) production process. Potassium iodide—for use only in agricultural products labeled "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))" prohibited in agricultural products labeled "organic." Potassium phosphate—for use only in agricultural products labeled "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," prohibited in agricultural products labeled "organic." Silicon dioxide. Sodium citrate.
Sodium hydroxide—prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables. Sodium phosphates—for use only in dairy foods. Sodium dioxide—for use only in wine labeled "made with organic grapes," Provided, That, total sulfite concentration does not exceed 100 ppm. Tartaric acid. Tocopherols— derived from vegetable oil when rosemary extracts are not a suitable alternative. Xanthan gum.
§ 205.606 Nonorganically produced agricultural products allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as "organic." Only the following nonorganically produced agricultural products may be used as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as "organic," only in accordance with any restrictions specified in this section, and only when the product is not commercially available in organic form. A. Cornstarch (native). B. Gums—water extracted only (arabic, guar, locust bean, carob bean). C. Kelp—for use only as a thickener and dietary supplement. D. Lecithin—unbleached. E. Pectin (high-methoxy).
§ 205.607 Amending the National List. (a) Any person may petition the National Organic Standard Board for the purpose of having a substance evaluated by the Board for recommendation to the Secretary for inclusion on or deletion from the National List in accordance with the Act. (b) A person petitioning for amendment of the National List should request a copy of the petition procedures from the USDA at the address in § 205.607(c).
(c) A petition to amend the National List must be submitted to: Program Manager, USDA/AMS/TMP/NOP, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 4008-So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 20250.
E. Labeling and Marketing
These requirements for organic labeling and marketing come directly from the National Organic Program (NOP) as of April 2006. For up to date requirements visit the NOP online at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/NOPhome.html. The Organic Foods Production Act and the National Organic Program (NOP) are intended to assure consumers that the organic foods they purchase are produced, processed, and certified to consistent national organic standards. The labeling requirements of the new program apply to raw, fresh products and processed foods that contain organic ingredients. Food that are sold, labeled, or represented as organic will have to be produced and processed in accordance with the NOP standards. Except for operations whose gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less, farm and processing operations that grow and process organic foods must be certified by USDA-accredited certifying agents. A certified operation may label its products or ingredients as organic and may use the "USDA Organic" seal. Labeling requirements are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product. Foods labeled "100 percent organic" and "organic" Products labeled as "100 percent organic" must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients. Products labeled "organic" must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining product ingredients must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the National List or non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form. Products meeting the requirements for "100 percent organic" and "organic" may display these terms and the percentage of organic content on their principal display panel. The USDA seal and the seal or mark of involved certifying agents may appear on product packages and in advertisements. Foods labeled "100 percent organic" and "organic" cannot be produced using excluded methods, sewage sludge, or ionizing radiation. Processed products labeled "made with organic ingredients" Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase "made with organic ingredients" and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups on the principal display panel. For example, soup made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients and only organic vegetables may be labeled either "soup made with organic peas, potatoes, and carrots," or "soup made with organic vegetables."
Processed products labeled "made with organic ingredients" cannot be produced using excluded methods, sewage sludge, or ionizing radiation. The percentage of organic content and the certifying agent seal or mark may be used on the principal display panel. However, the USDA seal cannot be used anywhere on the package. Processed products that contain less than 70 percent organic ingredients These products cannot use the term organic anywhere on the principal display panel. However, they may identify the specific ingredients that are organically produced on the ingredients statement on the information panel. Other labeling provisions Any product labeled as organic must identify each organically produced ingredient in the ingredients statement on the information panel. The name and address of the certifying agent of the final product must be displayed on the information panel. There are no restrictions in this final rule on use of other truthful labeling claims such as "no drugs or growth hormones used," "free range," or "sustainably harvested." Penalties for misuse of labels A civil penalty of up to $10,000 can be levied on any person who knowingly sells or labels as organic a product that is not produced and handled in accordance with the National Organic Program's regulations. When the new regulations become effective, organic farmers and handlers will have 18 months to adjust their growing and processing operations and revise their product labels to conform to the new standards.
F. Organic Rules of Thumb
All of these rules of thumb are simplified versions of the National Organic Program standards as of April 2006. Several sections come directly from the National Organic Program website. For up to date requirements visit the NOP online at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/NOPhome.html. Agricultural operations affected by the standards: • • Any farm, wild crop, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced must adhere to the national organic standards. All operations that are required to become certified must develop an Organic Production and Handling System Plan. o Handling operations include processors and manufacturers of organic products. o Operations that sell less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural products are exempted from certification and preparing an organic system plan, but they must operate in compliance with these regulations and may label products as organic. o Retail food establishments that sell organically produced agricultural products do not need to be certified. Organic Production and Handling System Plan • The producer or handler must develop an organic production or handling system plan that is agreed to by the producer or handler and accredited certifying agent. The plan must include: o Description of practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including frequency. o A list of each substance to be used as an input indicating composition, source, location(s) of use and documentation of commercial availability. o A description of the monitoring practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including frequency. o A description of the recordkeeping system implemented to comply with requirements in §205.103. o A description of the management practices and physical barriers established to prevent commingling of organic and nonorganic
productions on a split operation. Additional information deemed necessary by the certifying agent to evaluate compliance with regulations. • Examples of these plans are available through ATTRA at http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub or by calling 1-800-346-9140.
Land Requirements • • For organic certification, no prohibited substance can be applied for three years prior to certification. Organic certified land must have defined boundaries and buffer zones to prevent contamination of a prohibited substance.
Synthetic and Nonsynthetic Substances • Natural or nonsynthetic substances are allowed in organic production and synthetic substances are prohibited. However, the NOP has created a list of allowed synthetic substances and prohibited natural or nonsynthetic substances (see page 41).
Additions of Animal and Plant Materials • Raw manure (see page 29) can be applied to a crop not intended for human consumption. It must be incorporated into soil not less than (1) 120 days prior to harvest if it comes into contact with soil surface or (2) 90 days prior to harvest if it does not come into contact with soil surface. Composted plant and animal waste must (1) establish initial carbon: nitrogen ratio between 25:1 and 40:1; (2) maintain temperature between 131 ºF and 170 ºF for 3 days in a in-vessel or static aerated pile system; or maintain temperature between 131 ºF and 170 ºF for 15 days using a windrow composting system, turning the material at least five times. Once the plant or animal waste has met these requirements it is considered composted plant and animal waste rather than raw manure. Uncomposted plant material is allowed as a crop nutrient or soil amendment.
Crop Standards • Land will have no prohibited substances applied to it for at least 3 years before the harvest of an organic crop. The use of genetic engineering, ionizing, radiation, and sewage sludge is prohibited.
Soil fertility and crop nutrients will be managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop rotations, and cover crops, supplemented with animal and crop waste materials and allowed synthetic materials. Preference is given to the use of organic seeds and other planting stock, but a farmer may use non-organic seed and planting stock under specific conditions (see page 30). Crop pests, weeds and diseases will be controlled primarily through management practices including physical, mechanical, and biological controls. When these practices are not sufficient, a biological or synthetic substance approved for use on the National List may be used.
Livestock standards • Animals for slaughter must be raised under organic management the last third of gestation, or no later than the second day of life for poultry. Producers are required to feed livestock agricultural feed products that are 100 percent organic, but may also provide allowed vitamin and mineral supplements. Producers may convert an entire, distinct dairy herd to organic production by providing 80 percent organically produced feed for 9 months, followed by 3 months of 100 percent organically produced feed. Organically raised animals may not be given hormones to promote growth, or antibiotics, for any reason. Preventative management practices, including the use of vaccines, will be used to keep animals healthy. Producers are prohibited from withholding treatment from a sick or injured animal; however, animals treated with a prohibited medication may not be sold as organic. All organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors, including access to pasture for ruminants. They may be temporarily confined only for reasons of health, safety, the animal's stage of production, or to protect soil or water quality.
