Women in Certified Organic Production

An operator considering organic certification needs to know which parts of the farm, which products and which activities the proposed certification would cover. Start with the market and contact a certifier before relying on a price or production assumption. If the buyer expects a certified product, ask what they need to verify and when. An enthusiasm for organic production is a useful start. The paperwork still needs dates, fields and product names.

“Organic certification: the paperwork is the pest.”

Ask a certifier to describe the path for your farm

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service explains the steps for becoming a certified organic operation. Use that overview to locate and contact an accredited certifier. Describe the operation and ask which standards and requirements apply. Clarify how eligibility, land history, inputs, handling, labels, records and inspection are evaluated in your circumstances. Seek qualified advice before changing practices or making claims about a product.

Gather maps, field histories, relevant receipts and supplier information. Identify what you know and what you still need to verify. If you lease land, ask how you can obtain information about its prior use and whether records will follow you if the land arrangement changes. Clarify which employee is responsible for contacting the certifier and who can make an approval decision. Separate pending questions from matters already resolved so costly assumptions do not become normal practice.

Build records where the work happens

Connect each record to the field, group or lot. Keep the date, person and what happened. Use a manageable system so coworkers can record events when they take place. Ask the certifier which supporting information is required for particular activities. A method that only works for the one person who remembers a code from a bucket label will be difficult to support when a worker changes jobs.

Review how supplies are purchased, checked and stored. Establish whom to ask when a substitute is suggested and what the operator needs before approving it. Discuss handling the product alongside others when applicable. Any needed separation, labels or related records should be understood by workers in the relevant area. Test how you would trace a typical unit through the operation using your current information.

Put certification and market costs in the same budget

Compare expected prices and market access with the costs of application, inspection, documentation, changes in production and additional labor. Include the time between spending money and getting a return. Ask potential buyers how they verify certification and when a change in sale status would affect the business. Confirm the details before promising delivery or paying for a label run.

Review the process after an inspection or pilot

Ask which records were easy to explain and which required extra effort. Identify one process to improve before the next season. It might be a clearer purchasing workflow, better lot identification or training for a person who makes decisions when the regular manager is away. A woman leading certification should also be able to document the authority, hours and decisions involved. Putting the person who carries out the work in charge of the record often improves both accuracy and accountability.