Certification News - CCOF

Certification News You Can UseCOF Certification services (CCOF CS) hashad another strong year and looks forwardto many more. We have also implemented a varietyof changes to improve our service and provideadditional benefits to our clients.• Simplified documentation OSP documentationhas been cut in half. No, you will not haveto complete a new OSP. However, any changesyou make in 2005 such as adding products oracreage will be faster and easier. Renewals in2005 will be simplified by reducing them to asingle page. We’re continually trying to makethe certification process more efficient for you.• Updated CCOF International DocumentationBecause international organic traderegulations are continually changing, and toensure continued access to worldwide markets,CCOF CS will be issuing updated documentationsoon. Watch for the changes in January2005. We will work with all clients to updatetheir practices throughout the 2005 renewaland inspection year.2005 Annual FeesThe 2005 annual fee table printed here will takeeffect during your 2005 renewal. Fee categories havebeen consolidated to simplify estimates and stabilizeUpdate continued on page 5CCOF Clientsin the NewsThe California Department ofPesticide Regulation (DPR) hasrecognized five organizationsfor environmental excellencewith DPR’s 2004 IPM InnovatorAwards. Of the five, three areCCOF certified! IPM Innovatorsfind new ways to reduce pesticideuse and risks, and theyshare their success with othersto promote IPM statewide.Winners include: EarthboundFarm, Fetzer Vineyards, andRobert Sinskey Vineyards.Congratulations!Certification Services 2005 Fee Schedule (all amounts in dollars)Gross Organic Production Value BetweenAt Least Not More Than Producer HandlerInactive * $150$0 $10,000 * 17010,000 20,000 * 25020,001 50,000 ** 30050,001 100,000 475 $475100,001 200,000 550 550CCOF Certified New LeafCommunity Markets won theFood Marketing Institute (FMI)Neighborhood PartnershipAward. New Leaf received theaward for its Field-to-Marketto-Youprogram, which teacheslocal elementary studentsabout food systems, nutrition,consumerism, agriculturalhistory, their community, theenvironment and the world.200,001 300,000 650 650300,001 400,000 800 800400,001 500,000 950 950500,001 600,000 1,350 1,350600,001 700,000 1,550 1,550700,001 1,000,000 2,000 2,0001,000,001 1,500,000 3,000 3,0001,500,001 2,000,000 3,500 3,5002,000,001 2,500,000 4,000 4,0002,500,001 3,000,000 4,500 4,5003,000,001 3,500,000 5,000 5,0003,500,001 4,000,000 5,500 5,5004,000,001 5,500,000 6,500 6,5005,500,001 10,000,000 9,000 9,00010,000,001 15,000,000 15,500 15,500Greater than 15,000,000 (MAX) 20,500 20,500Notes:* = All organic operations only** = Min. fee for mixed organic and conventional (all types, all crops)Contact Information:Earthbound Farm: SamanthaCabaluna, (831) 622-3418 orsamantha@nsfoods.comFetzer Vineyards: James Caudill(415) 444-7410 orJim_Caudill@b-f.comNew Leaf Community Markets:Katie Davis (831) 466-9060 ext 126or katie@lifelab.orgRobert Sinskey Vineyards:Christine Saporito (800)869-2030 orchris@robertsinskey.comWinter 2004 Certification News 3

More CCOF Clientsin the NewsCCOF certified Brewery GulchInn was named top bed &breakfast in California after8.2 million households wereinvited to vote at iLoveInns.com. The inn, opened in 2001,is located on a 10-acre hillsideoverlooking Mendocino’sSmuggler’s Cove and offerscreative vacation packages.The inn serves CCOF certifiedorganic foods grown on theproperty and is noted for theiroutstanding hospitality. Visitwww.brewerygulchinn.comor call Glenn Lutge at707-937-3719.Have an OrganicMarketplaceComplaint?For market enforcementand organic related complaints,please visit the USDANational Organic Programcomplaint page at www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Compliance/FileComplaint.html. This pagecontains helpful informationabout complaint proceduresand information to include inall complaints.To file an organic relatedcomplaint within California,please visit the California StateOrganic Program at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/fveqc/organic.htm.The California Organic ComplaintForm should be filledout and sent to the address onthe form.CCOF is happy to help. Pleasecontact us with any questions.Calendar of EventsDecember 3Central Coast Vineyards Team Day at the CliffsEducational Meeting“Economics of