Handling standards • All nonagricultural ingredients, whether synthetic or nonsynthetic, must be included on the National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Nonsynthetic Substances. Handlers must prevent commingling of organic with nonorganic products and protect organic products from contact with prohibited substances. In a processed product labeled as "organic," all agricultural ingredients must be organically produced, unless the ingredient(s) is not commercially available in organic form. 58
• •
II. Organic Certification
A. Certification Agencies
Below is a list of NOP approved certification agencies that, as of April 2006, are approved by the Arkansas State Plant Board to certify within Arkansas. For a complete list of all NOP certification agencies visit: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/CertifyingAgents/Accredited.html
Indiana Certified Organic 8364 SSR 39 Clayton, IN 46118 Contact: Cissy Bowman 317-539-4317 firstname.lastname@example.com http://members.iquest.net/~cvof/ico/
Scope: crop, livestock, wild crop, handling Accredited: 4/29/02
Organic Crop Improvement Association 6400 Cornhusker, Ste. 125 Lincoln, NE 68507 Contact: Jeff See 402-477-2323 firstname.lastname@example.com www.ocia.org
Scope: crop, livestock, wild crop, handling Accredited: 4/29/02
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture 2800 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Contact: Chad Goss 405-522-5898 firstname.lastname@example.com
Scope: crop, livestock, handling Accredited: 12/6/02
Stellar Certification Services P.O. Box 1390 Philomath, OR 97370 Contact: Jim Fullmer 541-929-7148 firstname.lastname@example.com
Scope: crop, livestock, wild crop, handling Accredited: 4/29/02
Oregon Tilth 470 Lancaster Dr., Salem, OR 97301 Contact: Chris Schreiner 503-378-0690 email@example.com www.tilth.org
Scope: crop, livestock, wild crop, handling Accredited: 4/29/02
Quality Certified Services P.O. Box 12311 Gainesville, FL 32604 Contact: Angela Caudle 352-377-0133 firstname.lastname@example.com www.QCSinfo.org
Scope: crop, livestock, wild crop, handling Accredited: 4/29/02
B. Organic Consultants
Ag Organics Inc. John Turner P.O. Box 429 Gentry, AR 72734 479-736-9977 Bio-Ag Consultants & Distributors 710 South Columbia Plainview, Texas 79072 800-363-5278 email@example.com http://www.bio-ag.com Livestock Regional Manager at Large 3855 Wieuca Terrace Atlanta, GA 30342 404-467-0243 firstname.lastname@example.com Food Solutions, Inc. Dr. Craig Bair P.O. Box 10184 Greensboro, NC 27404 336-851-0206 email@example.com 800-457-5013
Crossley Consulting Rod Crossley P.O. Box 729 Montrose, CA 91021 818-248-8323 firstname.lastname@example.com JCL Consulting Jim Lathers 5807 W. 116th Place Westminster, CO 80020 720-205-1832 email@example.com SuperGro of Iowa Keith Cuvelier 1311 Circle Dr. Aplington, IA 50609 319-347-6155 SeaBorn/Lane Inc. Warren Dunkel P.O. Box 204 Charles City, IA 50616
III. Resource Organizations
A. Policy and Government
Agricultural Network Information Center (AgNIC) http://www.agnic.org/agnic/index_html Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC) http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic 10301 Baltimore Ave., Room 132 Beltsville, MD 20705-2351 301-504-6559 email@example.com Community Supported Agriculture USDA site http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa National Agricultural Library http://www.nal.usda.gov National Direct Marketing Association www.the-dma.org Natural Resource Conservation Service http://www.nrcs.usda.gov Small Farms @ USDA www.usda.gov/oce/smallfarm/index.htm Southern SARE http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/ Jeff Jordan Program Director 1109 Experiment St. Room 206, Stuckey Building University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station Griffin, GA 30223-1797 770-412-4787 Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) http://www.sare.org 10300 Baltimore Avenue BARC West, Bldg. 046 Beltsville, MD 20705 USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) http://www.ams.usda.gov USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)—Organic Briefing Room www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Organic/ Catherine Greene (farming) Carolyn Dimitri (marketing) USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) http://www.nass.usda.gov/Census_of_A griculture/index.asp USDA National Organic Program (NOP) www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm Barbara Robinson Room 4008-South Building 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20250-0020 202-720-3252
B. State Agencies
State agents are directly linked with the National Organic Program. Agents are generally responsible for dispersing cost-share funds and have a general knowledge of marketing of organic products within the state. The list of agents below is limited to those in the southern states. For a complete list of state agents visit the NOP website at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/StatePrograms/StateContacts.html Alabama AL Department of Ag & Industries 7070 Alabama Highway 51 Opelika, AL 36804 334-242-5350 Arizona AZ Department of Agriculture 1688 W. Adams, Room 124 Phoenix, AZ 85007 602-542-0958 Arkansas Tim Ellison Arkansas State Plant Board 1 Natural Resources Drive Little Rock, AR 72205 501-225-1598 email@example.com Florida FL Dept. of Ag. & Consumer Services Plaza Level 10—The Capitol Tallahassee, FL 32399-0810 850-488-3022 http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/ Georgia GA Dept. of Agriculture 224 Main Street Thomson, GA 30824 706-595-3408 Kansas KS Dept of Agriculture 109 SW 9th Street Topeka, KS 66612 785-296-4172 http://www.accesskansas.org/kda/ Kentucky Director of Organic Certification and Promotions KY Dept of Agriculture 100 Fair Oaks Lane, 5th Floor Frankfort, KY 40601 502-564-0290, ext 258 Louisiana LA Dept of Ag. & Forestry P.O. Box 3896 Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3596 225-952-8047 http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/ Mississippi MS Dept of Agriculture P.O. Box 5034 Mississippi State, MS 39302 601-483-3451 Missouri MO Dept. of Agriculture 1616 Missouri Blvd P.O. Box 630 Jefferson City, MO 65102 573-522-9656
New Mexico NM Organic Commodity Commission 4001 Indian School, NE, Suite 310 Albuquerque, NM 87110 505-841-9070 North Carolina 1020 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1020 919-733-7136 Oklahoma OK Dept. of Agriculture 2800 N. Lincoln Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4298 405-522-1060 South Carolina SC Dept of Agriculture Wade Hampton Office Building P.O. Box 11280 Columbia, SC 29211 803-734-2191
Tennessee TN Dept of Agriculture P.O. Box 40627 Nashville, TN 37204 615-837-5160 Texas TX Dept of Agriculture P.O. Box 12847 Austin, TX 78711 512-475-1641 http://www.agr.state.tx.us Virginia VA Dept of Ag & Consumer Services P.O. Box 1163 Richmond, VA 23218 804-786-0480 http://www.vdacs.state.va.us West Virginia WV Dept of Agriculture 1900 Kanawha Blvd East Charleston, WV 25305 304-558-2210
C. University Programs & Websites
University programs and websites listed provide information about various disciplines within organic agriculture. All contact information is current as of April 2006. Arkansas University of Arkansas Ecological Agriculture Program University of Arkansas 316 Plant Sciences Building Fayetteville, AR 72701 www.uark.edu/ua/uaecoag/index.htm National Agricultural Law Center University of Arkansas Law School 1 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 479-575-7646 email@example.com http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org California Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems University of California Santa Cruz 1156 High St. Santa Cruz, CA 95064 http://zzyx.ucsc.edu/casfs/ Small Farm Center University of California Davis One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616 530-752-8136 www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/default.asp?viewe vents=1&monthview=8&year=2005 Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems (SAFS) University of California Davis Dept of Land, Air, and Water Resources One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616 530- 754-6497 http://safs.ucdavis.edu
University of California SAREP Program University of California Davis One Shields Ave. Davis, CA 95616 530-752-7556 email@example.com http://sarep.ucdavis.edu Florida University of Florida IFAS Extension http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Organic_I ndustry Illinois Agroecology/Sustainable Ag Program University of Illinois W-503 Turner Hall 1102 S. Goodwin Urbana, IL 61801 217-333-1588 www.aces.uiuc.edu/~asap Indiana Prudue University CES Cooperative Extension Service 1140 AGAD Building West Lafayette, IN 47907 1-888-EXT-INFO http://www.ces.purdue.edu/sa/ Iowa Leopold Center 209 Curtiss Hall Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011-1050 515-294-3711 http://www.leopold.iastate.edu
