Pacific Agricultural Certification Society

3402 32nd Ave. Vernon, BC V1T 2N1 phone 250.558.7927 fax 250.558.7947

Farm Plan Update Guide

Introduction

Use this guide to assist in completing the PACS Farm Plan Short Renewal. Numbers in this guide correspond to numbers in the Farm Plan. Provide as much information as possible.

You may use this form if you:

·  Have copies of the initial Farm Plan (including your Split Operation Report) submitted previously plus all subsequent Update Plans. If you filled in these forms with sufficient detail they can form the basis of this year’s reply. The Verification Officer and the Certification Committee will have copies of the previous forms and will comparing your operation to them.

·  look at these previous plans as you fill in this Renewal Plan and report any changes from what you reported or what you are planning if that is different. Even if the VO saw the new procedures (land, barn, etc) last year you still have to update your Farm Plan.

Do not use this form if you:

·  do not have a copy of the relevant Initial Plan and the subsequent Update/Renewal Plans or if they were not filled in completely, then you must start all over with a PACS Farm Plan

·  have made major changes in the management of your farm do not use this form. Ask the PACS office for a PACS Farm Plan.

Consequences of inaccurate completion

·  The verification officer will wait on your farm for you to fill out incomplete areas, increasing your inspection costs, while reeking havoc with the VO’s timetable. If the VO doesn’t catch these inaccuracies you maybe confronted with higher Certification Committee costs while the CC tries to figure out what is going on. So please take a deep breath and fill out the forms as completely as possible, checking the maps, while refreshing your memory of what you told PACS last year.

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How to use an electronic form in Word.

This form is in Word 2000 which we hope will be user friendly for most members.

You can:

·  Print the form and fill it in with black ink and mail it to PACS. Be sure to keep a copy of the completed form. If you need more space than is provided add additional sheets.

·  Fill it in on the computer

o  First: save the form on to your hard drive. If you are thinking of submitting the form electronically to PACS we would appreciate if you add your farm name into the document name, as the file will be easier to handle at our end. Save the file again before you send it.

o  Type in the grey coloured areas: Use your mouse, arrows or tab keys to move around the form. If this form is not compatible with your computer system or you experience any problems contact the PACS office for immediate assistance. If you need more space than is provided add additional sheets.

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Abbreviations used:

·  VO is Verification Officer – an independent contractor who inspects your farm at the request of your certification body. The VO makes a report to the Certification Committee of the Certification Body. A copy of this report is sent to you along with the Certification Review Report. Remember the VO does not certify your farm, or set conditions for certification.

·  CC is Certification Committee the group your certification body authorized to make decisions. The Certification Committee examines your farm plan and the VO report and then decides whether you qualify for certification. Sometimes the CC sets conditions you must meet for certification which are sent to you in the “Certification Review Report”.


About this guidance document:

This document highlights areas where there may be pitfalls, or questions. Not every line is explained. If you have questions that are not covered contact the PACS office.

Page 1

Name – insert Farm Owner’s name here. In most situations this will also be the contact person. If you want another person to be the contact person put it in the same box, after the owner’s name.

Date the form is completed.

Tel, fax, email: include even if you think PACS already knows them. Add a cell number if relevant – it will be handy for the VO.

Physical location of the place where you will want the VO to start the inspection. Give directions so the VO can find the place.

Manager’s name and telephone – an authorized person knowledgeable about the operation who is not the legal owner that must be on site during inspections if the Farm Owner does not have familiarity necessary to effectively answer the VO’s questions.

Farm Name – this is name by which PACS tracks your file.

Legal Status – check off the closest or write it in.

Certification Review from last year – If you had conditions last year but you responded to PACS and PACS accepted the responses don’t list those items again. But if there were issues that PACS asked you to address with the next renewal plan or said would be followed up during the next verification visit, or that you did not respond to, or PACS did not accept your response, or there were actions that you promised to undertake – those issues must be listed here along with what you have done to fix the matter. The VO will will go over all of the conditions with you.

In the last 12 months has any other regulatory body (e.g. Health Unit, CFIA) visited your operation in regard to your organic operations or products? Have you received any customer complaints about an organic product? Be specific and focus on visits that are related to or might effect your organic operation.

VO only: this area will be used by the Verification officer – do not fill it in.

Page 2

1. Farm Plan Changes
This is where you must look carefully at your previous year’s application. Check the “no change” box for the item if last year’s application was accurate and you have made no changes. If there has been a minor change “tab” (or “mouse”, or “arrow”) to the Summarize change area and write out a short explanation of the change. You will only be able to type 2 lines in that area. If the change is more complex then you can fit in this area either use an extra sheet (or document) or call the PACS office and request the regular PACS Farm Plan form, and use it.

N/A boxes in a few places there is a box for “N/A” - “Not Applicable” – only mark that box if you do not do that activity (such as produce washing, only raise forage crops).

