Organic Information
Texas Department of Agriculture Organic Certification Program Requirements for Producers
The TDA's Organic Certification Program certifies crops produced under an organic farming system. That is, a system of ecological soil management that relies on building humus levels through crop rotations, recycling organic wastes, and applying balanced mineral amendments. When necessary, this system uses mechanical, botanical, or biological controls that have minimum adverse effects on health and the environment. In addition, organic crops are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and synthetic herbicides. Upon demonstrating compliance with National Organic Standards 7 CFR Part 205, participants are entitled to use a marketing logo identifying their products as certified organic. TDA inspects and certifies producers, processors, handlers (warehouses, distributors, brokers) and retailers of organic products.
Land History
The department certifies crops as "organic" only if harvest has occurred at least three years after the most recent use of a prohibited material. Production practices and on-farm and off-farm material inputs are classified allowed, allowed with restrictions or prohibited. Allowed and prohibited practices and inputs apply statewide. Practices or inputs that are allowed with restrictions are only allowed under specific circumstances, or in the case of inputs from certain sources.
Producers of planted crops who have satisfied all requirements for certification except the passage of the required three-year period may market their crops under the Texas Department of Agriculture's "Transitional" label.
The department does not certify part of a farm unless distinct, defined boundaries exist between fields under organic management and other fields. The boundaries should include a buffer zone separating land managed organically from other cultivated agricultural land or non-agricultural land. Buffer zones, or physical barriers such as hedgerows must be adequate to prevent prohibited substances used on adjacent land from contacting organic or transitional crops.
Additional buffer zones may be imposed if it is determined that drift, run-off condition or other farming practices may jeopardize the certification of the organically managed farm or field.
The producer must submit an application for certification including a full and complete three-year farm history of agricultural use established from accurate, verifiable records including crop records, production or management plans and full and complete supporting documentation such as affidavits from the previous and/or current owner-manager, and FSA records. Producers must provide an update of their farm plan annually.
Documentation and Recordkeeping
Producers must maintain an integrated record keeping system including records of all production practices, harvest dates, yields, product inventory and sales. Complete records of input off-farm and on-farm purchases, inventory and use including application dates, rates, types of materials and equipment used for application must be maintained by the producer. Certified producers are reviewed on an annual basis and are subject to unannounced or follow-up inspections. On-site inspections may be conducted on each field immediately prior to or during harvest.
Crops grown in buffer zone areas must be harvested separately and fully documented, including verification through weight and inventory records. Crops harvested from buffer zones must be sold as conventional crops rather than organic. Harvesting equipment used for conventional crops must be mechanically or physically cleaned prior to harvesting organic crops. An on-site inspection may be required at harvest time to verify compliance with harvest requirements.
Farm Management
Producers must adhere to defined certification standards and inspections are scored using a certification rating system. The Certification Rating Report provides the inspector with a method of evaluating an organic cropping system. Categories include Farm History, Documentation and Recordkeeping, Propagation Material Use, Soil Condition, Crop Rotation and Cover Cropping, Soil and Water Conservation, Irrigation, Fertilization Management, Insect Management, Disease Management, Weed Management, Buffer Zone Requirements, Harvest and Handling, Material Use and Storage and Operator Management.
Soil Management
Soil condition must be fostered primarily by increasing the soil's organic content through crop rotation, cover cropping, manuring and/or composting. Producers should utilize an integrated soil management program which includes both temporal and spatial crop rotation with a full-season, multiple crop production system that includes extensive use of legumes and green manure crops, cover cropping and mulching for improved soil condition and for optimal annual and perennial weed management.
Soil amendments and fertilizers categorized as allowed or allowed with restrictions may be utilized for supplemental sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, management of soil pH and micronutrients. Crop nutrition management must be monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of the management program. A simple monitoring system could be based on annual soil fertility analysis and/or plant tissue analysis. Also nutrient credits for manure, compost, legume cover crops and soil organic matter should be factored into crop nutrition management decisions.
Soil conservation practices may include, but are not limited to, terracing, benching, land leveling, furrow diking, conservation tillage and planting practices. Also included are adequate use of cover crops, mulches and surface crop residues to enhance soil and water conservation. Water conservation practices include irrigation scheduling, application rates and intervals, and soil and crop moisture utilization. Crediting of available moisture levels in making irrigation decisions is included in certification ratings for water conservation.
Weed Management
Use of any synthetic herbicides not included on the National List, including rope-wick application or spot-application, is prohibited. Weed management of both annual and perennial weeds should be based on a program of preventative weed management which includes methods such as crop rotation, cover cropping, mulching and smother cropping. Also, cultural practices such as mowing, grazing and shallow cultivation (including flame cultivation) are allowed. However, cropland weed management dependent upon extensive cultivation is discouraged.
Insect Pest Management
Insect management should be based on integrated pest management principles including cultural practices such as planning production schedules, planting resistant varieties, planting dates, crop selection, rotation, trap cropping and intercropping. Producers may use other practices including pheromone traps, sticky traps, vacuuming and water jets, or other mechanical or physical controls. Also, extensive use of beneficial organisms such as parasites, predators, and pathogens is encouraged. Crop management, including intercropping or utilization of legume or grass cover crops to develop natural insectaries is encouraged, and beneficial insects may also be released by artificial application methods.
Pheromones used in traps or for mating disruption are also allowed. Biological pesticides such as Bt's (Bacillus thuringiensis), viruses and entomopathic fungi are permitted, provided that all ingredients are allowed under the National Organic Standards. Applications of allowed materials such as insecticidal soaps, natural vegetable oils, herbal preparations and diatomaceous earth are permitted pest controls if preventative methods do not adequately control pests. Use of botanical pesticides such as pyrethrum, rotenone, sabadilla, quassia and ryania are regulated pest control methods and may be utilized only upon justification of need.
Disease Management
Disease prevention must be a consideration in planning production schedules, choosing crops, locating and sizing plantings, and deciding soil-management practices. Management practices such as planting resistant varieties, timing plantings to avoid cycles of pest emergence, intercropping, crop rotations, and avoidance of excessive fertilization can be useful in preventing disease problems. If justified in the farm plan, substances allowed under the National Organic Standards may be used if preventative methods do not adequately control diseases.
Operator Management
Producers or managers should have a thorough knowledge of organic standards and certification procedures. An optimal producer plans and implements extensive integrated organic crop management systems and demonstrates and implements extensive environmental and soil conservation programs. A producer must complete documentation entirely and on a timely basis and be cooperative with TDA inspection procedures.
(Above information from Texas Department of Agriculture website 4-13-08)