Sustainability. Increasing Efficiency,Quality, and Value” Jake Lewin, CCOF’sDirector of Marketing will be participating in a forumon certification and organic production. TheCliffs at Shell Beach, CA. For more informationcall 805-773-5000.December 6 and 7CCOF Organic PCA TrainingThis conference will cover the use of innovativepest management in sustainable and organicagricultural systems. Organic regulations, materialsand production practices will be highlighted. CCOFstaffers Brian McElroy and Jake Lewin will be discussingmaterials issues and The tools and methodsfeatured at this event can be used as part of comprehensiveIPM strategies benefiting conventionaland organic growers alike. 14 Continuing EducationUnits, including 3 Laws and Regulations Unitsfor PCAs, have been applied for from the CaliforniaDepartment of Pesticide Regulation for two-day attendance.Call Hunter Francis at (805) 756-5086with questions.January 19 - 22, 2005Eco-Farm ConferenceFeatures prominent keynote speakers and morethan 50 workshops on the latest advances in agriculturalproduction, marketing, research, and importantissues. Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove,CA. For more information: 831-763-2111, http://www.eco-farm.org/. Visit CCOF at booth 425.January 23 - 25, 200530th Winter Fancy Food ShowSince 1955, the National Association for theSpecialty Food Trade’s Fancy Food Shows have beenthe premier marketplace for specialty foods...wherespecialty food retailers, restaurateurs, supermarketand department store buyers, gift shop owners andothers discover distinctive, profitable new food productsto grow their businesses. Moscone ConventionCenter, San Francisco. www.fancyfoodshows.com.Visit CCOF at booth 658.January 31 – February 2, 2005California League of Food Processors (CLFP)Expo and Showcase of Processed FoodsThe Expo and Showcase of Processed Foods iscentrally located, unique and geared specifically toCalifornia’s fruit and vegetable processing industry.This annual tradeshow includes two days of exhibitCalendar continued on page 7Vanessa Bogenholm, CCOFBoard Chair and owner of VBFarms in her organic strawberryfield. In the last year Vanessaworked tirelessly on behalf ofCCOF and organic agriculture –including testifying internationallyagainst an extension for theworldwide phase out of MethylBromide, fighting for an organichand weeding exemption, helpingobtain $5 million in federalfunds for organic research, andmore. Thank you, Vanessa!We want to include you. Send uspictures of products, logos and lifearound your organic business. Sendphotos and logos to jake@ccof.orgor Attn: Jake Lewin, CCOF, 1115Mission St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060.4 Certification News Winter 2004

Update continued from page 3annual fees. Our services remain competitive andcontinue to ensure product recognition in additionto local, national, and worldwide market access.If you have questions about 2005 Annual Fees,please contact Brian McElroy, CCOF CertificationServices Manager (brian@ccof.org or 831-423-2263ext 16).CCOF International Clients• IFOAM standards require that CCOF internationalclients keep a complaint log. Weunderstand that many clients may not receiveany complaints, but you must have a log ofsome type. Clients certified to the NOP onlyare not required to maintain a complaint log.• If you are using copper in your production,you are aware that the European Union hasrestricted copper usage to less than 10 poundsper acre. This limit is calculated on the “elementalcopper” in the product. Most coppersulfate products contain only 25% elementalcopper.• As a service to our clients to ensure your abilityto market internationally, CCOF can andwill issue export documents for clients in ourinternational program whose ingredients meetEU standard EEC 2092/91 but not IFOAM.CCOF is developing an EEC 2092/91 certificationin the near future, in addition to ourIFOAM program, for clients who require it.Updated OMRI Handbook is enclosedThe new Organic Materials Review Institute(OMRI) Generic Materials List (GML) is enclosed.The OMRI list is a helpful guide to NOP regulations.Essentially, the OMRI GML organizes theNOP National List in alphabetical order and citesOrganic tomato processing ata Campbell’s Soup Companyorganic facility. Campbell’shas introduced an organictomato juice and is developingseveral more organic items.the appropriate NOP section for easy reference.OMRI has made a few changes to the 2004 GMLas summarized here:• Fewer materials are listed as R (restricted).Products with an “R” listing are restricted bythe NOP. The OMRI annotation clearly explainsthe restrictions with cross references tothe appropriate section of the NOP rule.