Organic Certification of Vegetable Operations

Abstract

All farms and ranches, including vegetable growers, who sell over $5000/year of organic products, must be certified in order to sell their products as “organic.” Land used for the production of organic vegetables must not have had prohibited fertilizers, pesticides, GMOs, or other prohibited substances applied for at least 36 months prior to the first harvest of an organic crop. Farmers who sell under $5000 per year of organic produce must still follow all provisions of the USDA organic regulations, but are not required to be certified as organic. Noncertified organic growers who sell less than $5000/year can only sell their products directly to retailers and consumers. Their products cannot be sold as organic feed or as organic ingredients that will be further processed and subsequently labeled as organic. Farms can be certified as organic as a whole farm or on a field‐by‐field basis.