Certification News - CCOF

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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
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