Organic Agriculture Program Iowa State University 106 Horticulture Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 515-294-7069 http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organi cag/ Kansas Kansas State Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Alternative Crops 3029 Throckmorton Hall Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506 785-532-1440 http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/sustainableag/ Kentucky Kentucky Leadership for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability http://www.uky.edu/Ag/KLAES/ Maine University of Maine CES Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Office 495 College Ave. Orono, ME 04473-1294 Phone: (207) 581-2942 www.umext.maine.edu/topics/susag.htm Minnesota Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture University of Minnesota 411 Borlaug Hall 1991 Buford Circle St. Paul, MN 55108-1013 612-625-8235 1-800-909-6472 http://www.misa.umn.edu
Missouri Missouri Alternative Center University of Missouri 3 Whitten Hall Columbia, MO 65211 http://www.agebb.missouri.edu/mac/ Nebraska Center for Applied Rural Innovation University of Nebraska Lincoln 58 H.C. Filley Hall Lincoln, NE 68583-0947 http://cari.unl.edu North Carolina Center for Environmental Farming Systems Department of Horticultural Science 224 Kilgore Hall Box 7609 Raleigh, NC 27695-7609 919-515-9447 http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/ Growing Small Farms P.O. Box 279 Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-8202 www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/ Ohio Ohio Online The Ohio State University http://extension.osu.edu/ The Cyber-Farm The Ohio State University 16714 State Route 215 Caldwell, OH 43724 http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~farm/ Oregon Oregon Small Farms Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331 http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu
Pennsylvania Penn State Cooperative Extension Agricultural Alternatives http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu Sustaining Pennsylvania Agriculture Sustaining PA Agriculture, Editor 218 Buckhout Lab University Park, PA 16802 814-863-7235 http://susag.cas.psu.edu Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture University of Vermont 63 Carrigan Drive Burlington, VT 05405 802-656-5459 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.uvm.edu/~susagctr/
Washington Washington State University Tree Fruit Research 1100 N. Western Ave. Wenatchee, WA 98801 509-663-8181 http://organic.tfrec.wsu.edu/OrganicIFP/ Home/Index.html Wisconsin Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems University of Wisconsin-Madison 1535 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706 608-262-5200 http://www.cias.wisc.edu Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project University of Wisconsin-Madison Biological Systems Engineering 460 Henry Mall Madison, WI 53706 http://www.bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/ Wyoming University of Wyoming CES Sustainable Agriculture University of Wyoming Dept 3354 1000 E. University Ave Laramie, WY 82071 307-766-5124 http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWCES/S ustainable_ag.asp
D. National Organizations
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) 1111 NSRIC Iowa State University Ames, IA 500011 866-277-5567 email@example.com http://www.agmrc.org ATTRA- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service P.O. Box 3657 Fayetteville, AR 72702 800-346-9140 http://attra.org American Farmland Trust 1200 18th Street NW Washington, D.C., 20036 202-331-7300 email@example.com http://www.farmland.org American Grassfed Association 10301 Baltimore Ave Rm 132 Beltsville, MD 20705 301-504-6559 email@example.com http://www.americangrassfed.org Center for Rural Affairs P.O. Box 136 Lyons, NE 68038 402-687-2100 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.cfra.org Ecological Farming Association (EFA) 406 Main St., Suite 313 Watsonville, CA 95076 831-763-2111 email@example.com http://www.eco-farm.org Kerr Center P.O. Box 588 Poteau, OK 74953 Phone: 918-647-9123 email@example.com http://www.kerrcenter.com Mid-West Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) P.O. Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767 715-772-3153 email@example.com http://www.mosesorganic.org National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) P.O. Box 3838 Butte, MT 59702 406-494-4572 http://www.ncat.org National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture P.O. Box 396 Pine Bush, NY 12566 845-361-5201 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.sustainableagriculture.net North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) 62 Whiteloaf Rd Southampton, MA 01073 888-884-9270 http://www.nafdma.com Oregon Tilth 470 Lancaster Dr. NE Salem, Oregon 97301 503-378-0690 http://www.tilth.org
Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) 6400 Cornhusker, Suite 125 Lincoln, NE 68507 404-477-2323 firstname.lastname@example.com www.ocia.org Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) P.O. Box 440 Santa Cruz, Ca 95061 831-426-6606 http://www.ofrf.org Organic Grassfed Beef Coalition 19323 Dogwood Ave Akron, IA 51001 712-568-3433 www.organicgrassfedbeef.org Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) P.O. Box 11558 Eugene, OR 97440 541-343-7600 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.omri.org
Organic Trade Association P.O. Box 547 Greenfield, MA 01302 413-774-7511 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.ota.com/index.html Rodale Institute 610-683-1400 farm 610-683-6009 bookstore email@example.com http://www.rodaleinstitute.org Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) 10300 Baltimore Ave Building 046- BARC West Beltsville, MD 20705 301-504-6425 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.sare.org The Organic Alliance 400 Selby Ave, Suite T St. Paul, MN 55102 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.organic.org The MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center 300 Buck Island Ranch Road Lake Placid, Florida 33852 863-699-0242 http://www.archboldstation.org/abs/maerc/maerc.htm
E. Working Groups & Farmer Organizations
American Pastured Poultry Producers Assn P.O. Box 73 Hartselle, AL 35640 256-751-3925 http://apppa.org Assn. of Specialty Cut Flower Growers P.O. Box 268 Oberlin, OH 44074 440-774-2435 http://www.ascfg.org Carolina Farm Stewardship Assn. P.O. Box 448 Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-2402 http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org Community Farm Alliance 614 Shelby Street Frankfort, KY 40601 502-223-3655 www.communityfarmalliance.org/ Florida Organic Growers Assn (FOG) P.O. Box 12311 Gainesville, FL 32604 http://www.foginfo.org Georgia Organics P.O. Box 8924 Atlanta, GA 31106 770-993-5534 http://www.georgiaorganics.org Michigan Organic Food & Farm Alliance P.O. Box 36880 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 810-659-8414 email@example.com http://www.moffa.org Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Foundation P.O. Box 82234 Columbus OH 43202 614-421-2022 http://www.oeffa.org Practical Farmers of Iowa P. O. Box 349 Ames, Iowa 50010 515-232-5661 http://www.practicalfarmers.org Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group P. O. Box 324 Elkins, AR 72727 479-587-0888 http://www.ssawg.org Sustainable Food Center 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 480 W Austin, TX 75723 512-236-0074 http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Assn 877-326-5175 http://www.tofga.org Texas Organic Growers Assn 2280 Sand Hill Road Dale, TX, 78616 877-326-5175 www.texasorganicgrowers.org The Organic Consumers Association 6101 Cliff Estate Rd. Little Marais, MN 55614 http://OrganicConsumer.org
F. International Organizations
Canadian Organic Growers http://www.cog.ca Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations http://www.fao.org International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) http://www.ifoam.org Organic-Europe www.organic-europe.net
G. Organic Grant Agencies
USDA–SARE Producer Grants Purpose: Hopes to embrace the importance of on-farm, producer experience in developing solutions to production problems. Growers interested in conducting research or marketing projects related to sustainable agriculture. Funding: Projects may be funded for two years for a maximum of $10,000 for an individual producer or $15,000 for a producer organization. Applications: Due in November. Information: http://www.sare.org/grants/index.htm USDA–SARE On-Farm Research Grants Purpose: For on-farm and marketing projects that promote sustainable agriculture. Projects should be innovative and generate results beyond one year and produce information that many farmers can use. Must be developed, coordinated, and led by Extension, NRCS and/or nongovernmental organization personnel who work with farmers/ranchers and who will conduct on-farm research with at least one farmer/rancher cooperator. Funding: Project maximum is $15,000. Applications: Due in November. Information: http://www.sare.org/grants/index.htm USDA Rural Business—Cooperative Service Value-added Producer Grant Program Purpose: Makes funds available to help producers enter into value-added activities. Funding: Project up to $500,000. Applications: Due in March. Information: www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadgstateoffice.html Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) Purpose: Funds research into organic farming and food systems and dissemination of research results to organic farmers and to growers interested in making the transition to organic production systems. Projects should involve farmers in both design and execution and take place on working organic farms whenever possible and appropriate. Funding: Encourage modest proposals; average award is $8,000 but not more than $15,000. Applications: Due in December. Information: www.ofrf.org CSREES—Integrated Organic Program Purpose: To integrate research, education and extension activities in two program areas: (1) Organic Transitions Program and (2) Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. Funding: Variable. Applications: Due in December. Information: www.csrees.usda.gov
