OHIO ECOLOGICAL FOOD & FARM ASSOCIATION
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION APPLICATION FORM
National Organic Program – OEFFA was accredited by USDA as a National Organic Program (NOP) Organic Certifier on April 29, 2002. The NOP became fully effective on October 16, 2002. The NOP requires an “Organic Farm Plan” to be completed and up-dated each year thereafter. The OEFFA Organic Farm PlanQuestionnaire meets the NOP requirements for an “Organic Farm Plan”. The NOP further provides that a shorter “up-date” form may be used in subsequent years but that the full farm plan questionnaire must be completed every three years.
Additional Information - In addition to this form, you may be asked to supply additional information to complete your certification review. When the certification committee, inspector or certification staff request a certification applicant to supply additional information, that information shall be provided within sixty (60) days from the date of request. If the requested information is not provided within sixty days, the application for certification will be considered withdrawn and no further action will be taken. An applicant will retain the right to apply for certification the next year or any future year.
Scheduling your inspection - When your application has been deemed complete, an organic inspector will contact you to schedule an inspection. You may schedule your inspection at a mutually convenient time; however, it must be scheduled within 30 days. If you cannot schedule the inspection within 30 days you should contact the certification coordinator to discuss the problem. If you cannot schedule an inspection or cancel scheduled appointments more than 3 times without approval from the Certification Coordinator, your application will be considered withdrawn.
Selecting Your Certifier - This form is used to apply for organic certification by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). A different form is used for Ohio Chapter 1 of the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA). If you need an OCIA form please contact the Certification Coordinator. You may apply for either OEFFA or OCIA certification or you may apply for dual certification by both certifiers. If you wish to have dual certification with OEFFA and OCIA, you must complete the OCIA application form, not the OEFFA form. The certifier you choose depends largely on how and where you plan to market your crops and the familiarity your buyer has with particular certifiers. If you produce vegetables, meat or eggs which you sell locally direct to customers or to local retail markets, you probably want to be certified by OEFFA. If you produce grains or soybeans and plan to sell through traders/brokers working in the international market, you probably want to be certified by OCIA. If you have questions on which certification is right for you, talk with your buyers or the Certification Coordinator.
Complete Applications – Since the application questionnaire is used to satisfy the NOP requirement for an Organic Plan, it is important to complete all questionnaires that are appropriate to your situation. There are three separate forms for farm, livestock and handling operations. If you do not have the necessary forms or have questions on which are appropriate for your situation, please contact the Certification Coordinator.
2007 ORGANIC CERTIFICATION DEADLINES AND INFORMATION
FOR OEFFA CERTIFICATION ONLY.
For OCIA, use the OCIA form and fee schedule
No forms will be accepted after July 15 unless the applicant documents a year-round growing or processing operation. Applications must be postmarked on or before these deadlines and must be complete. If the form is not filled out completely, it will be returned to you & delay your application, perhaps into the next cycle. This form is used only for OEFFA certification. Please use this fee schedule for OEFFA certification.
May 15Deadline: Processing of applications will take at least ninety days (90) from the deadline. Applications postmarked after 5-15 will be charged a late fee.
May 16-July 15 Applications must include a late fee. Processing will take at least ninety (90) days from the deadline. Only year-round operations (processing, indoor growing) will be accepted after July 15.
Please keep a copy of everything you send in. Prepare for the inspector's visit by having available planting & harvesting records, receipts & labels for purchased inputs & feeds and your sales records system.
An original application form plus one copy should be sent to the address below. If you have questions, call Certification Coordinator Janie Marr Werum at 614-262-2022 or e-mail .
OEFFA Certification
41 Croswell Rd.
Columbus, OH43214
OEFFA Certification Fees
OEFFA Farm Certification Fee$600.00$
OEFFA Livestock Certification Fee $50.00$
OEFFA Handler Certification Fee $50.00$
Late Fee (May 16 through July 15) $50.00$
OEFFA Ed. Membership Fee (Voluntary)
Student Membership $10.00$
Individual Membership $35.00$
Family Membership $50.00$
Business Membership $100.00$
TOTAL$
Applicants from States other than Ohio may be required to pay additional inspector travel costs.
OEFFA Refund Policy – If an application is withdrawn before the inspection occurs, certification fees will be refunded less $50. After the inspection has occurred, no refunds are made.
Paid by Check Mastercard Visa Amex Discover
Check Number: Make check payable to OEFFA
Credit Card Number: Expiration Date:
Security Code (last 3 numbers on back of card on MC & Visa)
Credit Card Billing Address
CityZip
Name on Card:Signature:
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OEFFA Organic Certification Renewal Questionnaire – Nov 2007
Organic Farm Certification Renewal Questionnaire
This form should be filled out by crop producers requesting renewal of organic certification. Use additional sheets if necessary. Attach field history sheet for current year, updated farm maps (if any changes), and other records required by OEFFA
SECTION 1: General Information NOP Rule 205.406(a)(2) and 205.401(b)Name /
Farm Name
/ Type of Farm/CropsAddress / City /
For office Use Only
Date receivedState. / Zip Code / County / Date reviewed
Reviewer
Phone / Fax / E-mail
Legal Status: Sole Proprietorship Trust or non-profit Corporation
Legal Partnership (federal form 1065) Other-specify / Organic Certification No.
Year first
certified / List previous organic certification by
other agencies / List current organic certification
by other agencies / Do you understand current
organic standards?
yes no
Have you ever been denied
Certification? yes no / If yes, describe the reasons for denial and attach documentation of corrective actions.
Preferred dates and time for inspection visit:
morning afternoon evening
SECTION 2: Minor Non-Compliances NOP Rule 205.406(a)(3)
Did you have any minor non-compliances from last year's certification? yes no
If yes, please complete the following table, listing each minor non-compliance.
