How to become Certified Organic

How to become Certified Organic

Part 1: The Main Steps to Get Certified
Here’s the simple breakdown of what you'll do:

Step 1: Apply & Submit Your Organic System Plan (OSP)

You fill out an application with information about your farm.
The most important part is creating your Organic System Plan (OSP). (We'll explain this in a second!).
You submit this to CCOF and pay a fee.

Step 2: CCOF Reviews Your Plan

A CCOF staff person carefully reads your entire OSP.
They check to see if your plan follows all the national organic rules.
They might have questions or need a little more information. They will work with you to get it right.

Step 3: The On-Farm Inspection

Once your plan looks good, a certified organic inspector will schedule a visit to your farm.
This inspector is an independent expert who sees many farms.
They will walk your fields, check your storage areas, and look at your records.
Their main job is to see if what you are actually doing matches what you said you would do in your Organic System Plan.

Step 4: Decision Time

After the inspection, the inspector sends a report to a CCOF committee.
This committee reviews your entire file—your application, your OSP, and the inspection report.
They make the final decision to grant you organic certification!

Step 5: Stay Certified!

Certification isn't forever. You need to renew it every year.
This means updating your OSP and having an annual inspection to make sure you're still following the rules.

Part 2: What is an Organic System Plan (OSP)?
The Simple Answer:
Your Organic System Plan (OSP) is your farm's detailed playbook or recipe for being organic.
It’s a document where you write down everything about how you run your farm according to organic rules.

What's in the OSP? You'll describe:

What you grow and the history of your land (what was grown there before).
How you improve your soil (like what kind of compost or manure you use).
How you control pests and weeds without using synthetic chemical sprays.
Where you get your seeds and seedlings.
How you keep your organic crops separate from any non-organic crops.
How you clean your equipment to avoid contamination.
Your record-keeping system (sales receipts, seed orders, harvest logs, etc.).

Part 3: Why is the OSP So Important?
Your Organic System Plan is the heart of the whole process. It's important for two big reasons:

1. It's Your Guide for the Inspector.
The inspector uses your OSP as a map to check your farm. They will ask questions like:

"You said in your plan you use neem oil for aphids. Can you show me your spray records?"
"You listed this field as transitioning to organic. Can you show me where that is?"
"How do you clean this harvester after using it on a non-organic field?"

Your OSP tells them what to look for, and your farm and records prove you are doing it.

2. It Proves You Have a Plan.
Certification isn't just about what you did yesterday. It's about proving you have a solid, sustainable system in place for the long term. Your OSP shows CCOF that you understand the rules and have a thoughtful plan to follow them all year round.

Quick Summary

Process: Apply -> Write your OSP -> Inspection -> Get Certified.
Organic System Plan (OSP): This is your farm's "organic recipe book."
The Inspection: This is when an expert visits to make sure your farm matches what you wrote in your "recipe book."
Goal: The OSP and inspection work together to prove your farm is truly organic.

Need Help?
Don't be scared by the paperwork! NCGA can help you along every step of the organic certification process! Contact [email protected] for guidance or more information.