By Organic Certification Team Leads
We have mailed out 2025 organic producer renewal packets to our clients. If you have not received yours, please contact the office as soon as possible. You will notice some changes to this year’s renewal application. Most notable is the Farm Plan, which includes a short form Organic System Plan (OSP), and the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) addendum for livestock operations. We will update certificates as needed at initial review, so please use these forms to let us know of any changes to your operation in 2025. Your renewal application is due April 1, 2025.
MCIA is reviewing its policies, based on guidance from the National Organic Program, to apply a risk-based approach to certification. Our inspections and reviews this year will focus on areas of high risk and organic control points; for example, increased oversight of conventional sales records, buffer management, audit trail traceability, and non-retail container labeling. Conversely, you may receive a CDL note about areas of relaxed oversight, where risk is low. Please read your CDL carefully and respond to all conditions and reminders as appropriate. We are still working on how to translate this risk-based approach into our on-the-ground practices.
You may be aware of recent actions by the federal government that have potential impacts on the organic industry, including that funding of the Organic Certification Cost Share Program was not included in the Farm Bill extension that the U.S. Congress passed December 14, 2024. Contact your FSA office for further clarification.
We appreciate your flexibility through the changes happening at MCIA and elsewhere. MCIA’s Organic Services staff is working diligently to complete your 2024 certificates. To help us keep the certification process moving forward, please respond to requests for additional information in a timely manner. If you have received a notice of noncompliance, please be sure to respond as soon as possible to avoid further adverse actions.