In response to requests made by CCOF and other certifiers on behalf of their members experiencing drought, the USDA approved a temporary variance request pertaining to the livestock pasture standards. The variance applies to organic ruminant livestock producers located in California and Oregon counties that have been designated as primary and contiguous natural disaster areas. The USDA organic regulations require producers to graze their livestock for the entirety of the grazing season, which must be at least 120 days, and require all classes of ruminant livestock to receive at least 30 percent dry matter intake from pasture during the grazing season. The approved temporary variance still requires producers to graze their livestock for the entirety of their grazing season but reduces the minimums to 90 days of grazing and 20 percent dry matter intake from pasture.
The temporary variance only applies to the 2021 calendar year and does not allow producers to give their animals non-organic feed. The USDA will reassess this temporary variance over time to determine whether any additional action should be taken due to ongoing drought conditions.
For further resources pertaining to natural disaster assistance, please visit CCOF’s list of available resources.
For more information on how the temporary variance affects your operation, contact CCOF Livestock Certification Supervisor Kelly Korman at kkorman@ccof.org or (831) 346-6316.
For further resources pertaining to natural disaster assistance, please visit CCOF’s list of available resources.
For more information on how the temporary variance affects your operation, contact CCOF Livestock Certification Supervisor Kelly Korman at kkorman@ccof.org or (831) 346-6316.