As the demand for organic products rises each year, more farmers are transitioning their operations to meet that demand.

Don’t let the paperwork intimidate you, says Angie Tunink, marketing director for the Organic Crop Improvement Association International and executive director for OCIA Research & Education.

“That’s kind of a misconception,” she says. “People think, ‘Oh, it’s too much paperwork and too much recording of things that I’ll have to do.’ But it’s not that bad.”

listen live watch live

Preparation

The first step to making the transition is preparing the land. In order to be certified as organic, producers must use land that hasn’t had any unapproved substances used on it for three years. Tunink says farmers sometimes transition land that has been in CRP to keep from waiting.

But she says it’s important to take time to develop practices, including crop rotation, to reduce weed and pest populations without unapproved chemicals.

The greatest resource for learning about those practices, she says, is experienced organic farmers.

One way Tunink suggests to get in touch with current organic farmers is by joining OCIA. The organization holds field tours and informational meetings to help members stay current on farming practices.

It’s also a good way to meet other organic farmers and ask questions such as where to buy seed or sell produce.

Supporting members pay $25 per year, something Tunink suggests farmers do as they transition their land.

Certification process

After the farmer and land are prepared, getting certified can take 30 to 60 days.

It starts with an application. To certify through OCIA, small farmers can pay as members, $300 per year plus the chapter fees, which range from $50 to $100 and cover all the meetings, field days and support materials that come with membership.

Larger operations generally would register as Direct Associates and pay $800 or more depending on product sales for the year.

In 2014, the federal Organic Certification Cost Share Program offered reimbursements up to 75 percent of certification costs for qualified producers. Tunink suggests applicants look into this program if they are hesitant to get certified because of the costs.

Farmers who sell less than $5,000 of product can call their product organic without getting certified, but not certified organic.

A reviewer is assigned to each applicant to help facilitate the certification process.

From there, OCIA will send an independent inspector to look at the operation and assess whether or not it complies with the regulations set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The farmer will pay the inspection costs, which vary widely based on size of the operation and the distance the nearest available inspector has to travel to get to the farm. Tunink says most farmers pay between $500 and $1,000 for an inspection, but every situation is different.

Federal cost-sharing programs can help with these costs, as well.

If the farmer is looking to sell products internationally or is especially environmentally conscious, he or she can apply for OCIA’s organic certification, as well, which has more specific guidelines than the National Organic Program guidelines set out by USDA. For example, OCIA requires a water test and NOP does not.

OCIA’s standards are voted on each year at an organization-wide meeting. NOP standards were adapted from the standards multiple certifying agencies have in common.

There is no additional fee for OCIA certification.

Tunink says farmers who have studied the materials she sends ahead of the inspector visit, and review the website usually don’t have a problem passing inspection.

The inspector reports his finding to the reviewer, who will contact the farmer with any issues that need to be addressed.

If the farmer proves he has fixed any problems the reviewer mentions, he is eligible to be certified.

Once certified, the farmer can use USDA’s organic products label for that year.

Meeting the standards

Every year, organic farmers should supply an update detailing changes they’ve made to their operations, and a new inspection must take place to make sure farmers are continuing to meet all standards.

Part of meeting those standards is maintaining specific records.

Tunink says one commonly overlooked record is of machine cleaning. If a farmer has organic and nonorganic fields and uses the same implements for both, records have to be kept of machines being cleaned between fields to prevent contamination.

While the learning curve might seem steep for those just getting started, Tunink says the certifying agency should be there at every step to help answer questions and point farmers toward useful resources.

“It’s a commitment,” she says, adding that aspiring organic farmers often have a hard time convincing their business partners to go along with getting certified.

Despite the commitment it takes to transition to organic farming, Tunink says it’s a growing industry, and she sees a great deal of interest from the next generation of growers.

“We go to the FFA, Future Farmers of America, national convention, and I would say a lot more young people are interested,” she says. “We do a workshop there, and it’s packed.”

This is good news, she says, since demand for organic products outstrips what current certified growers can produce.