How do I get organic certification?

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In the simplest terms, certification involves an application, review, inspection, compliance with any standards issues, and, finally, certification. The detailed steps to organic certification are outlined for you.

How the process works:

In your application, called an Organic System Plan (OSP), you explain what you do, how you do it, and what you use to do it.

During the initial review, your OSP is assessed to determine if we have all the information needed to begin the certification process and ensure that we understand your operation on paper. Once the review is complete an onsite inspection is scheduled.

During the inspection, the inspector will confirm that what you said on paper is what you are doing in practice, and determine whether your recordkeeping provides the necessary audit trail to track your product flow and document your growing and/or handling practices. The inspector will explain to you what s/he observed and write a report.

The inspector’s report will be reviewed to address any compliance issues that arose during the inspection. Once all issues are resolved you will receive a letter from CCOF informing you of your certification status and any requirements for ongoing certification.

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