USA ORGANIC CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

USA Organics General Farming

MISSION

The mission of this certification program and its standards is to verify the production systems that are producing organically produced products. To promote the use of farming techniques that is sustainable and beneficial to the environment.

Alert: The USA ORGANICS STANDARDS has no tolerance for GMO Cross Contamination.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS

The general principles of USA Organics (USAO) is to certify farms on a field by field basis or whole farm units. If it is a field by field system which is the mission of this program to move the whole farm units into certified production within 5 years. There are some special circumstances which will be taken into consideration.

In order to be certified through this program the applicant must follow these steps: the filing of an application, a farm plan, a five-year history, and a letter of commitment. Once received, the certification committee will review all information to rule on weather or not to go forward with the inspection process.

REQUIREMENTS

(a) A field may be certified if there have not been any unacceptable materials used on the field for the past five years (synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilizer, fumigants, etc.).
(b) If the applicant has a duel system (organic and non-organic) and is raising the same types of crops on both systems they must be able to show beyond question that they can keep them segregated in such a manner that it would be impossible for that to be commingled. Also there must be in place an audit trail that will show the total production of both system of the same crops how they were harvested, handled, stored (total production), and who they were sold to with documentation of amounts.
(c) In the case of when there is non-organic production adjoining organic production there must be a minimum of a 25 foot buffer between the productions.
(d) In the case where spot spraying is mandatory by a state or province rule on noxious weeds the spraying must be done by a hand sprayer and a 25 foot marker buffer around the sprayed area must exist.
(e) If there suspect of a contamination due to over spray no matter what the circumstances tissue residue testing is mandatory.
(f) The farm plan that is required must include a three year projected plan for soil building, crop production, and field maps of all land organic and non-organic (with a designation system).
(g) Non-perennial crops shall be rotated in accordance with accepted regional organic practices. Rotations must be as varied as possible and aim to maintain or improve soil fertility, reduce nitrate leaching, and reduce weeds, pests, and disease.
(h) Audit trail must consist of amounts of all farm inputs, date and place of harvest, amount of all harvest (tons, bushel, pound, etc.) that will correspond with field maps.
(i) All machinery must be kept in good shape to guard against contaminating the soil.
(j) Soil testing is not mandatory but is suggested to promote soil fertility and health.

SOIL FERTILITY

Approved methods

(a) The use of properly decayed manures and composted manures are acceptable so long as they are not over applies to protect against build up of nitrates in the soil.
(b) It is recommended that the soil temperatures be sufficient to promote active microbial action.
(c) On radishes, leafy green, the best family, and other known nitrate accumulators fresh, aerated, anaerobic, or "sheet composted manures may not be applies less than four months before planting."
(d) All manure sources and management techniques must be clearly documented as a part of the certification process.
(e) Sewage sludge and septic waste is prohibited.
(f) Agricultural limestone, natural phosphates, and other slowly soluble powders are acceptable.
(g) Wood ash, langeinite (sulpomag), non-fortifies marine by-produces, bone meal, fishmeal, and other similar natural products (consult product list on any question).
(h) Cottonseed meal, leather meal, and blended products containing these substances are permissible only if free from contaminants.
(i) Highly soluble nitrates, phosphate, and chloride nutrient source, natural or synthetic, are prohibited.
(j) Ammonia and urea products are prohibited.
(k) Potassium sulfate, borax (solubor), sodium molybdate, and sulfate trace mineral salts are permitted where argonomically justified.

SEED, SEEDLINGS, GRAFTING, AND ROOT STOCK

(a) Horticulture crops and non-perennial field crops must be produced from seed that has not been treated with any unauthorized products. Temporary exceptions can be made if untreated seed is not available.
(b) Annual transports must be grown according to USAO standards. Perennial transplants may be from any source, but crops sold as certifies organic must be from plants which have been under organic cultivation for at least 12 months prior to harvest.
(c) Vegetative propagated plants such as garlic and other bulbous plants are to be considered as seeds and fully respect paragraph (a) of the article.
(d) Microbes used in the production of certified crop products must be naturally occurring (not the result of genetic engineering).

PEST CONTROL

Disease-acceptable methods

(a) Use of resistant varieties.
(b) Lime-sulfur, Bordeaux, and element sulfur. The certification committee may approve other sulfurs or copper products.
(c) Fungicides and cryptocidal soaps, plant preparations, vinegar, and other natural substances.

Insects and Similar Pest-acceptable methods

(a) Use of resistant varieties and the provision of conditions favoring natural equilibrium.
(b) Insecticidal soaps and botanical insecticides such as ryania, sabadilla and teas, extracts, decoctions, poultices of locally grown botanicals.
(c) Rotenone, pyrethrum, dormant oil (preferably vegetable based) and diatomaceous earth may be used with great caution due to their high ecological profile.
(d) Sexual, visual, and physical traps
(e) All pesticides containing aromatic petroleum fractions or synergists (such as piperonyl butoxide, are prohibited).

Weed Control-acceptable methods

(a) Weeds are to be controlled through a combination of tillage, rotation, green manure, fallow, etc.
(b) Mechanical, electrical, and thermal weeding.
(c) Microbial weed killers.
(d) Chemical or petroleum herbicides are prohibited