Requirements

CERTIFICATION

HOFA surrendered USDA/NOP accreditation as an organic certifier in August 2011.

SCOPES OF CERTIFICATION

a) Organic Crop Certification covers the production of agricultural and horticultural crops.

b) Organic Livestock Certification covers the production of animal products such as meat, eggs, and milk.

c) Organic Handling / Processing Certification covers the production of processed organic foods and businesses participating in the distribution chain.

d) Organic Wild-Crop Certification covers the harvesting of crops that are not actively cultivated.

e) Apiary Certification covers the production, packing, and processing of bee products.
At this time, there are no official federal standards established for Organic Apiary Production. Until federal standards for honey production are final, commercial apiaries seeking organic certification must comply with requirements and policies based upon the National Organic Standards Board’s 2010 final recommendation for Rulemaking Action.

Producers, processors and handlers seeking certification must comply with all requirements and policies relating to the category and type of activity.

Hawaii Organic Farming Association

Our Vision is to "Create a Sustainable Future for Hawaii"

Hawaii Organic Farming Association

Hawaii Organic Farming Association20 hours ago

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION COST SHARE PROGRAM
NOTICE OF FUNDS AVAILABILITY
Deadline for getting your completed application for cost-share funding in to your FSA county office is October 31, 2020.

CHANGES for FY 2020-2023:
For Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 through 2023, FSA is revising the reimbursement amount to 50 percent of the certified organic operation’s eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $500 per scope. This change is due to the limited amount of funding available and will allow a larger number of certified organic operations to receive assistance. If additional funding is authorized at a later time, FSA may provide additional assistance to certified operations that have applied, not to exceed 75% of eligible costs, up to $750 per scope.
Formerly, eligible certified organic operations could receive reimbursement of 75% of eligible costs, up to a maximum payment of $750 per scope, which is the maximum allowed by law. In FY 2019 and prior years, funds were available to cover all applications; however, the amount of funding available will not cover expected participation levels in FY 2020.

Visit USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) home page: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/occsp/index

Read the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) published August 10, 2020 in the Federal Register Vol. 85, No. 154: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-08-10/pdf/2020-17385.pdf

https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?service=page/CountyMap&state=HI&stateName=Hawaii&stateCode=15

Hawaii Organic Farming Association

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Hawaii Organic Farming Association1 week ago

“Local food production is more important now than ever before. Sourcing food locally reduces the threat of supply chain shocks while offering a plethora of social, economic, nutritional and environmental benefits to consumers, producers and their communities.”
An insightful Forbes piece about eating locally by Perspectives by Daphne Ewing-Chow.

H/T Rodale Institute

Hawaii Organic Farming Association

COVID-19 Has Given Consumers Five New Reasons To Eat Local

As the pandemic disrupts global food systems, local food production has come to the fore. Sourcing food locally reduces the threat of supply chain shocks while offering a plethora of social, economic, nutritional and environmental benefits to consumers, producers and their communities.

forbes.com

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Hawaii Organic Farming Association

Hawaii Organic Farming Association2 weeks ago

Chickens processed at unsafe speeds, fishing in protected waters, and fewer protections for workers: Experts say the pandemic has made our food system significantly more dangerous.

Hawaii Organic Farming Association

7 ways the Trump administration has deregulated the food system during the Covid-19 pandemic

Chickens processed at unsafe speeds, fishing in protected waters, and fewer protections for workers: Experts say the pandemic has made our food system significantly more dangerous.

thecounter.org

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