Did you know? CCOF certifies clients across 48 states and 3 countries!
CCOF released its 2025 Annual Impact Report, showcasing the impressive wins we achieved last year. We’d like to shine a spotlight on our standout Certification team.
About Our Certification Team
CCOF Certification Services is a nonprofit certification agency that provides producers across North America with personable, accessible organic, food safety, and other agricultural certification services.
We provide certification services for:
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP)
- CCOF Certified Transitional
- The Regenerative Organic Alliance’s Regenerative Organic Certified®
- A.P. & PrimusGFS (Food Safety)
- Organic Plus Trust’s Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program
- OCal Cannabis Certification (California)
Certification Services Key Achievements in 2025
- 6,422 inspections conducted
- 255 unannounced inspections
- 225 residue tests performed
- $28,149 covered in certification fees for new organic members and members facing hardship
- 1,680 certified clients used the MyCCOF portal to navigate organic certification more easily
Inspector Highlight: Ariel Russell, Senior Organic Inspector and ROC Social Auditor II
What do you like about being an inspector?
I enjoy working as an organic inspector for CCOF because it gives me the opportunity to uphold the organic standards and interact with the highest-caliber organic operations. I love to meet new people, explore different places, and contribute to the success of the organic movement. Inspectors are often the only representatives of CCOF that the members meet face-to-face, and it’s a great privilege and responsibility to be able to represent our organization.
Why did you decide to become an inspector?
I first decided to become an organic inspector while owning and operating an organic farm with my husband in Santa Rosa, California. The North Coast region has always had a large contingent of CCOF member operations as well as CCOF staff, which gave me initial exposure to the career path. When we unfortunately had to cease operations on our farm due to land access issues, I began to pursue inspecting full-time and found that it was a wonderful outlet for my farming experience, passion for organics, and educational background.
Why is organic important?
Organic is important because it promotes farming practices that protect soil health, biodiversity, and natural resources. Additionally, the organic program reduces reliance on synthetic chemicals, which benefits the environment, farmworkers, and consumers. Organic is also important because it builds consumer trust by upholding clear standards and transparency for how food is produced.
