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Re: What Standards for Organic Cert.?



We are organic farmers in Saskatchewan, and certified by OCIA. Organic
Crop Improvement Association standards require a minimum of 3 years
prior to the harvest year to be chemical free, though of course the
actual chemical free time on most fields is much longer. OCIA is
international in scope, with very many members in Canada and the US.
Annual inspections and the ability to trace any crop back to the field
it was grown in are part of OCIA or any other reputable certification
agency.

Actual rules as to what is organic practice go on for hundreds of
pages, with specific rules for specific types of farming. I won't
pretend there isn't argument about the details.

Both Canada and the US are in the process of drafting organic laws
that will regulate claims made about organic status of crops.
Hopefully, after the dust settles, these laws will allow you to be
confident that food sold as organic meets generally accepted standards
for organic growing. 

For now, if you want organic food you should know the farmer, or look
for "Certified Organic OCIA" (or some other reputable agency).

bk720@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Carl Steen) wrote:


>I read this newsgroup regularly.
>What I am interested in is to hear from people in various
>states in the U.S. and regions here in Canada about exactly
>WHAT is defined by organic, or is there a certificate
>or inspection by an agency?

>I am very supportive of organic and horrified by pesticide
>and its harmful effects.
>Thus I am not necessarily for strict standards.
>But for example, there are some areas where there is no
>inspection at all, and some people are claiming organic
>produce without any basis in fact at all, except a
>higher price per pound.

>Generally I have heard 5 years of soil being free of
>chemicals for most of the better regulated areas.

>I would like very much to have people post here of
>their various regional standards for what constitutes
>organic farmed produce/livestock etc.

>thanks
>Carl Steen

--
mummj@sasknet.sk.ca
Jim Mumm
Hazelridge Farm
Box 268, Shellbrook, SK, Canada
S0J 2E0




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