IV. Supplier of Organic Products
A. Fertilizers and Soil Inputs Suppliers
Nitron Industries, Inc. P.O. Box 1447 Fayetteville, AR 72702 800-835-0123 www.gardeniq.com Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Hydroponic Fertilizer American Milling 500 West Prairie Street Fayetteville, AR 479-521-7140 Honey Crest Farm Lee Harris 8868 Lee Lane Bentonville, AR 72712 479-795-2113 4-2-2 poultry litter based fertilizer Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Microbial Inoculants, Micronutrients Garden-Ville 7561 E Evans Road 14040 Nacogdoches #314 San Antonio, TX 78266 210-657-6115 http://www.garden-ville.com Compost Inoculants and Bioactivators, Composts/Manures/ Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Humates/Humic Acids, Marine Products, Microbial Inoculants, Micronutrients, Rock Minerals— Phosphates GreenSense Fertilizers 1651 Wall Street Garland, TX 75041 972-864-1934 http://www.beorganic.com Animal By-Products, Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Humates/Humic Acids, Marine Products, Mycorrhizal Inoculants, Plant By-Products, Rock Minerals—Phosphates, Worms for Vermicompost Maestro-Gro P.O. Box 427 Hamilton, TX 76531 254-796-4001 Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Microbial Inoculants, Micronutrients Micro-Organics International Division of Houston Tropicare, Inc. P.O. Box 2505 Spring, TX 77383-2505
Earthly Goods P.O. Box 4164 Tulsa, OK 74159 918-583-1990 Animal By-Products, Compost Inoculants and Bioactivators, Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Humates/Humic Acids, Marine Products, Micronutrients, Plant By-Products, Rock Minerals—NonPhosphates, Rock Minerals— Phosphates
AG ORG, Inc. 2476 Bolsover, #357 Houston, TX 77005 713-523-4396 888-246-7416 http://www.ag-org.com 72
281-363-3330 281-367-1166 http://www.microorganics.com Compost Inoculants and Bioactivators, Marine Products, Microbial Inoculants, Micronutrients Triganic Organic Minerals 519 Estelle Drive Rockdale, TX 76567 512-446-3244 http://www.triganic.com Compost Inoculants and Bioactivators, Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Humates/Humic Acids, Hydroponic Fertilizer, Micronutrients, Rock Minerals— Non-Phosphates, Rock Minerals— Phosphates
Agri-Gro Marketing, Inc. HC 4, Box 333 Doniphan, MO 63935 573-996-7384 800-881-8801 http://www.agrigro.com Compost Inoculants and Bioactivators, Marine Products, Microbial Inoculants, Micronutrients American Pasturage, Inc. P.O. Box 190 Marionville, MO 65705 417-258-2394 http://www.americanpasturage.com Marine products Mid-States Supply, Inc. 1716 Guinette Avenue Kansas City, MO 64120 816-842-4290 http://www.midcoonline.com Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers, Cover Crop Seeds, Humates/Humic Acids, Marine Products, Micronutrients, Rock Minerals, Phosphates Peak Minerals-Azomite, Inc. P.O. Box 6588 Branson, MO 65615-6588 417-334-8500 877-296-6483 http://www.AZOMITE.com Rock Minerals—Non-Phosphates Plant Right Route 2 Box 264 Farm Road 2115 Purdy, MO 65734 417-442-3757 Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers
Agreaux Organics P.O. Box 30 800 Ferguson Mill Road Monticello, MS 39654 601-587-0027 8773-78-5407 http://www.agreauxorganics.com Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers Agrigulf Inc. 52 Cable Bridge Road Perkinston, MS 39573 601-928-5837 http://www.agrigulf.com Marine Products N-Viro Products, Inc. Ferguson Mill Rd P.O. Box 30 Monticello, MS 39654 601-587-0027 Pelletized organic fertilizer in 6-2-4, 52-4, 2-10-10, 3.5-3.5-3.5
Universal Agriculture Products, Inc. 1775 Cedar Ridge Way Reeds Spring, MO 65737 417-336-6666 800-336-6681 http://www.universalagri.com Composts/Manures/Guano/Blended Fertilizers
Vita Products P.O. Box 565 Chandler, AZ 84244 800-874-1452 www.vitaproducts.com Post harvest care of fresh cut flowers, fertilizers
Northeast West
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply 110 Spring Hill Dr Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-272-4769 Provides free catalog-- soil amendments Greensand, rock phosphate, Sul-PoMag, fish, blood and bone meals, kelp and seaweed Woods End Research Laboratory Old Rome Rd. Rt 2 Box 1850 Mt. Vernon, ME 04352 207-293-2457 Compost testing kit
B. Equipment Suppliers
Ewing 7324 Cock of the Walk Ln N. Little Rock, AR 72213 501-758-9530 Irrigation supplies Ewing 3902 Kelley Ave, Ste. B Springdale, AR 72762 470-927-9530 Irrigation supplies Oklahoma Ewing 10708 East 61st Street Tulsa, OK 74133 918-252-3857 Irrigation supplies Ewing 11059 S. Memorial Drive Tulsa, OK 74133 918-369-9530 Irrigation supplies Texas Ewing 1020 Neville Court Mesquite, TX 75150 972-329-9530 Irrigation supplies Ewing 1309 Capital Ave. Plano, TX 75074 972-633-9530 Irrigation supplies Mississippi BWI Companies, Inc. 6013 N. McRaven Rd P.O. Box 20407 Jackson, MS 39289 800-395-2580 Greenhouse and nursery equipment, trays, pots, flats, cells, potting media, irrigation supplies and misters Missouri Hummert International 4500 Earth City Expressway Earth City, MO 53045 314-505-4500 www.hummert.com Greenhouse frames, greenhouse plastic, field and greenhouse equipment, drip irrigation, bedding plant plastics and containers BWI Companies, Inc. 3136 S. Clifton Springfield, MO 65807 800-247-4954 Greenhouse and nursery equipment, trays, pots, flats, cells, potting media, irrigation supplies and misters
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply 110 Spring Hill Dr Grass Valley, CA 95945 Provides free catalog—organic farming supplies
Midwest & Plains
LaCrescent Orchard Supply P.O. Box 143 Hwy 14 & 61 LaCrescent, MN 55947 Orchard equipment
C. Pest Management Suppliers
Nitron Industries P.O. Box 1447 4605 Johnson Road, Fayetteville, AR 72702 800-835-0123 www.gardeniq.com Beneficials Texas Biofac, Inc. P.O. Box 87 Mathis, TX 78368 800-233-4914 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.biofac.com Beneficials
Midwest & Plains
LaCrescent Orchard Supply PO Box 143 Hwy 14 & 61 LaCrescent, MN 55947 Dipel DF in bulk Gemplers 800-769-9225 P.O. Box 44993 Madison, WI 53744 email@example.com www.gemplers.com Insect controls including beneficials & pheromone traps Midwest Biological Controls News Department of Entomology 1630 Linden Drive University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706 608-262-9914 A monthly newsletter providing current information on the use of beneficial organisms for controlling insects and mites, plat pathogens and weed pests. Subscriptions are $12 per year. Insecto-Better Crops, Inc. 1710 200th st. West Chester, IA 52359 800-628-6742 Dry powder for insect control in bins and buildings. For use on livestock.
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply 110 Spring Hill Dr Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-272-4769 Provides free catalog—pest controls "Suppliers of Beneficial Organisms in North America" CA EPA, Dept of Pesticide Regulation 1020 N. Street, Rm 161 Sacramento, CA 95814 Lists commercial suppliers of biological control organisms
D. Seed Suppliers
Temple Products, LLC Mark Davis P.O. Box 89 McGhee, AR 71654 870-222-4022 email@example.com Southeast Southern Exposure Seed Exchange P.O. Box 460 Mineral, VA 23117 540-894-9481 www.southernexposure.com Organic heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds, peanut seeds and garlic Genesis Seeds, Ltd. 800 S. Ocean Blvd #LPH4 Boca Raton, FL 33432 561-391-8467 www.genesisseeds.com Organic vegetables, flowers & herbs Environmental Seed Producers P.O. Box 2709 Lompoc, CA 93438 805-735-8888 www.espseeds.com Organic herb & flowers only TomatoFest Box W-1 Carmel, CA 93921 831-625-6041 www.tomatofest.com Over 500 varieties of organic heirloom tomatoes Peaceful Valley Farm Supply 110 Spring Hill Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-272-4769 www.groworganic.com Organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, bareroot fruits & ornamentals, flower bulbs, root stocks and mushroom kits Filaree Farm 182 Conconully Hwy Okanogan, WA 98840 509-422-6940 450 strains of garlic from all over the world. Horizon Herbs P.O. Box 69 Williams, OR 97544 541-846-6704 www.horizonherbs.com Organic medicinal herbs seeds and plants
Natural Gardening Company P.O. Box 75077 Petaluma, CA 94975 707-766-9747 www.naturalgardening.com Organic vegetable, herb and flower seeds Pyras Seeds 2320 Thompson Hwy #H Santa Maria, CA 93455 www.charleysfarm.com 30 varieties of organic gourmet garlic
Seeds Trust 4150 B. Black Oak Dr. Hailey, ID 83333 208-788-4363 www.seedstrust.com Organic herbs, grass, vegetable and wildflower seeds.
