Becoming A Certified
Organic Farmer
Organic agriculture can be a rewarding experience as one produces healthy food and contributes to a healthy eco-system. To meet the challenges of converting to organic production keep in mind the following points:
Talk to successful producers and certification bodies. Be willing to spend time in strategic planning. Change your attitude about working with nature. Move from pest crisis management to pest prevention. Pay special attention to developing marketing skills.
Some Definitions
Organic food is food that is grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides for at least three years prior to the harvest of the crop. In organic agriculture the soil is maintained through the use of natural fertilizers compost, and cover crops. In order to maintain your certification you are required to maintain soil fertility. With regard to pest maintenance biological control and natural pesticides are used. Organic livestock production restricts the use of antibiotics and requires that animals are fed organic feed and have access to pasture or an outside area.
Certified organic means that an independent certifying authority has verified that the organic standards have been met over the past 3 years. In most jurisdictions you must be certified organic in order to use the term organic. When the term "organic" is applied to a product it means it has been produced and handled according the certification requirements of an independent organic certification body. If the term "organic" is applied to food that is not certified it has the potential to be considered misleading and deceptive under a section of the Food and Drugs Act. Canadian Food Inspection Agency officers are responsible for enforcement of labeling regulations.
Steps to Organic Certification
All Organic Certifying Bodies follow similar steps. The list below is a brief overview. For more details on specific protocols and costs you should contact a regional certification association (see our links page).
- An application form is completed by the farmer and submitted to the local certifying body
- Certification Committee reviews application and makes recommendations for the inspector
- An International Organic Inspector Assoc. (IOIA) Accredited Officer receives application for inspection
- The inspection of the farm and submission of inspection report to certification committee
- The certification committee reviews the report and provides recommendations for compliance
- Communication and filing of report to the farmer
- Follow-up inspection as per certifying body standards and approval for acceptance
- The certifying body issues a Status Certificate
It is recommended that the above process be initiated a year before the first crop you plan to produce organically, since some certifiers require that land be inspected the year before it goes into organic production. More time spent preparing for the change will result in less stress and anxiety when you begin the transition.
Certification begins by becoming a member of a certification group and applying for certification of your agricultural commodities. The application and initial document review takes place in the spring, so application completion and compiling the required documents is necessary before that time. After the application has been approved and required fees paid, you are ready to proceed with certification. Your farm and paper work will be inspected some time during the growing period for your crop.
You are expected to be present at the inspection and answer any questions relating to certification. Typically an inspection involves going over your records and inspecting the land and crops to be certified, holding bins, equipment and facilities. Organic producers are also expected to keep an audit trail of the product produced. This requirements varies with the certifying body however it generally consists of keeping records of where the product was produced, when it was produced and the quantity sold. Inspections should be viewed in a positive light because they are a chance for producers to showcase the farm and learn something at the same time.
Continuous learning is a term we often hear today and no where is it more appropriate that in organic agriculture. Talking to and visiting successful organic producers is a great way to introduce yourself to organic farming. They know the challenges of organic production and are a wealth of information. The various certifying bodies (MCOG PRO-CERT) also have expertise and information that will be useful to you. Finally the Internet is a vast storehouse of information and we have listed the most useful in our links section. Remember too that self education is most useful when one is ready and able to learn from ones mistakes.
Planning is an important element in the successful transition to organic farming. The planning process will involve looking at the goals you are trying to achieve and putting in the place the resources needed to accomplish the goals. Many farmers that are about to switch to organic production undertake a strategic planning process that sets specific production targets and financial goals based on a predetermined time line.
The key to a successful transition to organic production is an understanding that organic agriculture works most successfully when it works in partnership with nature. A healthy forest, for example, exists in a state of balance because there are checks and balances between the various organisms on and in the forest soil. Organic farming uses these natural interconnections to support production and reduce pests.
Organic farming is not, as yet, a major part of the Prince Edward Island farming industry and as such marketing systems are not fully developed. Although this situation is changing, new organic farmers must be ready to learn about marketing, become involved in the marketing process as well as work with other producers to develop innovative and co-operative ways to reach the expanding consumer.