RULES IN ORGANIC FARMING

(BASED ON NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM)

If you're planning on growing and selling organic crops on your farmland, the land must
meet the following two basic requirements:

1. The land must be free from all prohibited substances on the National List for at least three years
before the harvest of a crop. For example, say you use a prohibited substance on your land,
then grow wheat on the land the following year. You can't sell or market that wheat as organic.

2. All land must have distinct, defined boundaries and buffer zones in order to prevent any
unintended applications of prohibited substances. This rule is important as your land may be
sitting right next to land that is not under organic management.

Soil Fertility and Crop Nutrient Management Rules

Beyond the basics, producers of organic crops must manage their soil and crop nutrients within the
scope of NOP policy. The following are some of these NOP rules:

 Your tillage and cultivation practices must maintain or improve the physical, chemical, and
biological condition of the soil.
 Soil erosion must be minimized.
 Non-chemical methods of soil management, such as crop rotation, cover crops, and the
application of plant and animal materials should be implemented.
 When using plant and animal materials such as raw manure to improve soil conditions, you
must do so in such a way that there is no crop, soil, or water contamination.
 Any composted plant and animal materials used must be produced via the process set forth by
NOP in their composting section.
 To maintain or improve soil organic matter, producers may use crop nutrient or soil
amendment allowed by the National List of synthetic substances, a mined substance of low
solubility, a mined substance of high solubility if the substance is in compliance with the
 National List of nonsynthetic materials, ash from the burning of a plant or animal material so
long as the ash has not been treated or combined with a prohibited substance on the National
List or plant or animal material that has been chemically altered so long as it's good to go on
the National List. As you can see, it pays to keep up with the National List.
 Producers may not use sewage sludge on the land.

Seeds and Planting Stock Standards

NOP has various seed and stock rules in place that must be followed in order to keep your land
compliant. NOP seed rules are somewhat complicated because while you're supposed to use organic
seeds on your land, there are exceptions to the rule.

When it comes to planting stock used for organic crops, the organic stock is recommended by NOP,
but like an organic seed, you don't absolutely have to use organic stock if none is available and if
you've made a good faith effort to locate organic stock. If you cannot find commercially available plant
stock you're allowed to use non-organically produced planting stock to produce a perennial organic
crop, but only after the stock has been maintained under a system of organic management for a
period of one year or more.

One of the most important rules to pay attention to here is that only organically produced seeds can
be used if you're producing edible sprouts.

NOP Crop Rotation Rules

As an organic producer, you need to implement a crop rotation plan including but not limited to sod,
cover crops, green manure crops, and catch crops. Crop rotation on the organic farm must apply to
the operation for maintaining or improving soil organic matter content, pest management,
management of deficient or excess plant nutrients, and help to control erosion.

Pest and Disease Management Standards

A proper integrated pest management (IPM) system is important on the organic farm and is another
NOP land requirement. Producers need a good IPM in order to control and help prevent crop pests,
weeds, and diseases. NOP allows the following pest and disease practices:

 Crop rotation and soil and crop nutrient management practices.

 Sanitation measures that remove disease vectors, weed seeds, and habitat for pest
organisms.
 Cultural practices that enhance crop health. This may include choosing the right selection of
plant species for your area and choosing plant varieties with built-in resistance to prevalent
pests, weeds, and diseases.
 Mechanical or physical pest control such as the introduction of predators or parasites of the
pest species, proper development of the habitat for natural enemies of pests and nonsynthetic
controls such as lures, traps, and repellents.
 Mulching with fully biodegradable materials, mowing, synthetic mulches, livestock grazing, hand
weeding and mechanical cultivation such as flame, heat, or electrical means are all allowed for
weed control.
 Application of non-synthetic biological, botanical, or mineral inputs.

Important: Biological or botanical substance or a substance included on the National List of synthetic
substances allowed for use in organic crop production can be used if all methods above fail to control
pests, weeds or disease so long as you document why such methods are needed in your organic
system plan.