Organic Herd Conversion

One challenge of organic farming currently is that demand for Organic food, in particular milk, is expanding faster than can be accommodated by supply. This creates a problem and is one of the factors of allegations of non organic agriculture being labeled as organic. There are specific rules in place to convert non organic livestock herds to organic and so for a period of time the claims of dubious practices are substantiated as the herd is converted. The specifics of the rule can be seen below.

Milk or milk products must be from animals that have been under continuous organic management beginning no later than 1 year prior to the production of such products, except for the conversion of an entire, distinct herd to organic production. For the first 9 months of the year of conversion, the producer may provide the herd with a minimum of 80-percent feed that is either organic or produced from land included in the organic system plan and managed in compliance with organic crop requirements. During the final 3 months of the year of conversion, the producer must provide the herd feed in compliance with section 205.237. Once the herd has been converted to organic production, all dairy animals shall be under organic management from the last third of gestation. Livestock used as breeder stock may be brought from a nonorganic operation into an organic operation at any time, provided that, if such livestock are gestating and the offspring are to be organically raised from birth, the breeder stock must be brought into the organic operation prior to the last third of gestation.

Organic Livestock Production

The general rules for livestock organic production which would include Organic milk, yogurt, cheese as well as meat, are based avoiding antibiotics very importantly.






The producer of an organic livestock operation must not treat an animal in that operation with antibiotics, any synthetic substance not included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in livestock production, or any substance that contains a nonsynthetic substance included on the National List of nonsynthetic substances prohibited for use in organic livestock production. The producer must not administer any animal drug, other than vaccinations, in the absence of illness. The use of hormones for growth promotion is prohibited in organic livestock production, as is the use of synthetic parasiticides on a routine basis. The producer must not administer synthetic parasiticides to slaughter stock or administer any animal drug in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The producer must not withhold medical treatment from a sick animal to maintain its organic status. All appropriate medications and treatments must be used to restore an animal to health when methods acceptable to organic production standards

Organic Soil Treatment Requirements

The tenants of Organic production are based on great theory and all producers practicing organic farming, even if it has been diluted by big business still have to abide by environmentally friendly practices. Defined below are some of the specific treatments that must be practiced for Organic Certification.


A producer of an organic crop must manage soil fertility, including tillage and cultivation practices, in a manner that maintains or improves the physical, chemical, and biological condition of the soil and minimizes soil erosion. The producer must manage crop nutrients and soil fertility through rotations, cover crops, and the application of plant and animal materials. The producer must manage plant and animal materials to maintain or improve soil organic matter content in a manner that does not contribute to contamination of crops, soil, or water by plant nutrients, pathogenic organisms, heavy metals, or residues of prohibited substances. Plant and animal materials include raw animal manure, composted plant and animal materials, and uncomposted plant materials. Raw animal manure must either be composted, applied to land used for a crop not intended for human consumption, or incorporated into the soil at least 90 days before harvesting an edible product that does not come into contact with the soil or soil particles and at

Organic Standards Intro

There has been a great deal of discussion about the alleged co-opting of the organic standards body by big business in the United States. Big business now owns many previously small organic producers. Is this necessarily a bad thing? What is the impact of this. To help isolate the issues and provide accurate information rather than hear say, I am laying out the current standards below.





This final rule establishes the National Organic Program (NOP or program) under
the direction of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), an arm of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This national program will facilitate domestic and international marketing of fresh and processed food that is organically produced and assure consumers that such products meet consistent, uniform standards. This program establishes national standards for the production and handling of organically produced products, including a National List of substances approved for and prohibited from use in organic production and handling. This final rule establishes a national-level accreditation program to be administered by
AMS for State officials and private persons who want to be accredited as certifying agents. Under the program, certifying agents will certify production and handling operations in compliance with the requirements of this regulation and initiate compliance actions to enforce program requirements. The final rule includes requirements for labeling products as organic and containing organic ingredients.