ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

All organic products marketed in the United States are regulated by the National Organic Standards developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). To obtain organic certification, growers must conform to these standards and be certified by a private or state agency authorized by the USDA. In Georgia, organic growers must also register with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

For many established growers, the process of becoming certified organic occurs through a series of stages as they transition away from conventional growing practices. In most cases, farmland is considered eligible for organic certification if no synthetic chemical inputs have been used for three years prior. If you are just starting a farm, you will want to get information on the history of the land to determine if synthetic chemicals were used anytime in the past three years.
It is also possible to obtain organic certification for specific areas of your land or business.

Some farmers will want to certify their entire acreage, even if part of it is under permanent forest. Others may want to certify only their organic vegetable patch, and not their chicken production area.