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New to organic certification or looking to become certified and not sure where to start?
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Yes, breeding bulls, animals denied pasture in accordance with temporary confinement allowances (§ 205.239(b)(1-8), and slaughter stock in the finishing phase are exempt from the 30% dry matter intake (DMI) requirement. Bulls cannot be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced if they are denied pasture. Those animals temporarily denied pasture…
Yes, other allowed medical treatments include vitamins, minerals, probiotics, herbal remedies, and electrolytes. All health care materials must be listed in your Organic System Plan (OSP).
Use MyCCOF: Materials Search to find and add materials approved…
Non-organic breeder stock must be managed organically during the last third of gestation when the offspring are to be raised as organic livestock. They must also be managed organically while lactating and providing milk to their offspring. During other times, non-organic breeder stock does not need to be managed in accordance with organic standards.
Yes, you may store organic and non-organic feed in the same area ONLY if there is clear identification and labeling of feed, and you ensure there is no commingling of the organic feed and non-organic feed.
No, you must use 100% certified organic feed. There are no exceptions.
At this time, the only synthetic parasiticides allowed for organic producers are ivermectin, moxidectin, and fenbendazole. You may only use these synthetic drugs for emergency treatment of dairy animals and breeder stock. Animals to be sold as organic slaughter stock may never be treated with these materials. Plant-based, herbal de-wormers and other non-synthetic materials are also allowed as…
Many allowed feed supplements and additives are not certified organic. These include products that contain primarily vitamins and minerals. Any agricultural ingredients in feed additives or supplements, such as grains or molasses, must be organic. Feed additives and supplements may not contain genetically modified organisms or mammalian or poultry slaughter byproducts. All feed additives and…
Livestock health care is largely based on preventive practices such as balanced nutrition and reduction of stress through exercise, freedom of movement, and appropriate housing. Vaccines and other veterinary biologics are allowed, as well as herbal preparations, and a…
Ruminant animals are required to graze pasture anytime during the year that pasture is available for grazing. If pasture is not available for at least 120 days per year, the ruminants cannot be certified organic. Organic standards also require that animals obtain a certain percentage of their daily diet, or ration, from pasture. Grazing must provide at least 30% of an organic ruminant’s total dry…
Dry matter is what remains after all of the water is evaporated out of a feed: grain and fresh or dried forages. Fresh pasture has high water content and will have a lower percentage of dry matter than an equivalent weight of dryer feed, such as hay or grain. Dry matter is an indicator of the amount of nutrients that are available to the animal in a particular feed.
Livestock need to consume a…