Details of these steps are found in the MVOAI Policy Manual.

STEP ONE

Organic certification can be a frustrating and bureaucratic process, particularly for a smaller farmer or processor. Our goal at MVOAI is to humanize the process by treating our clients kindly, with the respect they deserve for dedicating themselves to organic production. The first step is to request an MVOAI Application Packet for the type of operation for which you are requiring certification, which includes the appropriate components of the following: MVOAI Farm, Livestock, and/or Processing/Handling Plan Questionnaire, the Field History Forms, Product Profile forms, the MVOAI Policy and Standards Manuals. In addition to these basic forms, many additional forms are available on the MVOAI web site (www.mvoai.com) to help you in your record keeping

STEP TWO

Upon receipt of the Certification Application Packet, we request that you review the Policy and Standards Manuals and fee structures. If you have any questions about determining your fee structure, please contact the MVOAI Certification Coordinator. These manuals make very clear the requirements for our USDA organic and international certification. A complete understanding of their contents serves as the first step in the application and qualifying process. Having read the Policy and Standards Manuals, if you feel you will qualify for certification and wish to proceed, the next step is to carefully review the Certification Application Packet and fill out, as appropriate, the Application Form, Farm/Livestock Plan or Processing/Handling Plan, and Field History Forms, Product Profile forms.

Please complete all parts of the forms carefully and in complete detail. Please call or e-mail the MVOAI Certification Coordinator if you have questions about completing the forms. Incomplete forms will be returned for completion. The completed Certification Application Materials are sent to the main office of MVOAI, making sure the Application Fee is included. The Application and Certification Fees are presented in the MVOAI Certification Fees Schedule. If at any time the applicant wishes to withdraw from the application or certification process, the applicant shall be liable for the costs of services provided up to the time of withdrawal of the application. See Certification Fee Schedule.

STEP THREE

MVOAI certification staff review the application for completeness, gathers any additional or missing information from the applicant, and then performs a knowledgeable initial review to determine eligibility for certification and/or any need for further information or compliance to the appropriate standards. The Certification Coordinator then notifies the client of any further requirements or corrections of non-compliances.

If after reviewing the application, the certification staff decides the applicant is not a suitable candidate for organic certification, MVOAI notifies the applicant and presents the reasons why the operation does not qualify for certification. The applicant may request an opportunity to make the necessary changes required to become a candidate.

STEP FOUR

If the applicant is found to be a suitable candidate for certification, the MVOAI finance office provides the applicant with a Certification Cost Estimate, which gives the client or prospective clients the approximate costs of their inspection and certification. This Estimate must be acknowledged and accepted before the MVOAI inspection, or in the case of new applications, the inspection costs must be paid before the inspection. When this is complete, an appropriate Inspector is chosen to inspect the farm or processing operation. The Inspector must be free of all conflicts of interests regarding the operation he or she is to inspect. The Inspector is given a copy of the application package to review and any previous inspection and/or noncompliance reports on the operation, and then contacts the applicant directly to set up a time for the inspection.
The Inspector conducts the inspection with the authorized representative of the operation in attendance along with as many of the operation’s managerial staff as possible. To conclude the on-site inspection, the Inspector requests that the client sign and return to him or her two copies of the MVOAI Certified Operation Agreement and then conducts an exit interview with the client to review the main observations and conclusions made during the inspection. The Inspector then completes his inspection report including recommendations, and submits it to the MVOAI Inspections Manager for consideration by the Certification Committee. A copy of the Inspector’s report is provided to the client and the original becomes part of a client’s certification file. The client is charged per diem for Inspector’s time and for travel.  For details, please see Inspections and Testing below and the MVOAI Certification Fee Schedule.

STEP FIVE

At this point, on the basis of the application materials and any additional information gained during the inspection visit, the Certification Committee makes their certification decision on the basis of the MVOAI policies and appropriate standards, and requests that the Certification Coordinator notify the client of their certification status: approved, denied or conditional. Final certification approval may be conditional, i.e., additional documentation may be needed and/or certain practices amended or adopted to comply with MVOAI policies and appropriate standards.

STEP SIX

If approved, the client corrects any pre-certification requirements mentioned in STEP FIVE, and pays MVOAI required fees. (Please use the Certification Fee Schedule or the Cost Estimate and Payment Agreement form supplied by the MVOAI finance office to determine your fees.) If there are no additional conditions to be met, MVOAI mails a Certificate of Certification and a copy of the Certified Operation Agreement signed by an authorized MVOAI representative. The new MVOAI certified operator may now advertise and label as described in the MVOAI Standards Manual for either UDSA organic, and/or international certification. Labeling information is contained in the MVOAI Standards Manual. If denied, the decision may be appealed following the guidelines in this manual.

THAT’S IT for initial certification.

STEP SEVEN

Once you become certified, you will be sent an annual continuance of certification application 3 months before your annual certification is due for renewal. Clients must submit this application for renewal, including a current farm and/or processing plan. MVOAI then assigns and schedules an Inspector who completes the required annual inspection. The client is charged per diem for Inspector time and for travel, and report preparation expenses. If all of the current MVOAI policies and appropriate standards are continuing to be met and the activities of the operation are properly documented, the client pays the necessary annual fees and certification status is reviewed and decided by the Certification Committee.

If you have questions concerning the certification process, costs, or eligibility requirements, please contact the MVOAI Office directly. Please consult the MVOAI Policy Manual text which follows and the Standards Manual for a complete description of the MVOAI certification and continuance of certification process and appropriate standards.