NC+ Organics P.O. Box 4739 Lincoln, NE 68504 800-279-7999 firstname.lastname@example.com corn, soybean, alfalfa and clover
Northeast Midwest & Plains
Chesmore Seeds Co. P.O. Box 8368 St. Joseph, MO 64508 www.localharvest.org Organic herbs, vegetables, grains, flowers, fruits, ornamentals and bulbs/tubers. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds 2278 Baker Creek Road Mansfield, MO 65704 417-924-8917 www.rareseeds.com Heirloom vegetable seeds Lakeview Farm 44200 Hwy BB Middletown, MO 63359 573-549-2231 Cover crop seeds, soybeans, corn, oats and sunflower seeds Landis Valley Museum 2451 Kissel Hill Rd Lancaster, PA 17601 717-569-0401 200+ varieties of heirloom vegetables, herbs, flowers & field crops Heirloom Seeds P.O. Box 245 W. Elizabeth, PA 15088 412-384-0852 www.heirloomseeds.com Heirloom vegetable, flower and herb seeds Pepper Joe's, Inc. 7 Tyburn Court Timonium, MD 21093 410-628-0507 firstname.lastname@example.com
E. Animal Feed Suppliers
NOP- List of Organic Feed and Grain Producers & Handlers www.ams.usda.gov/nop/ProdHandlers/F eedProducers.html Lakeside Feed 7704 Hwy 412 Huntsville, AR 72740 479-738-5145 Livestock and poultry Texas Bio-Ag 710 South Columbia Plainview, Texas 79072 800-363-5278 http://www.bio-ag.com Feed Supplements, Probiotics, Premixes Doug Hewett Corsicana, TX 254-578-1316 Coastal Bermuda and Clover/Rye and Clover/Bermuda and Johnsongrass hay mostly mixed Judy Glazer McKinney, TX 214-361-7902 Native grass/Johnsongrass hay, inquire on corn and soybean Chris Grotegut Hereford, TX 806-258-7565 Organic wheat and corn Leon Langley Beaumont, TX 409-284-0104 Organic soybeans, sorghum, rice bran God Sent Organic Farm Howard Terrell Klondike, TX 214-243-9156 Native grass/Johnsongrass hay Jimmy Wedel Muleshoe, TX 806-946-7011 Organic peanut hay, organic alfalfa hay Glen Maricek Midkiff, TX 432-5352351 Organic haygrazer and wheat hay Stephenville Hay Lot Stephenville, TX 254-968-6434 Many different types of organic hay Missouri Ozark Mountain Acres 3996 Holmes Rd Cabool, MO 65689 417-962-4183 Southeast Blount Feeds P.O. Box 550 Hwy 64 E. Alt. Bethel, NC 27812 252-825-4491 Grains and feeds for livestock and poultry Countryside Natural Products 1688 Jefferson Hwy Fisherville, VA 22939 540-932-8534 http://www.countrysidenatural.com Poultry rations; On-site nutritionist, custom mixing
F. Veterinary Suppliers
Crystal Creek, Inc. N9466 Lakeside Road Trego, WI 54888 888-376-6777 www.crystalcreeknatural.com Animal health products, consulting, free catalogue, full of information
V. Marketing
Businesses within the marketing section are listed alphabetically by city within each state/regional section.
A. Brokers & Buyers
Arrowhead Mills 110 S. Lawton Hereford, TX 79045 806-364-8242 Grains, beans, cereals, flour, seed, nuts
Midwest & Plains
Heartland Mills Rt. 1 Box 2 Marienthal, KS 67863 316-379-4472 Oats, rye, spring wheat Grain Place Foods 1904 N Hwy 14 Marquette, NE 68854 402-854-3195 Grains Ag Finder 10730 Pacific Street, Suite 12 Omaha, NE 68114 402-391-1023 Corn, soybeans, dry edibles The Scoular Company 2027 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68192 800-488-3500
B. Cooperatives/ Health Food Stores
Naturally Grown http://www.plantboard.org/ Arkansas State Plant Board website providing free listings of Arkansas businesses for u-pick, fresh produce, etc. Mark of Health 701 W. Trimble Ave Berryville, AR 72616 870-423-2116 Natural Way 511 Oak St Conway, AR 72032 501-327-4040 Ozark Country Market 538 W. Van Buren Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-8136 Ozark Cooperative Warehouse P.O. Box 1528 Fayetteville, AR 72702 479-521-4920 www.ozark.coop Ozark Natural Foods Coop 1554 N. College Ave Fayetteville, AR 72703 479-521-7558 http://www.ozarknaturalfoods.com Summer Corn Foods 1410 Cato Springs Rd Fayetteville, AR 72701 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.summercorn.com Almond Tree Store 126 N Willow St Harrison, AR 72601 5870-741-8980 My-Health-Store 4876 Oxford Dr. Harrison, AR 72601 877-634-1339 http://www.my-health-store.com Sulfur Creek Exchange 2310 Pinewood Dr Heber Springs, AR 72543 501-362-2961 email@example.com Good Earth Natural Foods 234 Cornerstone Blvd. Hot Springs, AR 71913 501-520-4551 Cove Creek Exchange 421 Main Street Leslie, AR 72645 870-447-2724 email@example.com Natural Way 2508 S Olive St Pine Bluff, AR 71601 870-534-5335 Roger's Natural 310 N 13th St Rogers, AR 72756 479-636-7331
Sunshine Health Foods 532 Benton Rd Bossier City, LA 71111 318-746-9788 http://www.sunshinehf.com
Sunshine Health Foods 5751 Youree Drive Shreveport, LA 71105 318-219-4080 http://www.sunshinehf.com
Country Cupboard Health Food 2202 N. Grant Springfield, MO 65807 417-865-7350 Parkcrest Health Food & Herb 3853 S Campbell Ave Springfield, MO 65807 417-889-9595
Herb Shop 5490 Castlewoods Ct Ste C Brandon, MS 39047 601-992-6859 Rainbow Whole Foods Coop 2807 Old Canton Rd Jackson, MS 39216 601-366-1602 http://www.rainbowcoop.org
Billie's Health Food Ctr 313 S Osage Ave Bartlesville, OK 74003 918-336-8609 Second Street Bakery 118 E 2nd St Bartlesville, OK 74003 918-336-2253 Guthrie Whole Foods 109 N Division St Guthrie, OK 73044 405-282-4606 Naturally Yours Mannford, OK 74044 http://www.naturallyyours.4t.com Oklahoma Food Coop 1524 NW 21st Oklahoma City, OK 73106 405-613-4688 http://www.oklahomafood.coop/ Akin's Natural Food Market 7807 E 51st St Tulsa, OK 74145 918-664-2136 Herb Shop 7737 E 21st St Tulsa, OK 74129 918-664-4372
Grains of Hope 211 Marshall Lane Anderson, MO 64831 417-436-2603 http://heartofhome.net/co-op/ Jeans Heathway 133 South Jefferson Ava, MO 65608 417-683-3026 New Life Natural Food Store 451 S Springfield Ave # B Bolivar, MO 65613 417-326-5701 Nature's Sunshine Health Foods 1129 W 76 Country Blvd Branson, MO 65616 417-335-4372 Sunshine Market Natural Foods 208 West 1st St Mountain View, MO 65548 417-934-6956
Naturalfarms 420 S. Utica Tulsa, OK 74104 918-583-5354 http://www.naturalfarms.com Organic Tulsa 3524 s. Peoria Tulsa, OK 74105 918-742-9595 http://organictulsa.com
Cornerstone Wellness Ctr 826 N Crowley Rd Crowley, TX 76036 817-226-4372 YourHealthSource.org 852 Woodcrest Drive Hurst, TX 76053 888-280-0494 Keller Texas Produce Coop 1401 Briar Meadow Dr Keller, TX 76248 817-284-2433 Serendipity Herb Shoppe 5024 Bryn Mawr Dr McKinney, TX 75070 972-548-7225 Real Foods for Health 2521 Mollimar Dr Plano, TX 75075 972-484-2206
Harvest Time Natural Foods Route 1 Box 401 B Lobelville, TN 37097 931 593-8835 Honeysuckle Health Foods 734 Mount Moriah Rd #100 Memphis, TN 38117 901-682-6255 Square Foods Natural Market 2094 Madison Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 901-728-4371 http://www.squarefoods.com
C. Organic Retailers & Distributors
Fleming Companies Inc 6301 Waterford Oklahoma City, OK 73126 405-841-8396 Texas Carr's Specialty Foods 3409 Greybuck Rd Austin, TX 78748 Texas Health Distributors 501 Waller St. Austin, TX 78702 512-473-2173 American Produce Co. 4721 Simonton Dallas, TX 75244 214-233-5750 New Perspectives 2343 University Blvd. Houston, TX 77023 Stoller, Inc 8582 Katy Frwy. Suite 200 Houston, TX 77024 HEB Produce Procurement P. O. Box 18020 4710 N. Pan Am Expressway San Antonio, TX 78218 512-662-5351 Big State Food Service Joe Mendez- organic buyer 1500 S. Zarzamora St. Unit 418 San Antonio, TX 78207 512-226-1221
D. Arkansas Farmers Markets
