Organic Resources Unveiled by NCAT and USDA
New Tipsheets Outline Organic Regs
Series is available in both English and Spanish
They’re concise, ready to take with you into the field, and can make regulations for new organic farmers a whole lot easier to grasp.
A new series of tip sheets summarizes those rules and regulations along with basic steps, key processes, and additional resources newly certified operations need to know. Topics include the organic approach to animal health for poultry (meat and eggs), pork, and ruminant (meat and dairy) producers; treatment of sick and injured livestock; organic pest management; soil resources; manure; compost; crop rotation; and transitioning orchards.
The tip sheets were developed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) through the USDA National Organic Program’s Sound and Sensible Initiative.
They are available in both English and Spanish and available to download for free from the ATTRA website, www.attra.ncat.org.
The tips sheets are among the new tools the NOP has developed with partners in the organic community to help farmers and business people better understand the USDA organic standards and certification process.
Here is a list of the tipsheets:
- Tipsheet: Transitioning to Organic Management of Orchards
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 513
- Tipsheet: Organic Pest Management
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 518
- Tipsheet: Organic Poultry Production for Meat and Eggs
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 519 - Tipsheet: Treatment of Sick or Injured Organic Livestock
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 520
- Tipsheet: Crop Rotation in Organic Farming Systems
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 521
- Tipsheet: Compost
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 522
- Tipsheet: Manure in Organic Production Systems
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 523
- Tipsheet: Organic Management of Internal and External Livestock Parasites
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 524
- Tipsheet: Organic Cattle, Sheep, and Goats for Meat Production
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 525
- Tipsheet: Organic Cattle, Sheep, and Goats for Dairy
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 526
- Tipsheet: Living Conditions, Facilities, and Handling for Organic Livestock
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 527
- Tipsheet: Organic Approach to Animal Health
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 528
- Tipsheet: Assessing the Soil Resource for Beginning Organic Farmers
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 529
- Tipsheet: Organic Pig Production
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 530
Aquí están los títulos en español:
- Hoja de Datos: Transición al Manejo Orgánico de Huertos Frutales
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 516
- Hoja de Datos: Un Enfoque Orgánico de la Salud Animal
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 517
- Hoja de Datos: Produccion Organic de Cerdos
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 514
- Hoja de Datos: Evaluando el Recurso Suelo para Agricultores Orgánicos Principiantes
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 515
- Hoja de Datos: Manego Organico de Plagas
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 531
- Hoja de Datos: Produccion de Aves Organicas para Carne y Huevos
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 532
- Hoja de Datos: Tratamiento de Animales Organicos Enfermos o Heridos
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 533
- Hoja de Datos: Estiercol en Sistemas de Produccion Organica
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 534
- Hoja de Datos: Manejo Organico de Parasitos Internos y Externos de Animales
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 535
- Hoja de Datos: Produccion de Vacunos, Ovinos y Caprinos Organicos para Carne
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 536
- Hoja de Datos: Vacas, Ovejas y Cabras Lecheras Organicas
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 537
- Hoja de Datos: Condiciones de Vida, Facilidades, y Manejo de Animales de Produccion
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 538
- Hoja de Datos: Compost
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 539
- Hoja de Datos: Rotacion de Cultivos en Sistemas Agricolas Organicos
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub= 540
USDA Publishes Sound & Sensible Blog and FDA Publishes New Grant Opportunities
https://www.ams.usda.gov/report-presentation/sound-sensible
Making organic certification more accessible, attainable, and affordable involves collaboration with many partners across the country and around the globe. To support this work, in September 2014 the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) awarded 14 project contracts to 14 organizations with the goal of advancing the NOP’s Sound and Sensible initiative. Each team had one year to complete their projects – all aimed at identifying and removing barriers to certification and streamlining the certification process – and AMS/NOP is now ready to launch the results of their work. In the coming months, AMS/NOP will publish these new resources in a series of releases, based on a common theme. Launch 1 highlights the Organic Value Proposition.
View the Sound and Sensible Infographic (pdf) (jpeg)
LAUNCH 1 (11/09/2015): Organic Value Proposition—Why Go Organic and Where to Start
Organic Sound and Sensible Resources Blog – Launch 1
Exploring the Organic Option
Planning the Path Forward
- Organic Certification Made Simple
- Self-Assessment Video and Tool for Prospective Producers Transitioning to Organic
- “Steps to Certification” Videos and Costs of Certification Web Application
LAUNCH 2 (01/06/2016): Understanding Rules, Certification, and Inspections
Organic Sound and Sensible Resource Blog – Launch 2
Certification
- Video: “Organic Myths”
- Checklist: “Ten Steps to Transition”
- “How To…” Modules
- Tip Sheets: Organic Standards (in English and Spanish)
- Tip Sheets: Organic Certification Guidelines
Recordkeeping and Organic System Plans
Inspections
LAUNCH 3 (2/4/2016): Outreach and Education for Candidate Farmers
Making organic certification more accessible, attainable, and affordable involves collaboration with many partners across the country and around the globe. To support this work, in September 2014 the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) awarded 14 project contracts to 14 organizations with the goal of advancing the NOP’s Sound and Sensible initiative.