Organic Field Crop Production and Marketing in North Carolina

By: Jim Riddle, organic policy specialist, Rodale Institute’s www.newfarm.org and Tony Kleese, executive director, CFSA

Recordkeeping is very important to organic certification. The NOP requires that a certified operation maintain records concerning the production, harvest and handling of agricultural products that are intended to be sold, labeled or represented as “organic”. The records must be adapted to the particular business that the certified operation is conducting. For example, an organic grain farm must keep records pertaining to the particular operations that deal with the production, handling and marketing of the organic grain crops, such as storage, clean-out and transportation records. The records must also fully disclose all activities and transactions of the certified operation in sufficient detail as to be readily understood and audited. Records must be maintained for at least 5 years beyond their creation and be sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the National Organic rules and regulations. The certified operation must make all relevant records available for inspection and copying during normal business hours by authorized representatives of the Secretary, the applicable State program’s governing State official, and the certifying agent.

Recordkeeping form templates can be found here (on Chatham County's GSF website) and here (on CFSA website). ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas) also has organic field crop documentation forms available here.