Clark County Farmers Market First Methodist Church parking lot Arkadelphia, AR 71923 870-246-2281 May-September Tuesday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Benton Farmers Market Market Street Football Field parking lot Benton, AR 72015 501-315-8272 May-September Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 9:00 a.m.–noon Bentonville Farmers Market Bentonville Square Bentonville, AR 72712 479-271-3795 April- November Saturday 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Berryville Farmers Market Downtown Square Berryville, AR 72616 870-545-3120 Tuesday 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Saturday 7:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Ouachita County Farmers Market 1150 Washington Camden, AR 71701 Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–noon Clarksville Farmers Market West Main Street Clarksville, AR 72830 501-754-2340 Year round Everyday Faulkner County Farmers Market Fairgrounds/1501 Robins Conway, AR 72032 501-679-2220 May-September Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 6:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Cotter Farmers Market Cotter Spring Park Cotter, AR 72635 870-435-6524 May-September Friday 6:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Ashley County Farmers Market Highway 82 Crossett, AR 71635 Crossett Chamber of Commerce 870-364-6591 Open-air/Seasonal Monday & Saturday Arkansas County Farmers Market Hwy 130 & 13th Street DeWitt, AR 72042 870-282-3384 May-September Monday, Wednesday & Friday 7:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Eureka Springs Farmers Market Pine Mountain Village Hwy 62 Eureka Springs, AR 72632 479-253-5749 April-November Tuesday & Thursday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Fayetteville Farmers Market Fayetteville, AR 72702 April-November
Downtown Square Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Mill District market Thursday 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. WIC approved Forrest City Farmers Market Civic Center/224 N. Rosser St. Forrest City, AR 72336 Thursday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. WIC approved Brunswick Place Farmers Market 115 North 10th Street Fort Smith, AR 72901 501-785-4651Year round Wednesday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Gentry Main Street Market W. Main Street Gentry, AR 72734 479-721-2798 May-October Wednesday 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m.–noon Boone County Farmers Market Main Street Harrison, AR 72602 870-743-4760 June-October Tuesday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–noon Cleburne County Growers Market Spring Park Heber Springs, AR 72543 501-362-2524 Year round Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Historic Downtown Farmers Market Transportation Plaza Hot Springs, AR 71901 Hot Springs Public Information Dept 501-321-6806 May-October Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 6:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. WIC approved Park Avenue Green Market Park Place Baptist Church Hot Springs, AR 71901 501-623-2849 March-October Saturday Madison County Farmers Market Huntsville Square Huntsville, AR 72740 479-738-1018 Tuesday 7:00 a.m.–noon Newton County Farmers Market Hwy 7 South Jasper, AR 72641 May-November Wednesday 7:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Arkansas Home Grown Market I YWCA/ 12th & Cleveland Little Rock, AR 72201 501-982-5682 Seasonal Tuesday 6:30 a.m.–noon WIC approved Arkansas Home Grown Market II Lakewood Village Little Rock, AR 72201 Seasonal Thursday 6:30 a.m.–noon WIC approved
Arkansas Home Grown Market III Second Presbyterian Church Cantrell & Pleasant Valley Little Rock, AR 72201 501-982-5682 Seasonal Saturday 6:30 a.m.–noon WIC approved Little Rock River Market 400 President Clinton Avenue Little Rock, AR 72201 501-375-2552 May-October Tuesday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. WIC approved Columbia Co. Homegrown Market Assn. Central Baptist Church parking lot 2031 Highway 371, South Magnolia, AR 71753 870-234-2303 Seasonal Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday Hot Spring County Farmers Market Rodeo St./ City Park Malvern, AR 72104 501-332-5267 April-October Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 6:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Lee County Farmers Market Downtown Square Marianna, AR 72360 Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 a.m.–till WIC approved Polk County Farmers Market Mena Depot Center 524 Sherwood Avenue Mena, AR 71953
501-394-6018 June-October Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–noon Conway County Farmers Market Old Train Station Morrilton, AR 72110 Seasonal Monday-Friday Mountain Home Farmers Market Hickory Park Mountain Home, AR 72653 870-425-2335 May-November Wednesday & Saturday 6:00 a.m.–noon Stone County Farmers Market Courthouse Square Mountain View, AR 72560 870-269-4524 Seasonal Wednesday & Saturday Montgomery County Farmers Market County Courthouse Square Mt. Ida, AR 71957 870-867-2311 April-October Monday, Wednesday & Friday 7:00 a.m.–noon Paragould Farmers Market Downtown/ 100 4th Avenue Paragould, AR 72450 Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. WIC approved Perry County Farmers Market Perryville City Park Perryville, AR 72126 Wednesday & Saturday 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
WIC approved Jefferson County Farmers Market 4th & Walnut Streets Pine Bluff, AR 71603 870-534-5127 Seasonal Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 6:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Benton County Farmers Market Frisco Park Rogers, AR 65745 479-662-3546 May-October Monday 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Wednesday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. WIC approved Pope County Farmers Market Historic Downtown Russellville Russellville, AR 72801 Monday 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Wednesday 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Saturday 7:00 a.m.–Noon WIC approved Grant County Farmers Market West Side of County Courthouse 101 West Center Street Sheridan, AR 72150 870-942-2231 Open-air/Seasonal Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday Siloam Springs Farmers Market Mt. Olive, Downtown Siloam Springs, AR 72761 479-524-4556 April-October Tuesday & Friday 7:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Springdale Farmers Market Jones Center on Emma St. Springdale, AR 72746 Tuesday Noon-7:00pm Thursday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. WIC approved Arkansas County/North Farmers Market 9th & Main Street Stuttgart, AR 870-282-3384 May-September Monday, Wednesday & Friday 7:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Gateway Farmers Market Jefferson & East 9th Streets Texarkana, AR 71854 870-779-36609 Seasonal Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–noon WIC approved Scott County Farmers Market Scott County Courthouse Waldron, AR 72958 479-637-2173 June- September Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. WIC approved Cross County Farmers Market Cross County Courthouse Lawn Wynne, AR 72396 870-238-5745 May-September Saturday 7:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. WIC approved
E. Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a new method of food production, sales and distribution. The aim is to increase food quality and the care given to the land, plants, and animals, while substantially reducing the financial risks of the producer. It is normally operates best with small-scale farms with local members. Typically, members pay dues in advance to cover the expected cost of the operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive a weekly share of the farm produce, regardless of feast or famine. These operations are often diverse and tailored to the customer. Many offer delivery or pick-up system, working shares, planning committees and year-round or partial growing seasons.