• Compost tea is no longer listed as allowedby OMRI. On the other hand, the productis not listed as prohibited either. CCOF willcollect information on any use of compost teaand verify that all the constituents used to formulatethe tea comply with the NOP regulation.Foliar applications of any tea or nutrientproduct will be examined to ensure that rawmanure is not applied without the requiredwithholding period.• Compost listings have changed. There shouldbe no real difference in your production practices,but you may want to review the six compostlistings to ensure that your productionpractices match one of them.• Processed manure is included under the listing“manure - dehydrated, uncomposted.” Thematerial is listed as “restricted” but does notcite specific restrictions as none are identifiedin the NOP. CCOF does not consider processedmanure that has been heated to temperaturesthat are known to kill pathogens tobe a raw manure product and will not requirewithdrawal periods.• Livestock listings are updated under “vitamins,”“minerals,” and “excipients.” Hopefully,these new listings will resolve some of theconfusion surrounding carriers for feed additivesand non-active ingredients in healthcareproducts. Achievementsin 2004Among CCOF CS’saccomplishments this year:• Record Acreage: CCOFproducers and processors arepoised to break the 200,000acre mark in early 2005.• Record statistics: More than1,330 producers and processorsenrolled in the certificationprogram with 190,000acres (170,000 acres certified!)and over 400 certifiedproducts.• Accreditation: 4 weeks ofsuccessful audits for the USDA,and IFOAM. Results: CCOF CShas had fewer conditions forimprovement placed on thecertification program than everbefore. This is evidence thatCCOF CS staff have implementeda quality system andprocedures that are robustand support the reputation forquality established by CCOFmembers• Competitive fees andservices: CCOF’s fees forsmall farms continue to becompetitive with any programoperating in California. Manyproducers saw fees reducedby up to 50% in 2004. CCOF’sservices continue to ensureworldwide market access.CCOF’s members continue toproduce quality products thatmean the CCOF name and sealis recognized from farmersmarkets to national chains.All of the staff at CCOF CertificationServices are proudto work with CCOF CertifiedOrganic Farmers, processors,and ranchers. Please do nothesitate to contact us with anyquestions or suggestions youmay have.We want to include you. Send uspictures of products, logos and lifearound your organic business. Sendphotos and logos to jake@ccof.orgor Attn: Jake Lewin, CCOF, 1115Mission St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060.Winter 2004 Certification News 5

Why Maintain Organic Certificates?The CCOFClient ProfileCCOF’s client profile sheet providesa detailed listing of yourcertified products and services.We provide this document asa client service while maintainingthe strict NOP requirementsof company name, typeof operation and certificationstatus on the actual certificate.This document, coupledwith your certificate, providesthorough verification of yourcurrent certification status andthe specific products coveredunder your Organic SystemPlan and CCOF certification.It demonstrates your ongoingcertification and provides yourcustomer with the highestlevel of comfort. During 2005CCOF will continue to improvethe client profile sheet to supportyour needs and highlightthe strengths of your company.We hope to add personalizedclient statements and otherinformation as our systemscontinue to improve and ourclients’ needs are expressed.CCOFHoliday HoursThe CCOF main office willbe closed for the holidays:Friday, December 24,through Friday, December 31Certification staff will beon call to provide memberservice during that time.Happy holidays and bestwishes for a joyous andprosperous New Year!Maintaining copies of your suppliers’organic certificates protects you andensures your operation is processing in accordancewith the National Organic Program (NOP) standards.Maintaining these documents can preventunpleasant