ics
New to Organic?

Are you still in the process of determining if organic is a good fit for you? Or perhaps you've decided you want to become part of the organic industry but don't know where to start or what all is involved. This page is designed to assist you with some of the preliminary steps and to point you in the direction of people who can help you get started.

One of the most important steps we can recommend is to read the NOP Regulations, found on the USDA National Organic Program website. In addition, hopefully the information below will help you understand what the process involves.

     
Here's How it Works

ICS has a page designated to explain the steps in the certification process. Click here to read these steps. But what needs to be done before you send in an application? This article explains the steps for finding a certifier and generic information as to what is needed.

Here's How it Works

You’ve heard organic is better for the land/environment; you’ve heard there is a premium on organic products; you’ve decided organic is the way you want to go.
 
What should you do first?

  • Visit the NOP website to view the regulations.
  • Alternately, request a hard copy of the requirements;
  • Visit the ATTRA website for checklists which may help;
  • Contact neighbors, friends, anyone else you know is certified organic;
  • Although certifiers in the United States certify to the USDA National Organic Program, they are not all run the same
    • Fee structures differ
    • Deadlines, paperwork, etc may differ
  • Talk to people currently certified; they can give opinions about the integrity, commitment and service certain certifiers hold to.
  • Contact the certifier – ask for a quote of what your certification costs would be. Remember – fee structures differ so the process to deliver a quote may also differ;
  • Ask for all costs: Inspection; Basic Certification; Additional charges for support, label review, subcontractors being certified on your behalf, percent of sales, etc.
     
    Once you've done all the preliminary work, contact your preferred certification agency. They will provide you with information concerning the steps to the rest of the process.

Read more about ICS' Steps
 
Where to Go for Help

One of the first things you'll learn when going through the organic certification process is that your certifier, at times, doesn't appear to be a lot of help.

Certifiers are bound to regulations as well, and one of these is that we are not allowed to consult. We can (and will) let you know what you are doing wrong, but can't tell you how to do it right.

This is frustrating not just to clients and new applicants, but to ICS staff as well. Therefore, we have included several links on our resources page to places you can go to get answers.

We also depend greatly on comments from all of our clients as to what would make their lives easier when it comes to organic certification. Please don't hesitate to send us your suggestions, especially suggestions for our website and newsletter, on how to improve our services.  
 
 
Preparing for Your Inspection

Whether it’s your first organic inspection, or your fifth, what you need to have available on the day of the inspection – and what this inspection will entail – can still be confusing.

The most important part of organic certification, and what the inspection is meant to prove, is that your product can be tracked from field or point of purchase to the consumer to be free of chemicals and contamination from non-organic products.

All those in organic production know first-hand that this tracking requires a great deal of paperwork and a good organizational system in place.

To help you get through this inspection, ICS has developed a few tips. Some of these may not be relevant to your operation.

Read More
 
 
 
 

International Certification Services, Inc.
301 5th Ave SE Medina, ND 58467 United States
Tel: 701-486-3578 * Fax: 701-486-3580 * email: info@ics-intl.com