PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Transitioning to Organic Vegetable Production

A. New organic vegetable farmers come from a variety of backgrounds. Home gardeners may want to expand into larger commercial production. People who are attracted to farming and do not have a lot of experience in gardening or farming may want to start out in organic vegetable production. Also, experienced non-organic vegetable producers may want to transition some, or all, of their farm to an organic system.

B. Organic vegetables are grown on land that has not had prohibited substances used on it for a minimum of 3 years prior to the HARVEST of the crop. Prohibited substances are typically synthetic substances that are not allowed under the National Organic Program. They include chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides and insecticides. It is important to document the last date of prohibited substance application in order to prove to the certification agency when the 36 months free of prohibited applications has passed and the subsequent harvests can be sold as organic. This is especially important for vegetable growers who want to have early season crops such as lettuce or spinach, which might need to be harvested early in a given year. Planning crops for the first year of organic sales must be done carefully.

C. All synthetic materials are prohibited for use unless they have been specifically approved by the USDA National Organic Program and are written on the National List of substances for organic agriculture. All natural products are allowed, unless they are specifically listed as prohibited on this same list. This list can be found on the USDA National Organic Program website, www.ams.usda.gov/nop or from any organic certification agency. Prohibited substances also include items such as seeds treated with captan, thiram or with genetically modified rhizobial bacteria. During the years that a farmer is transitioning to organic all organic regulations must be followed. Documentation that no prohibited materials were used, and proof of approved practices, (such as organic seed packages and labels from approved products) are important.

Organic vegetables are grown on land that has not had prohibited substances used on it for a minimum of 3 years.

D. Organic farming is much more than what you cannot use. It is instead a proactive management system based on ecologically sound practices in concert with the use of approved inputs. Soil fertility is approached not only to feed the current year's crop, but also to continuously build organic matter and improve soil tilth through the use of green manure plowdowns and crop rotations, as well as the use of animal manures, plant materials and compost. Balancing soil nutrients using natural, mined rocks (lime, rock phosphate, etc.) is also permitted.

Organic vegetable growers need to document on maps where crops are planted from year to year, to ensure their crop rotation avoids the planting of the same pest and disease hosts in subsequent years. Good soil stewardship, such as the incorporation of green manures, will pay off in healthy crops and lessened insect pressures. Resources on organic production requirements and practices are available from the National Organic Program website (www.ams.usda.gov/nop), from MOSES (www.mosesorganic.org or 715-778-5775) and from ATTRA (www.attra.ncat.org or 800-346-9140).

E. Organic seeds must be used when you are growing an organic crop (they are not mandated during the transition years). This includes any green manure seeds such as rye that may not be harvested, but are still grown on organic land. The only exception is when you cannot find the specific variety or type of seed you wish to grow and can prove with documentation (i.e. phone logs or seed catalogs) that you did a good faith effort to find the organic seed. High price is not an acceptable reason to not buy organic seed. Genetically modified seeds and seeds treated with non-approved substances are forbidden during both the transition and certified organic years.

F. Organic transplants must be used when selling an organic crop. Non-organic tubers or rhizomes can be used for an organic crop, if you can prove they are not available as organic. Perennial crops such as strawberries must either be organic plants or have been under organic management on your land for 1 year before an organic harvest can be taken. Understanding your pest and disease challenges can aid you in choosing appropriate seed or transplant varieties.

G. Use of manures and the definition of compost is very strictly regulated under the U.S. organic law. If the edible portion of a crop is in contact with soil particles (this would include splashing that might occur from rain or irrigation for tall or trellised crops), then manure cannot be applied any sooner to the soil than 120 days before the harvest of the crop. This includes all root crops, such as potatoes and carrots, and most vegetables where you eat the skin, such as peppers, tomatoes or squash. If the edible portion of the crop is not in contact with soil particles (such as sweet corn, which is inside a husk), then the organic crop cannot be harvested sooner than 90 days after the application of raw manure.

H. All animal waste-based inputs except vermicompost (worm castings) are considered raw manure unless they have clear documentation that they meet the compost regulation. The production of compost is very highly regulated and specifically defined in the National Organic Program. Even manures that have sat in a pile for many years and do not have an odor do not meet the compost definition. This aged product must be applied according to raw manure standards. There are sources of purchased NOP-compliant compost. However, make sure you obtain clear documentation that the compost meets the NOP requirement before using it on your organic vegetables. True NOP-compliant compost can be applied to the crop up until the day of harvest.

I. All components of your potting mix must be allowed for organic production. Clear documentation that the product has no prohibited synthetic fertilizers, wetting agents or fungicideal treatments is needed for each item in the potting mix. There are suppliers of ingredients for potting mixes, as well as complete potting mixes that are approved for organic production. Check the OMRI website www.omri.org, or your certification agent for suppliers.

J. Weed control can be a challenge, especially for fine seeded and slow germinating vegetable crops. There are many mechanical tools for the vegetable grower, from tractor-driven equipment to rototillers and hand tools. Plan your weed control realistically, with your acreage, your rows or beds fitting your equipment and your own physical capabilities. Mulching is another weed control option, with non-organic mulch allowed as long as it does not pose a risk of having recent applications of herbicides (such as lawn clippings). Plastic mulch of all types are allowed, but must be removed at the end of the harvest season. Use of cover crops and inter-seeding can also help the vegetable grower build organic matter and smother unwanted weeds.

K. The organic regulation mandates that a specific pest control hierarchy be used. You must start with cultural controls (i.e. seed varieties or the timing of planting), mechanical controls (i.e. the use of row covers, or by flaming or hand picking) or biological (i.e. the use of beneficial insects). If these methods are documented as ineffective, then natural inputs can be used. If natural inputs are not effective, then approved synthetics can be used. For pest control products both the active ingredients and the inert ingredients must be products allowed for organic production. The acceptability of brand name products should be verified with your certification agent. You may also check product acceptability by checking with the Organic Materials Review Institute, OMRI, www.omri.org.

L. Documentation is an important aspect of organic farming. During the transition years a record keeping system should be developed to suit your operation. Small pocket calendars or spiral notebooks can be used to note field activities, inputs, storage and sales information, which will be needed once the farm is certified for organic. These records are a valuable historical reference, detailing your farm's unique growing conditions, and will aid you in making yearly management decisions.

M. If you plan to sell more than $5000 per year of organically labeled products, your farm must be certified organic. You can choose to contact a certification agency at the beginning of the three-year transition, or you can wait until early in the third year to do so. If you sell less than $5000 in gross annual sales, you still must meet all of the USDA regulations for organic production and must document your compliance, but you are not mandated to be certified and inspected.

updated September 2006