Land base changes: If you have added or removed fields summarize the change (e.g. bought another farm at 16000 Farms rd, Farm City, legal address: township: xyz, folio: xyz, info attached.) Report land acquisitions, whether you are managing them organically or non-organically.
For new land or fields submit:
·  the legal address, a new location map,
·  a new farm map,
·  a new field identification sheet (available from PACS office)
·  the land use history form for the new land (available from PACS office)
·  Give every site a name. Give every separate field a number, regardless of which site they are located – don’t use the same field numbers on different sites. Provide your best estimate of acreage and the legal description from your tax assessment.
Useful Definitions:
·  Farm: All property managed by applicant including leased property and non-organically farmed property.
·  Site: A group of adjacent properties (legal lot description) managed by the applicant. Non-adjacent parcels will constitute separate sites. For future reference and recordkeeping decide on a reference name for each site. Many farms have only one site.
·  Field: A distinctive area within a site. A site may contain one or more fields. Records must be kept per field.
New structures – be sure to submit a revised farm map that shows the new structures.
Farm Map – Look at the last farm map you submitted to PACS. If you have new structures, fields, neighbouring land use, dugout, oil well, water well, roadways, submit a revised map.
CCA and treated wood – report only changes from last application. If you forgot to fill it in last time then correct it on this application.
Adjoining Land Uses: If something new is happening adjacent to your property next– tell PACS about it.
Soil protection and improvement plan changes: Report any changes such as: you have started using green manures and cover cropping – tell us. You decided that putting compost from chicken manure on every year is wrecking your soil balance so now you are going to alternate with zebra – tell us. You are planting a hedgerow so the soil won’t blow away, putting in drainage, etc.
Tillage practices – complete this section if you have not supplied this information in a previous Renewal Plan. The COABC Standards require that you report on tillage practices. So tell us what kind of equipment, what season, how often and how it works for you.
Crop Rotation Plan – complete this section if you have not supplied this information in a previous Renewal Plan. If you are growing annual crops tell us what your rotation plan is. Perennial crops such as vineyards, nuts and fruit, hayfields and pastures do not need a rotation plan per se, but PACS needs you to report on orchard floor management. You may have a long-term rotation plan for pasture or hayfields, in which case you can report it.
You must have a crop rotation plan for annual, biennial and arable field crops (section 4.2). Small diverse gardens may not have a formal rotation plan, but crops must be rotated. Your crop rotation plan may look something like this:
Field(s) / Rotation or soil maintenance plan
1, 6,12 / Alfalfa hay, 3 years then oats, then sweet clover plough-down, buckwheat, oats, back to alfalfa hay
4 / Plant vegetable beds with clover/barley cover crop in aisles paths between. In second year, veg beds are made on previous aisles years’ path. Brassicas family plantings are at least two beds apart, so there is 4 years between brassicas in any one spot.
5 / Apple orchard – mixed perennial cover crop planted between rows. Mown monthly during season with grass thrown into rows for fertility. Compost was applied at planting.
Compost and manure management and use – report changes e.g. such as new source of manure or compost materials, now recording temperatures, new composting procedures, etc.
Seedling production practices and materials: Have you changed the ingredients used in potting soil, or how you fertilize, manage pests?
Harvest procedures, and containers be sure we understand how and into what you are harvesting your crops
Product washing / sanitation – report if you are using new procedures or sanitation materials from what you wrote on the application last year. If your products are washed off site report any changes in where they are washed.
Grading or Packing - using or planning to use new facility?

Farm Plan Changes (p3 of application) continues……

Storage (including independent third party). Note: if you are using a new off farm storage facility that is not certified organic request an Independent Storage Facility questionnaire form the PACS office, and get it completed by the storage facility.
Labels (if changed submit label) Labels making an organic claim must get approval from PACS. If you have instituted a new label you forgot to get approval on send it in with the application.
Processing plan (include on-farm and custom processing) If you have started processing other farm’s products or any of your own products, not mentioned on last application report it now. Describe the situation as well as you can..ow it is small again. sigt
Crop Transport arrangements – report changes.
Type of Marketing – report changes (including marketing under new brand name).
Field Identification Sheet (p. 12 previous application) – request a new one from PACS office if you have changed field #s, sizes or added new fields not on last application.
Record keeping – report changes.
Non-organic production – i.e. If you have added some non-parallel organic crops, or have added a few non-organic animals, for your own use, just note these changes here. If you have rented a field to a non-organic producer or have started any non-organic operation complete a “Split Operation Report," by requesting a form from PACS. Be advised that production of non-distinguishable varieties even from different sites is not certifiable under the PACS program, unless there is a transition plan in place where the last parcel will be registered in a certification program by the time the first parcel qualifies for Certified Organic status.
Inputs used on non-organic production – report any changes in inputs since last year’s Plan.

Page 3

2. Current Year Crop Plan

List all fields and crops and be sure to identify the correct status you are applying for per field per field. If you have any non-organic crops identify them as well. Do not list every type of mixed vegetables unless you plan to produce a large amount of a single type i.e. over 1/2 acre or want the variety specified on your certificate. If you grow the same type (eg lettuce, blueberries) of crop organically and non-organically list the varieties or distinguishing features.

Crop, variety / Field Number(s) / Status (Organic, Transitional, Non organic) / Acres or area of crop / Projected Yield
Mixed vegetables / 5 / O / 6 acres / Volume for 80 weekly delivery boxes for 15 weeks
Potatoes / 5 / T / 3 acres / 20 tonnes +-
Hay / 2,3,6,7,8,9,13 / N / 149 / 170 tonne
Pasture / 4, 12 / O / 170 / Grazing for 40 cows + calves for 4 months
Apples, spartan / 1 / O / 2 / 60 bins

3. Water Use Table. If this information was not supplied in previous Update/Renewal Plan or in the Farm Plan fill it in now. If you do not use water for irrigation or washing write that in.