Transitioning to USDA Organic Certification

If you would like to sell your produce or products as organic, AND you make more than $5,000 in gross annual sales of those products, then you must get the product certified. The process of transitioning your farm to certified organic takes three years. During the 3-year period, all actions on the farm must comply with organic regulations, but the products cannot be sold as certified organic until the certification is awarded.

Any farm or business can become certified organic, but in order to call your product organic, it must be certified.  This includes:

• Farms that sell more than $5,000 in organic products per year (gross sales).
• Handlers that sell more than $5,000 of organic processed food, including handlers that place bulk products into smaller packages or that repackage/relabel products.
• Processors that sell more than $5,000 of organic processed products, unless all products contain less than 70 percent organic ingredients or only identify the organic ingredients in the ingredient statement.
  • If you make a product and want to claim that it or its ingredients are organic, your final product also needs to be certified.
• Vendors that handle (e.g. package) and sell products online (but not in stores) or otherwise deliver organic products.

Once the transition is complete, your product may have the USDA Organic label. The label is protected by U.S. law as well as trademark law.  People who sell or label a product "organic" when they know it does not meet USDA standards can be assessed a financial penalty with fines of several thousands of dollars for each violation.

Exemption to Becoming Certified Organic

You may call your product or produce organic if you market less than $5,000 in gross annual sales.  You should grow or produce the product in compliance with organic agricultural practices, including keeping 3 years-worth of records. In addition, products from noncertified operations cannot be used as organic ingredients in processed products produced by another operation nor may they display the USDA certified organic seal.

What farms and businesses are exempt from organic certification?

Transitioning Process

Learn the steps of transitioning

Get training

Find a certifier

Understand the USDA Certified Organic regulations

Other Links

The Organic Insider is an email newsletter from the National Organic Program. Approximately 4-8 messages are sent each month on a range of topics related to organic agriculture at USDA, including regulatory updates, requests for public comments, and notices about upcoming activities. To sign up, you’ll first add your email and the last step will be to select the topic. Scroll down to “Procurement – Services” and select “Organic Certification & Accreditation”. Archived issues can be found here.

USDA main Organic Website

USDA website, Organic Certification and Accreditation

USDA publication, What is Organic Certification?

USDA publication, How does USDA support organic farms & businesses?

USDA publication, Technical and Financial Assistance for Organic Producers

USDA publication, Do I Need to be Certified Organic?