surprises and allows CCOF to standbehind your organic certification. Without them,you are not able to document that the ingredients orproducts you have labeled “organic” truly are organic.While fraud is uncommon, suppliers can makemistakes. Organic certificates protect you by clearlydemonstrating your due diligence in verifying theorganic status of your ingredients, thereby ensuringthe organic status of your finished product.Annual VerificationWhen you made yourinitial application, youprovided CCOF copies ofyour suppliers’ certificates.CCOF reviewed the certificatesand suppliers toverify they met the NOPstandards. This was a criticalstep in approving your Organic System Plan. Organichandlers are required to maintain on-site verificationthat their ingredients are NOP certified. Tomaintain your certified status, it is important to followyour plan by continuing to only purchase fromsuppliers who remain in compliance with the NOP.To save you time and reduce paperwork, CCOFdoes not ask that certificates for approved vendorsbe provided annually. Sending new certificates toCCOF and updating your Product Profile is onlynecessary if suppliers change during the course ofthe year. For suppliers that haven’t changed, CCOFinspectors will ensure that you maintain verificationof current certification for your suppliers. CCOFchecks each certificate and accompanying documentationto verify:1 It is issued by a USDA accredited certificationagent.2 It demonstrates the product is certified to theNOP standards (sometimes shown as “7 CFRPart 205”).3 It identifies the supplier named in your OSPProduct Profile as the ingredient source.4 It was valid when the ingredients were purchased.5 It demonstrates your supplier is certified forUpdating supplier certification keeps youin control of your organic program andensures that your products remainrecognized as organic inthe marketplace.the specific products supplied. This means theproducts are included in your supplier’s OrganicSystem Plan just like your products areincluded in yours.There can be exceptions for each of these fivepoints. Sometimes this information is not readilyapparent on the organic certificate, but the productor supplier may still be acceptable.For instance, many NOP accredited certifiers donot identify specific products on their certificates orverify current certified status. (There are no longerexpiration dates on many certificates.) In these cases,the supplier should provide other documentation todemonstrate ongoing compliance for specific products.This protects you byensuring that your supplierdidn’t drop their certificationand simply giveyou their original (but nolonger valid) certificate.Another common exceptionis that the USDAhas approved certain foreigncertifiers based onrecognition of their government’s program to assessconformance, rather than their application tothe USDA for accreditation. New Zealand, BritishColumbia, the United Kingdom, and Quebec areexamples. In these cases, although the organic certificateis not from an accredited certification agent,it may still be acceptable. However, the certificatemust still identify the NOP or 7 CFR Part 205 anddemonstrate that the client and products are currentlycertified.Unfortunately, we have found that foreign suppliersmay be more difficult to verify than domesticsuppliers. Sometimes a foreign supplier presents anorganic certificate from a USDA accredited certificationagent, but the certificate names the EuropeanUnion standard (EEC 2092/91) instead of the NOP.Also, foreign suppliers sometimes provide an exportcertificate or transaction certificate instead of an organiccertificate. While these documents give valuableinformation regarding a particular transaction,they are not the same as organic certificates underthe NOP and do not adequately protect you or allowCCOF to issue certification. In these cases, werequest that additional information be provided. Inmost cases the issue is addressed and the supplier’sproducts are approved. However, to avoid delays and6 Certification News Winter 2004