Charlotte's Ranch Mark Scarano 12140 Flowers Rd West Fork, AR 72701 479-839-2370 479-236-1593 firstname.lastname@example.com Hamilton Farm J.D. Hamilton 1516 Libby Lane Dennard, AR 72629 501-745-3144 email@example.com Heifer Ranch Chuck Crimmins 55 Heifer Rd Perryville, AR 72126 501-889-5124 ext 3650 firstname.lastname@example.com www.heifer.org Wildfire Farm 4059 CR 516 Huntsville, AR 72740 870-545-3120 email@example.com
VI. Publications
A. Journals
Agronomy Journal 677 S. Segoe Rd. Madison, WI 53711 608-273-8080 email@example.com http://agron.scijournals.org print; online American J. of Alternative Agriculture 9200 Edmonston Rd, Suite 117 Greenbelt. MD 20770 print; quarterly Compost Science and Utilization 419 State Avenue Emmaus, Pa. 18049 610-967-4135 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.jgpress.com/compost.htm Hort Science 113 South West Street, Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314 703-836-4606 email@example.com www.ashs.org print and online; seven issues per year HortTechnology 113 South West Street, Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314 703-836-4606 email@example.com www.ashs.org print; quarterly
Journal of Food Products Marketing Haworth Press, Inc. 10 Alice Street Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 607-722-5857 http://www.haworthpressinc.com/ print; quarterly Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing Haworth Press, Inc. 10 Alice Street Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 607-722-5857 http://www.haworthpressinc.com/ print; quarterly Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 10 Alice St. Binghamton, NY 13904 1-800-429-6784 http://www.haworthpress.com print; quarterly Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems http://www.cabi-publishing.org print and online; quarterly
Acta Horticulturae email@example.com http://www.actahort.org Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 6277 Sea Harbor Drive Orlando, FL 32887-4800 877-839-7126 email@example.com http://www.elsevier.com Biological Agriculture and Horticulture http://www.bahjournal.btinternet.co.uk
B. Magazines
Acres USA—The Magazine of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture P.O. Box 91299 Austin, Texas 78709-1299 800-355-5313 www.acresusa.com/magazines/magazine.htm print; monthly American Small Farm 267 Broad Street Westerville, OH 43081 614-895-3755 http://smallfarm.com print; monthly California Certified Organic Farmers Magazine 1115 Mission Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-423-2263 www.ccof.org/ print and online (free); quarterly Growing for Market: News and Ideas for Market Gardeners Fairplain Publications P.O. Box 3747 Lawrence, KS 66046 800-307-8949 www.growingformarket.com/gfm.html print; monthly Health Product Business The Business Publication of the Natural Food Industry Cygnus Business Media 445 Broad Hollow Rd, Suite 21 Melville, NY 11747 631-845-2700 print and online Natural Grocery Buyer New Hope Natural Media 1401 Pearl St., Suite 200 Boulder, CO 80302 303-939-8440 www.naturalgrocerybuyer.com
Natural Products Industry Insider Virgo Publishing P.O. Box 40079 Phoenix, AZ 85067 480-990-1101 http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com print and online; monthly OMRI Update Organic Materials Review Institute P.O. Box 11558 Eugene, OR 97440 541-343-7600 firstname.lastname@example.com www.omri.org/OMRI_subscribe_info.html print; quarterly Organic Gardening Rodale Press, Inc. P.O. Box 7752 Red Oak, IA 51591 610-967-5171 http://www.organicgardening.com print; bimonthly Organic Processing 1945 W. Mountain Street Glendale, California 91201 760-633-2947 www.organicprocessing.com The Communicator Organic Crop Improvement Association 6400 Cornhusker, Suite 125 Lincoln, NE 68507 402-477-2323 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.ocia.org/ print and online (free); quarterly The Community Farm 3480 Potter Road Bear Lake, MN 49614 http://tcf.itgo.com print and online; quarterly
The Inspectors' Report Independent Organic Inspectors Association P.O. Box 6 Broadus, MT 50317 406-436-2031 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.ioia.net print and online (free); quarterly The Organic Report OTA P.O. Box 547 Greenfield, MA 01302 413-774-7511 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.ota.com print; monthly The Seasonal Marketer Red Pen Publishing 76 Applewood Dr. Meriden, CT 06450 203-440-3992 print; quarterly (subscription $7 yearly) The Stockman Grass Farmer: The Grazier's Edge Mississippi Valley Publishing Corp 282 Commercial Park Drive Ridgeland, MS 39157 800-748-9808 firstname.lastname@example.com www.stockmangrassfarmer.com/sgf/ print; monthly
C. Books
Business & Marketing
Gibson, Eric. (1994). Sell What You Sow! The Grower's Guide to Successful Produce Marketing. New World Publishing, Vista, CA. Gibson, Eric. (2001). The New Farmer's Market: Farm Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers & Communities. New World Publishing, Vista, CA. Green, Diane. (1999). Selling Produce to Restaurants: A Marketing Guide for Small Growers. Greentree Naturals. Hamilton, Neil D. (1999). The Legal Guide to Direct Farm Marketing. Drake University. Hamilton, Neil D. (2002). Farmer's Markets: Rules, Regulations and Opportunities. National Center for Agricultural Law Research and Information Center http://www.NationalAgLawCenter.org Henderson, Elizabeth and Robyn Van En. (1999). Sharing the Harvest: A Guide to Community Supported Agriculture. Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT. University of Minnesota. (2003). Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses. Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture.
Byczynski, Lynn. 1997. The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers. Chelsea Green Publications, White River Junction, VT.
Salatin, Joel. (1996). Pastured Poultry Profits. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Pest Management
Ellis, Barbara and Fern Bradley. (1996). The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control. Rodale Press. University of California IPM Program. Natural Enemies Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Biological Pest Control. Order at 1-800-994-8849.
Lampkin, Nicholas. (1990). Organic Farming. Available from Canadian Organic Growers. Liebman, M. et al. (2001). Ecological Management of Agricultural Weeds. Cambridge University Press.
Magdoff, F. and Van Es, H. (2000). Building Soils for Better Crops. Sustainable Agriculture Network. Peet, Mary. (1996). Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the South. Focus Publishing.
D. Printed and Online Resources
Business & Marketing
Burt, Larry. (2002). Marketing Alternatives for Specialty Produce. Oregon State University. http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Facilities for Roadside Markets. Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Frain, Michelle. (2002). The ABC's of Marketing to Restaurants. New Farm. Available at http://www.newfarm.org/ Frenstra, G., Ohmart, J., and David Chaney. (2003). Selling Directly to Restaurants and Retailers. University of California, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Available at: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/cdpp/selldirect.pdf Hendrickson, Mary. Face to Face Farming and Eating: Personal Relationships in Alternative Food Systems. University of Missouri Outreach and Extension, Food Circles Networking Projects. Kraenzel, David. (1997). Alternative Markets for the Individual Producer. North Dakota State University Extension. Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension. (2000). Fruit and Vegetable Marketing for Small-scale and Part-time Growers. http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/ Rainey, Ron and Hunter Hauk. Growing Arkansas Farmers' Markets: A Resource Guide for Market Managers. http://www.aragriculture.org/ Rowell, Brent. Marketing Options for Commercial Vegetable Growers. University of Kentucky Extension. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id134/id134.htm Smith, Lauren and Cathy Roth. To Market! To Market!: Promotional Ideas that will Bring Consumers to Your Farmer's Market. Cooperative Extension, University of Massachusetts, Pittsfield, MA. Texas A & M. A Guide to Marketing Organic Produce. http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/sustainable/publications/organicproduce/organic.html University of Arizona. (2000). Direct Farm Marketing and Tourism Handbook. Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Field Crops
CAPAP. (1990). The Alternative Field Crops Manual. Center for Alternative Animal and Plant Products, Minnesota.
Grubinger, Vernon. (1999). Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start-up to Market. NRAES. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, NY. Sustainable Agriculture Network. (1998). Managing Cover Crops Profitably. University of California. (1999). Growing Across Seasons: A Season and Harvest Extension Guide for the Small-Acreage Farmer. UC Extension, Auburn, CA.
University of California DANR. (2000). Organic Apple Production Manual. West Virginia University. Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research and Education Center. http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/wvufarm1.html Mid-Atlantic Orchard Monitoring Guide Website for Tree Fruit Pathology. Index of Fruit and Disease Photographs, Biology, and Monitoring Information. http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/wvufarm8b.html West Virginia University. Small Fruit Diseases. http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/ Clemson University Horticulture. Peach Information. http://www.clemson.edu/hort/ Peach/index.php?p=72
General Production Publications
Cornell. (2006). Resource Guide for Organic Insects and Disease Management. Available online at http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/ or in print 315-787-2248. University of California IPM Handbooks. (apples, cole crops, lettuce, potatoes, lettuce. Rice, stone fruits, small grains, tomatoes, walnuts). Order at 1-800-994-8849 or more information at www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/default.html UC Davis SAREP. http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/Organic/pubs.htm Publications for organics include: Cost Production Studies, Certification, Farm Production Planning and Marketing, Soil Management and Soil Quality, Soil Fertility Management, Insect Pest Management, Plant Disease Management, Post-harvest Handling. UC Davis SAREP Manuals. (Organic apple production, organic soil amendments and fertilizers, compost production and utilization). Order at 1-800-994-8849 or www.anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu UC Davis Vegetable Research & Information Center. http://vric.ucdavis.edu/selectnewtopic.organic.htm Publication include: Organic Certification, Soil Fertility & Management, Weed, Insect and Disease Management and Post-harvest Handling.