Minor Non-compliance / Describe how you addressed the minor non-compliance.
SECTION 3: Organic Plan Update NOP Rule 205.406(a)(1)
A. Current crop plans
Please complete the following table for all current year's crops or products requested for certification.Crops Requested for Certification
/ Field Numbers / Total Acres/Hectares / Projected YieldsB. Organic Farm Plan Changes
What year did you last submit a complete Organic Farm Plan Questionnaire?Have you reviewed your Organic Farm Plan Questionnaire? yes no Date of review:
Check the following categories where changes have been made in your Organic Farm Plan and summarize all changes made or planned to be made. Attach additional sheets if necessary. No changes
Farm Plan Topic / Summary Statement of Changes
General information
Newly purchased or rented fields*
Farm maps
Seeds and seed treatments
Seedlings and perennial stock
Soil fertility management
Compost or manure use
Conservation practices
Water quality and use
Crop rotation
Weed management plan
Pest management plan
Disease management plan
Adjoining land use and buffers
Split or parallel operation
Equipment
Harvest plan
Post-harvest handling
Crop storage
Crop transportation
Record keeping system
Type of marketing/product labels
* If you have newly purchased land or have rented land this year that is being requested for certification, attach a signed statement from the previous owner (if purchased) or current owner (if renting) attesting to previous 3 year history and inputs applied.
C. Inputs
List all seeds used or planned for use in the current crop season. Check the appropriate boxes and provide other information as needed. Attach additional sheets if necessary. Have all labels and receipts available for the inspector.Seed/Variety/Brand
/ Organic() / Untreated () / Treated () / GMO
() / Type/Brand of Treatment
Fungicide Inoculant / Describe your attempts to use organic/untreated seed?
List all fertility inputs, soil mix ingredients, pest and disease control products, water additives, or other inputs used or intended for use in the current season on proposed organic and transitional fields. Use additional sheets if necessary. All inputs used during the current year must be listed on your Field History Sheet.
Have all labels and receipts available for the inspector. No inputs used
Product / Brand name or source / Status: Approved (A)
Restricted (R)
Prohibited (P) / If restricted, describe compliance with NOP Rule Annotation / Check if GMO ()
D. Monitoring Practices and Procedures Ongoing monitoring is required by the NOP Rule Section 205.201(a)(3).
Fertility Management Program
Rate the effectiveness of your fertility management program: excellent satisfactory needs improvementDescribe any changes you have made or intend to make based on the results of your monitoring program.
Natural Resource Management
Rate the effectiveness of your soil conservation program: excellent satisfactory needs improvement
Describe any changes you have made or intend to make based on the results of your monitoring program.
Rate the effectiveness of your water quality program: excellent satisfactory needs improvement
Describe any changes you have made or intend to make based on the results of your monitoring program.
Weed, Pest, and Disease Management
Rate the effectiveness of your weed management program: excellent satisfactory needs improvement
Describe any changes you have made or intend to make based on the results of your monitoring program.
Rate the effectiveness of your pest management program: excellent satisfactory needs improvement
Describe any changes you have made or intend to make based on the results of your monitoring program.
Rate the effectiveness of your disease management program: excellent satisfactory needs improvement
Describe any changes you have made or intend to make based on the results of your monitoring program.
Other Monitoring: Indicate if you conduct monitoring in the following areas:
Maintenance of Organic Integrityyes no Adjoining land uses, buffers, notification letters, posting signs
yes no Input equipment cleaning (sprayers, planters, etc.)
yes no Harvest equipment cleaning
yes no Crop testing for contaminants (prohibited materials, GMOs)
yes no Post harvest handling
yes no Crop storage cleaning
yes no Transportation of organic crops
Recordkeeping
yes no Compost production records
yes no Labor records
yes no Appropriate Organic Certificates or Transaction Certificates to verify purchase of organic products
yes no Complaint log
Section 4 Annual Summary of Organic Crop Yield and Sales NOP Section 205.103
The following organic crops/products have been sold from ______(date) to ______(date).Crops/Products / # of Acres / Actual Yield / Amount Sold / Amount Left to Sell / Remaining Crop
Storage ID #
Section 5 Affirmation
I affirm that all statements made in this application are true and correct. No prohibited products have been applied to any of my organically managed fields during the three-year period prior to projected harvest. I understand that the operation may be subject to unannounced inspection and/or sampling for residues at any time as deemed appropriate to ensure compliance with the NOP Rule. I understand that acceptance of this questionnaire in no way implies granting of certification by the certifying agent. I agree to follow the NOP Rule.
Signature of Operator______Date______
I have attached the following documents:
Updated maps of all parcels/fields (showing adjoining land use and field identification)
Field history sheets for current crops
Documentation for fields owned or rented for less than three years, if applicable
Water test, if applicable
Soil and/or plant tissue tests, if applicable
Residue analyses, if applicable
Input product labels, if applicable
Organic product labels, if applicable
I have made copies of this questionnaire and other supporting documents for my own records.
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OEFFA Organic Certification Renewal Questionnaire – Nov 2007
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
Field History
FieldNo. / No. of
Acres / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007
Crop / Inputs & Date Used / Crop / Inputs & Date Used / Crop / Inputs & Date Used / Crop / Inputs & Date Used
All inputs must be listed here and on product lists. Example: seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, mulches, compost, insecticides, herbicides, etc.
Under field number mark C for Certified, T for Transitional, & N for Non-certified.
Include your plans for 2006 in the applicable column, even if you have not used the inputs at the time of form completion.
Use additional Field History Sheets if necessary.
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OEFFA Organic Certification Renewal Questionnaire – Nov 2007