Becoming Certified

1. Determine if you should be certified.

Are you a crop or livestock farmer or processor that has more than $5,000 in gross organic sales per year and are marketing your products as Organic? If so, you are required to become certified to be in compliance with the USDA's National Organic Program rules. (Operations that sell less than $5,000 in gross organic sales per year and are marketing products as Organic are exempt from certification, but must still abide by the Final Rule if they wish to continue marketing products as organic.)
Would you like third party verification that products are produced according to the USDA/NOP regulations?
Do you believe in organic agriculture - an approach to farming that seeks to maintain and improve the productivity of the land by encouraging and enhancing natural biological processes?
Would you like consumer recognition, better access to markets, and increased profitability?

2. Contact NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC.

To order an application packet call us at 607.724.9851, email certifiedorganic@nofany.org or visit our Certification Forms page to download PDF versions of the forms online and get started now.

3. Complete and submit the application.

This consists of the Initial Organic Plan application plus any required attachments. Mail or email your application to NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC and don’t forget your certification fee. To assist you in the process, please see the application guide. If you have any questions or require clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

4. Inspection.

Your application will be reviewed in the office. Then a trained inspector will contact you to schedule an onsite inspection.

5. Certification determination notification.

Upon completion of the review process, you will receive a determination letter informing you of your certification status and/or any requirements for ongoing certification.

For information & requirements on the different types of certification, please click below:
Crop Certification ~ Dairy/Livestock Certification ~ Handler Certification