Washington State Department of Agriculture. (2006). Brand Name Material List. http://www.agr.wa.gov/foodanimal/organic/default.htm
Canadian Organic Growers. Organic Livestock Handbook. Chenoweth, Herman. (1997). Free-range Poultry Production and Marketing: A Guide to Raising, Processing, and Marketing Premium Quality Chicken, Turkey and Eggs. Back Forty Books. Available at: http://www.back40books.com
E. Organic Enterprise Budgets
Dairy Dairy Goats. Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Northeast US). http://www.cookcollege.rutgers.edu/ Fruits Organic Apples, Slender Spindle (1210 trees/Ac) Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, British Columbia, 2001. Field Crops North Dakota State University. http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ Organic budgets include: Spring Wheat, Durum, Feed Barley, Corn Grain, Oil Sunflower, Confectionary Sunflower, Soybeans, Oats, Flax, Field Peas, Millet, Buckwheat, Rye, Rotational Green Manure and Machinery Cost Schedules. Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Northeast US). http://www.cookcollege.rutgers.edu/ Budgets include Alfalfa Hay and Soybeans. Livestock Organic Pork Production: A Two-litter Pasture Farrow-to-Finish Budget. Iowa State University, 1999. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ipic/reports/99swinereports/asl1679.pdf Small-Scale Egg Production. Pennsylvania State University, 1999. http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/livestock/small_scale_egg/small_scale_egg.pdf Specialty Crops Organic Goldenseal Production. Washington State University, 2001. http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/crops/organicGoldenseal.html Vegetables University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Vegetable Production Budgets including Broccoli, Sweet Corn, Cabbage, Sweet Potatoes, Cucumbers, Squash, Lima Beans, Tomatoes, Okra, Irrigated Tomatoes, Snap Beans, Turnips, Southern Peas, Watermelons, Strawberries. http://www.aragriculture.org/horticulture/budgets North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Organic Vegetable Production Cost Studies including Broccoli, Kale, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Salad Mix, Leaf Lettuce, Peppers, and Summer Squash. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/ Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Northeast US). http://www.cookcollege.rutgers.edu/ Organic budgets include: Bell Pepper, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Cucumber, Leaf Lettuce, Yellow Onions, Pumpkins, Sweet Corn, Fresh Market Tomatoes and Processing Tomatoes.
UC Davis California. http://vric.ucdavis.edu/ Budgets include: Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Garlic, Leaf Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Red Onions, Yellow Onions, Snap Peas, Snow Peas, Green Bell Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Sweet Corn and Winter Squash. Horticultural Business Information Network. http://www.utextension.utk.edu/hbin/HBINFruitsandVeggies.htm Includes Fruit and Vegetable Budgets from Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Rutgers and North Carolina.
F. Databases & Listservs
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (USDA) Publications Search http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/afspub.htm American Distance Education Consortium Information from 50+ Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Stations http://e-answers.adec.edu New Crop Resource Online Program www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop North Carolina State University Organic Farming Systems- Searchable Research Articles Database http://www.ncsu.edu/organic_farming_systems/database.htm USDA's Market News http://www.ams.usda.gov/marketnews.htm USDA National Agriculture Library Catalog (AGRICOLA) http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/
G. ATTRA Publications
Publications include short guides for specific commodity production and a production budget. Guides are also available for pest control, soils & fertilizers, marketing and management forms. Guides are available at http://attra.ncat.org/organic.html. General Information Alternatives to Treated Lumber Compliance Checklist for Producers Documentation Forms Forms, Documents, and Sample Letters for Organic Producers Organic Certification Process Organic Crop Production Overview Organic Farm Certification& the National Organic Program Preparing for an Organic Inspection Regulations, Certification, Transition & History Signs for Organic Farms Fruits Apple Production Blueberry Production Bramble Fruits Production Grape Production Pear Production Peach Production Plum Production Strawberry Production Vegetables Allium Production Asparagus Production Tomato Production Garlic Production Greenhouse Tomato Production Herbs: Greenhouse Production Herb Production Lettuce and Greens Production Plug and Transplant Production Pumpkin and Winter Squash Sweet Corn Production Sweet Potato Production Field Crops Field Corn Production Cotton Production Rice Production Soybean Production Livestock Hog Production
VII. Events and Conferences
A. Trade Shows & Expo
All Things Organic Conference and Trade Show Sponsored by: Organic Trade Association 121 Free Street, PO Box 7437 Portland, ME 04112 207-842-5468 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.atoexpo.com/ato06/public/content.aspx Annually in May Arkansas-Oklahoma Horticulture Industry Show Sponsored by: AR State Horticulture Society and Oklahoma State University Horticulture Ray Campbell, OSU Horticulture 360 Agriculture Hall Stillwater, OK 74078 405-744-5404 Annually in January Ecological Farming Conference Sponsored by: Ecological Farming Assn. 831-763-2111 www.eco-farm.org Annually in January Natural Products Expo New Hope Communications 1301 Spruce St Boulder, CO 80302 303-939-8440 www.expowest.com Held semi-annually in spring and fall National Small Farm Trade Show and Conference Sponsored by: Small Farm Today magazine Boone County Fairgrounds Columbia, MO 800-633-2535 email@example.com www.smallfarmtoday.com Annually in November Tour d'Organics Bike Ride http://www.tourdorganics.com/ Bicycling tour featuring local organic farms Numerous locations and time throughout year
B. Conferences
Acres USA Conference Sponsored by: Acres USA P.O. Box 91299 Austin, TX 78709 800-355-5313 firstname.lastname@example.com www.acresusa.com Annually in December Iowa Organic Conference Iowa State University Extension 106 Horticulture Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 515-294-7069 http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag/ Annually in November or December
C. Workshops
Advanced Organic and Biodynamic Vegetable Production Michael Fields Agricultural Institute W2493 County Road ES East Troy, WI 53120 262-642-3303 firstname.lastname@example.com www.michaelfieldsaginst.org Leopold Center Iowa State University 209 Curtis Hall Ames, IA 50011 515-294-3711 firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.leopold.iastate.edu University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/organic/courses.htm
VIII. Appendix
A. Common Abbreviations and Acronyms
FDA GMO GRAS GMP HACCEP IPM IQF NOP NOSB OMRI UA USDA Food and Drug Genetically Modified Organism Generally Regarded as Safe Genetically Modified Plants Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Integrated Pest Management Individually Quick Frozen National Organic Program National Organic Standards Board Organic Materials Review Institute University of Arkansas United States Department of Agriculture
B. Additional References
The following citations are not necessarily found within other areas of the manual; however they were extremely helpful in building this manual. All Organic Links. Consultants. http://www.allorganiclinks.com/Consultants.html Accessed September 1, 2005 Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. Selected General Agricultural Marketing Guides. http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/OAP/srb0301cc.htm Accessed December 14, 2005. Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. Printed Resources on Organic Farming. http://csanr.wsu.edu/Organic/OrganicFarmingResources.htm Accessed January 9, 2006. Ferguson, James. General Guidelines for Organic Crop Production. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS212 Accessed March 7, 2006. Grass Farmer. Grazing links. http://grassfarmer.com/glink.htm Accessed September 1, 2005. Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. Suppliers of Organic Products. http://www.mosesorganic.org/umord/suppliers.htm Accessed September 26, 2005. Mississippi State University. Vegetable Crops. http://www.msstate.edeu/dept/cmrec/organic/bookveg.html; Accessed January 9, 2006. North Carolina State University Organic Farming Systems. Links. http://www.ncsu.edu/organic_farming_systems/related_links.htm; Accessed January 9, 2006. Oregon Tilth. Organic Consultants. http://tilth.org.consultants.htm; Accessed September 1, 2005. Texas Department of Agriculture. Texas Organic Feed and Forage Producers. http://agr.state.tx.us/producer_info/organics/com_organictexas.htm; Accessed September 6, 2005. University of Kentucky Horticulture and New Crops Marketing. Organics. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/HortBiz/organics.html; Accessed January 9, 2006. Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). http://wsare.usu.edu/pub/index.cfm?sub=csa; Accessed November 21, 2005.

subset: commoncrawl