Organic Farm Certification in a Nutshell
Document Actions
Web-exclusive feature article for the natural/holistic health and eco-concious concerned Greater Grand Rapids/West Michigan Lakeshore community and beyond.
To qualify farm products for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification, a farmer must track and report all related activities, including animal feed and food crop practices, livestock health and living conditions, and product processing, packaging, storage and shipping. Requirements are rigorous.
Specifically:
Land must have been free of prohibited substances for at least three years.
No harmful pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics or hormones may be used.
Using sewage sludge as fertilizer is prohibited.
No use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is allowed.
No irradiation of feed is allowed.
There can be no commingling of organic and nonorganic items at any stage.
Annual inspections of grounds and facilities must be conducted by a disinterested third party.
The farmer must undergo a detailed annual audit of purchases, production and sales.
