WHAT IS CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Certified organic product is grown and processed in accordance with specific guidelines and standards. Every year, a certifying agency verifies adherence to the organic standard through a third party inspection. Detailed records must be maintained documenting farming practices, materials use, purchases, inventories and sales. Through the use of lot numbers, certified organic product can be tracked from the shelf to the field of origin. Materials use is strictly regulated in certified organic production.

Prohibited materials include:
genetically engineered organisms and their derivatives in any form or any stage of production, processing and handling
synthetic pesticides
sewage sludge
food irradiation.

The words "organic" and "certified organic" are sometimes used in a misleading manner to attract consumers. To assure that you are indeed purchasing organic product, look for the certification agency's seal on the package or ask the vendor for the organic certificate for the product.

A certified organic farm is required to work towards optimum soil fertility; to enhance biological diversity; to minimize erosion and water pollution. Living conditions for animals must be appropriate for the species.

The ideal is to create a self-sustaining farm ecosystem with a minimum of outside inputs. The main goal is to work with natural processes such as nutrient cycling and pest/predator relationships.

Soil management is based on optimizing soil life through diverse crop rotations, which include elements such as nitrogen-fixing legume crops or plough down of legume green manures. Additional tools for building healthy soil may be the use of compost, composted manures, or rock powders.

Combining of organic wheat on our farm.
The field on the left is in legume green manure.

A certified organic processing facility must maintain the organic integrity of the product. This means no commingling with conventional materials during storage, processing, or transport; and no contamination with substances such as sanitation or pest control agents. Organic processing should strive to retain the nutritional value of food. Physical and biological processes are preferred as compared to chemical methods. Even though "certified organic" processed food may contain up to 5% of non-organic ingredients, the latter must be from an approved list of materials. Certified organic processing facilities and products must comply with all federal, provincial and industry regulations.

Our flour mill is certified by Organic Producers Association of Manitoba

To learn more about Organic Standards, please visit the following web sites:

	Canadian Standards  http://www.pwgsc.gc.ca/...
	Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada  http://www.oacc.info
	US Standards  http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop
	International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements  http://www.ifoam.org
	Organic Trade Association:  http://www.ota.com