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Organic certification is a way to assure customers that the food they are buying is truly organic. Independent, third-party certifiers monitor all aspects of growing and processing operations to assure they meet all state and federal requirements.
For its produce to be certified organic, a farm must comply with rigid standards. No synthetic fertilizers, toxic and persistent pesticides, herbicides or fumigants may be used on soil or produce, during growing and processing, packing and shipping. Soil on which crops formerly have been grown conventionally must go through a three-year transition period, during which crops are grown using organic methods, but can not yet be sold as organic. Organic standards include requirements for long-term soil management plans, buffers between organic fields and nearby conventional farms, and detailed record keeping. Natural Selection Foods' fields and packing plants are certified by both Quality Assurance International (QAI; www.qai-inc.com) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF; www.ccof.org).
All our certifiying agencies are registered with the USDA and conform to new National Organic Standards. |