Calendar continued from page 4time, a CLFP Board of Directors and Exhibitor Reception,and a variety of-industry activities and meetings.Convention Center, Sacramento, CA. CCOFwill be presenting at this show. Booth number TBA.February 8-10, 2005World Ag ExpoThe 37th Annual World Ag Expo features morethan 1,600 exhibitors on 2.5 million square feetof space showing the latest in technology, equipment,services and products for the farm, ranch,dairy and construction industries. InternationalAgri-Center, Tulare, CA. For more information:unnecessary stress, we recommend that appropriatedocuments identifying the NOP be supplied in advanceby all foreign suppliers.Products or ingredients purchased through anintermediate company that is excluded from certificationcan also pose challenges. Although someare certified voluntarily, companies that buy and sellpackaged organic products that they do not furtherprocess or re-label are not required to be certified. Inthese cases, the package should still carry the nameof the last certified processor or handler. The noncertifiedbroker or trader should be able to providea certificate for the processor or handler named onthe package.The Bottom LineMost importantly, updating supplier certificationkeeps you in control of your organic programand ensures that your products remain recognized asorganic in the marketplace. After all, the integrity ofyour products is as much of a concern for you as itis for CCOF. http://westernfarmpress.com/news/farming_world_ag_expo_3/ Visit the CCOF booth.March 17-20, 2005Natural Products Expo WestWith more than 1,800 exhibitors and over250,000 square feet of natural and organic finishedproducts and ingredients, you’ll find it all in oneshow at Natural Products Expo West. More than30,000 natural and organic product professionalsfrom across the globe attend the event. Features theFresh Ideas Organic Marketplace. Anaheim, CA.For more information: http://www.expowest.com/Visit CCOF at booths 4221 & 4223. SuccessfulCertification Tips• Have a copy of your currentOrganic System Plan (OSP) atthe inspection! CCOF inspectorsare required by the NationalOrganic Program (NOP) andCCOF to review the OSP at eachinspection.• Don’t forget, you can alwaysupdate your OSP at the inspection.If you and the inspectoridentify an inaccurate portion ofthe OSP that should be changed– do it. Simply keep a copy foryour records and give the inspectora copy to submit to CCOF.• Have sales records availablefor review to demonstrate thetotal organic production valuefor the year. CCOF inspectorsare required to verify that annualfees paid by your operationare appropriate.• Have your responses availableand demonstrate implementationof any certificationconditions from the previousyear. Most conditions requireresolution within 30 days ofnotification.Winter 2004 Certification News 7

CCOF - California Certified Organic Farmers1115 Mission StreetSanta Cruz, CA 95060NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. PostagePAIDSanta Cruz, CAPermit # 262INSIDECertification NewsAt work for you!Certification NewsYou Can UseCCOF Clients in the NewsCalendar of EventsHave an OrganicMarketplace Complaint?Achievements in 2004Why Maintain OrganicCertificates?Successful Certification TipsSeen by 4,000 people in the organic marketplace...There’s still time to get your logoand ad into the 2005 Organic Directory!The annual Organic Directory is widely distributed and reaches a targeted and influential groupof organic farmers, processors, retailers, wholesalers, policy makers, media representatives, andconsumers. This includes over 1200 certified organic growers, more than 300 certified organicprocessor/handlers, and CCOF supporting businesses and individual members. In addition, theOrganic Directory is a popular resource distributed nationwide and abroad at natural and organictradeshows and conferences.New this year! In addition to display ads, we are offering the opportunity toinclude your logo with your certified client or supporting membership listing.Please contact us for special early bird rates and magazine and directoryadvertising combo specials.Logo (Certified Clients & Supporting Members Only)Listing ...................................................................FREELogo with listing .................................................. $100Logo with display ad purchase ........................... $50CCOF certified clients receive a 10% discount on all display ads.Space reservations and ads are due by December 20, 2004.Please call our office with questions and to reserve your space.Jake Lewin, CCOF Director of Marketing and International Programs • (831) 423-2263 ext. 21 • fax (831) 423-4528 • jake@ccof.org • www.ccof.org