E2-Grower& Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 17, 2003
Product Integrity Critical
(Continued from Page El)
Zuck.
To do that, inspectors have
to visit each and every farm
that applies for the PCO label.
They have to “walk the farm
and check for overall soil ero
sion, crop health, look at the
cows, examine the buffers,”
and other things, Zuck noted.
In the end, the recordkeep
ing and other processes are
often similar to standard re
cords. All the work is done in
an effort to preserve the integ
rity of the organic label.
For growers who worry
about having all the paper
work ready, Zuck assured
about 85 producers who at
tended the workshop and
seminar that you “don’t have
to have everything 100 per
cent ready when we get there,
so that’s less stress for you,”
she said.
Growers must pay a fee, de
pending on overall organic
sales, and must be certified on
an annual basis to sell their
organically produced items,
which can command signifi
cantly better dollars at the
wholesale and retail levels.
To be certified, producers
must prevent the application
or use of prohibited materials,
including pesticides, nonor
ganic fertilizers, hydrated
lime, ground up wallboard for
gypsum, and various livestock
health materials.
Producers must also meet
approved crop rotations and
have a plan for rotation.
They must also have a plan
to improve and maintain soil
organic material and overall
tilth.
Producers must also consid
er the number of feet of buffer
area near roads, which are ex
posed to prohibited pesticides,
and nonorganic neighboring
farms.
An inspector will visit the
farm and tour the fields and
check out the buildings, “even
those not used for the prod
uct,” said Zuck. The inspector
will look at the crops to see
how healthy they are.
“We can’t look over your
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shoulder all the time to see if
you have prohibited materi
als,” said Zuck. Much of what
they count on is the good faith
of the applicants.
However, for those caring
for animals in an organic sys
tem, if there is an emergency
where the animal’s life is com
promised, then the producer
can use the material.
The Organic Materials Re
view Institute (OMRI) pro
vides lists of allowed and pro
hibited substances. In the end,
after the process is approved,
producers must have on their
label “Certified By Pennsylva
nia Certified Organic” below
or near the name or address of
the last operation that pro
duced the product.
Zuck pointed to one farmer
who had a pallet of unap
proved fertilizer in a shed.
Fortunately, the producer was
able to document that the ma
terial was registered to an
uncle.
Producers must show good
faith in trying to use organic
inputs, from seeds to fertil
izers, and animal health prod
ucts as well. Every attempt
must be made to ensure the
organically produced label, in
cluding use of transplants and
many grower materials.
The integrity must be main
tained to ensure consumer
confidence. Zuck pointed out
a case where a large-scale
Georgia broiler grower was al
lowed to label organic chicken
that was not in fact managed
organically.
USDA has the power to en
force material sold in stores
that is labeled organic or sold
as organic that isn’t. Retailers
can face fines of $lO,OOO and
up to five years in jail for vio
lations.
Farms that want to try to
“prequalify” as organic farms
can’t do so because inspectors
are not allowed, according to
USD A, to tell producers how
to overcome barriers to certifi
cation.
Seed must be untreated,
with the presence of no geneti
cally modified organisms
Will custom mix
Phone: 610-593-2995
Fax: 610-593-2155
Pennsylvania Certified Organic Association staff
and board members gathered in Bird In Hand in
early March. Front, from left, Penny Sandoval, certi
fication director; Ned MacArthur, secretary; and Sa
bine Carey, certification assistant. In back, Roy Bru
baker, board member; Mike Byers, certification
assistant; Jerry Maloney, treasurer; Leslie Zuck, ex
ecutive director; and Hue Karreman, board mem
ber. Photo by Andy Andrews, editor
(GMOs). Growers must at
tempt to go after seeds and
seedstock material that is or
ganically certified. Treated
seed, usually sprayed with a
fungicide, noted Zuck, is “not
allowed in any way or under
any circumstances.”
During a special workshop
for organic crop growers, in
cluding vegetable and fruit
producers, growers from Indi
ana, Schuylkill, Berks, Dau
phin, Lancaster, Perry, Le
high, and Chester counties
gathered to review the certifi
cation process with Sabine
Carey, PCO certification as
sistant.
As one grower from Perry
County pointed out, “It’s the
little things that are not there
that are important,” focusing
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on the importance of micronu
trients to good organic soil
health.
Carey pointed out the
OMRI products list overview
and went over various forms,
including the field and pas
ture records worksheet and
organic system plan general
information.
Carey pointed out the fol
lowing to about two dozen
growers who attended:
• Growers need to look for
organic seeds, including or
ganic inoculants.
• Look for non-GMO seed,
and use only seed bred
through traditional hybrid
methods.
• Organic seedlings should
have records of where they
were purchased.
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• Have a soil fertility and
erosion plan in place.
• Watch application of
composted manures to ensure
they are applied to prevent
human consumption on final
product.
• Have water diversion and
buffer systems in place.
• Crop rotational plans are
critical.
• Weed management plans
are critical.
• Pest management plans
must include pest control ad
viser and scouting informa
tion.
• Water quality is critical,
and water testing is essential.
• Maintain boundary integ
rity, especially if nonorganic
neighbors use Bt and GMO
crops.
• Producers need to keep
track of split and parallel pro
duction, ensure equipment is
not contamination with inor
ganic material, and crops are
stored properly to prevent
contamination.
• Record keeping, includ
ing field maps, activity logs,
and historical documents, re
mains critical.
Last year, according to Les
lie Zuck, PCO executive direc
tor, 251 farmers and proces
sors were certified with the
PCO label, including 84 dairy,
100 produce and orchard
growers, and more than 100
crop farms. About 35-40 food
processors and feed mills were
PCO certified.
According to Zuck, there
are plans to have two meet
ings per year for PCO updates
and reviews, including one in
the eastern half of the state in
Lancaster County and one in
the western half.
it
Blake Myers
Central & Eastern PA
(877) 879-1407
Phil Short
Western PA
(419) 445-1700