A mobile-friendly slide deck (English & Spanish) that walks farmers through an organic transition—from on-farm practices to certification.
“How do I go organic?” is one of the most common questions farmers ask the CCOF Foundation—and every farm’s path looks different.
Successful organic transition relies on many factors: building a resilient farm ecosystem, navigating organic certification, understanding an organic transition timeline, sourcing allowable materials, and updating recordkeeping systems, to name just a few.
Because growers come to us at different stages—with different questions—we were often sharing multiple resources at once. At times we worried farmers were getting lost in the volume of information.
“We kept looking for a simple guide to share with growers who were brand new to organic—something that highlighted where to start, and where to go next,” shared Molly Nakahara, CCOF Foundation Education Manager.
“There is a lot of great information out there for farmers to look at,” added Jennifer Nunez, CCOF Foundation Organic Technical Specialist serving the Central and San Joaquin Valley. “We needed a single resource that could give our growers a great starting point to organic transition that we could then build off as technical advisors. So, we decided to write one!”
A Practical Guide for Every Stage
The result is a beautiful slide deck—available in both English and Spanish—formatted to be easily viewed from a tablet or phone. Funded by the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), the guide is organized into four sections:
- An explanation of organic agriculture and its many benefits
- Recommendations for the most impactful organic practices to implement at the start of an organic transition
- The steps to organic certification
- Additional links and resources to continue exploring organic
The guide synthesizes many incredible educational resources created by organizations that have long supported farmers in the organic space, in addition to CCOF: National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT – ATTRA), Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UCSAREP), Organic Agriculture Institute (UCOAI), Small Farm Advisors, Rodale Institute, Wild Farm Alliance, and others.
“I’m excited to share this simple resource that encompasses the entire organic process,” says Organic Technical Specialist, Brian Coltrin, who co-created the guide. “It covers what farming practices to implement all the way to the steps to certify organic. This guide will benefit new producers who are looking for a clear summary of organic certification. I hope this helps lower the barriers for farmers who want to go organic and equips them to take action.”
Download the Guide
You can download the guide directly: English or Spanish, or find it here on our website.
Questions? Contact CCOF Foundation Education Manager Molly Nakahara at mnakahara@ccof.org.
