EmuOilDepot.com Quarterly News - Issue #10 - 2008 

Your Emu Oil News For 1st Quarter 2008:
The True Definition Of The Term "Organic" 

The term "Organic" is widely used but its true meaning is misunderstood by
most.

USDA Organic labels are showing up on more and more food items. Some
say the words "organic" or "natural" are just buzz words that will soon
dissolve. Organic foods contain fewer mysterious preservatives with names
that can't be pronounced, no unnecessary additives and chemicals with
unknown long-term effects, and often just better tasting. 

Foods bearing the value-added "USDA Organic" label, as well as the farmers
who produce them, have gained the respect of health-conscious Americans. 

What It Takes For A Farmer To Become Certified Organic

According to Sean Mulla of the Montana Dept of Agriculture, the first ingredient
for the farmer is the willingness to go forth and apply.

Farmers who are willing to make the transition must understand that this process
is time-consuming and costly (see below for costs). While considering the conversion,
it is essential to read and understand the standards and requirements as established
in the National Organic Program (NOP).

The NOP program is an integral component of the Organic Foods Production Act of

1990, initiated by the USDA. In general, the Act establishes the national standards
and practices for organic food production, handling, and commerce (the NOP).
The Act also establishes the requirements for certifying agents, sets the
requirements for state compliance, and lists the prohibited materials organic
operations and handlers must avoid (such as growth hormones and synthetic
pesticides).

Standards for livestock as well as crops are set within the NOP, including
guidelines regarding inspections and even removal of an organic label due to
non-compliance.

Requirements To Become Organic:

Here is a scenario: Your farm is a recently acquired property that you wish to
convert to a certified organic operation. The first requirement, after reading and
understanding the NOP, is to ensure that no prohibited materials have been used
on the property for three years. Since you only recently acquired the property,
you would need a signed affidavit from the previous owners regarding their uses
and practices.

If they used any prohibited materials (chemicals, etc), the correct changes must
be made to make your property compliant, and then a three year period of
compliance must take place. During that time, you must construct an Organic
Systems Plan according to the NOP, which will later be reviewed by a certifying agent.

One daunting but necessary task is record keeping. Sean Mulla, during his AEP
class at the 2007 AEA Convention, could not stress enough how important it is to
document everything that happens or is implemented on your farm.

From field maps to buffer zones (areas between a certified organic production operation
and those that are not organically managed), use of manure, bedding, fencing
materials (whether or not they contain arsenic), to living conditions, vaccinations
and medications, to soil, "the very ground your livestock stands on must be
certified" according to Sean.

Your product then goes to a processor and that "handler" must also be "organically
compliant" according to NOP regulations.

Costs To Become Organic:

The costs to become organic are based on gross sales. For example, a farm that
generates less than $20,000.00 per year pays a fee of around $165.00. A farm that
generates more than $100,000.00 per year pays a fee of around $300.00. Plus, there
fees for the yearly inspection which often includes mileage fees, etc.

The OFP act of 1990 declares that these procedures are in place "to assure consumers
that organically produced products meet a consistent standard."

For the complete content of the National Organic Program, visit:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/archive/ofpa.html

Source: ET&T

Your Newsletter For 2nd Quarter 2008:
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