Certified Organic - Ground Level, Part 1

In the previous post, I addressed how a branch of the USDA accredits agencies that certify farmers who apply for organic certification. I glossed right over what’s in the application and what makes "organic" organic. Today we will see in detail that “organic” means much more than refraining from using pesticides; it includes resource cycling, ecological balance, and biodiversity conservation.

The certifying agency Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA) put together an Organic System Plan Questionnaire (find it here under "Organic System Plan Producer"), each section of which refers to a specific part of the USDA’s National Organic Program’s regulations. Farmers could develop an OSP independently and then fill out the questionnaire, or could use the process of filling out the questionnaire to codify their practices into an OSP.

The questionnaire has ten sections - we'll tackle the first half in this post. The first section is General Information. Nothing very exciting, just your farm's name, legal status, etc.

The second section is Farm Plan Information, which requires copies of field history sheets and field maps that show the boundaries and buffer zones of all organic and transitional fields. This is where the MCIA verifies that no prohibited materials have been applied within the past 36 months. If you are renting land and the previous landowner has no records of chemical application, you’re out of (organic) luck for the next three years.

Dragon tongue beans. Photo Credit: Sarah Gilbert

The third section is Seeds and Seed Treatments. Seeds must be organically grown. But if you can’t find organic Dragon Tongue Bush Bean seed, for example, you can document your attempts to find it and then use non-organic seed. Genetically modified seeds? Prohibited. Seeds treated with fungicides and inoculants derived from genetically modified organisms (scroll down for a description of an inoculant)? Prohibited. Prohibited treatment, however, may be used if it’s a federal or state phytosanitary requirement (a quarantine measure taken to prevent the spread of pests).

The fourth section is Seedlings and Perennial Stock. Pretty much the same as above – use organic.

The fifth section is Soil and Crop Fertility Management. Here’s where we do more than refrain from using pesticides. A quote:

NOP Rule requires active management to build soil fertility, mange plant nutrients, protect natural resources, and prevent soil erosion.

Enter sustainability. Joan Gussow and Katherine Clancy (1986) defined “sustainable” as capable of being maintained over the long term in order to meet the needs of the present population without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This includes the broad activities mentioned in the NOP Rules. But how specifically does one maintain land over the long term without diminishing its value?

Time for the nitty gritty. The questionnaire has a number of boxes to check:

I’ll leave out terms and procedures that are probably familiar to most, like “Compost,” or self-explanatory, like “Incorporation of crop residues,” and focus the head-scratchers, like “Side dressing.”

► MCIA wants to know, “What are the major components of the farmer’s soil and crop fertility plan?”

Valerian flowers. Photo credit: Wikipedia.

Biodynamic (BD) preparations: Nine preparations developed by Austrian scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) to increase soil quality and stimulate plant life. Consists of mineral, plant, or animal manure extracts which are usually fermented and added in homeopathic quantities to compost, manures, or the soil, or applied to plants. For example, one teaspoon of BD 507 (Valerian flowers extracted into water) would service 7-10 tons of compost.

Interplanting: Planting different crops together. Certain crops, like corn and beans, are complementary (beans fix nitrogen, corn uses it).

Soil inoculants: Dry or liquid preparations of microorganisms, like mycorrhizae, which live in or on plant roots. These fungi promote nitrogen fixation and absorb phosphorus and other nutrients much faster than the plant would on its own.

Subsoiling: Breaking up soil layers below the reach of normal tillage. Improves water infiltration and drainage, root penetration, and breaks up compacted layers without inverting them. Thus, surface residue remains on the surface.

Foliar fertilizers: Nutrients sprayed onto the leaves and stems of plants, such as BD 508 (diluted horsetail). Can be 8 to 20 times as effective as ground application.

Side dressing: Applying fertilizer around growing plants.

That was A. General Information. We’ll skip B, C, and D (Compost Use, Manure Use, and Natural Resources) for now.

► MCIA also wants to know, “What practices are used to protect water quality?”

Micro-spray: A high-efficiency, low-pressure cross between surface spray and drip irrigation. Water travels through micro tubing to nozzles on risers.

Laser leveling/land forming: Leveling the land with the use of lasers or reshaping the surface of the land to increase uniformity of water distribution and improve surface drainage.

Tensiometer: A device used to measure soil water tension, an indicator of soil moisture.

That’s it for Soil and Crop Fertility Management. The next post will cover the second half of the questionnaire, which includes green peach aphids and gravity wagons!


Updated 6 Oct. 2010 to reflect the comment made by Michelle Menken, MCAI Accounts Coordinator.
Revised 7/23/2012.