Is Organic Certification Right For Your Compost?

• Published in: BioCycle Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 23 - 26
• Main Author: Alexander, Ron
• Format: Trade Publication Article
• Language: English
• Published: Emmaus J.G. Press Inc 01.03.2019
• Subjects: Aeration tanks; Agriculture; Animal wastes; Arsenic; Cadmium; Composting; Composts; Farmers; Fertilizers; Food production; Food waste; Heavy metals; Lead; Manufacturing; Manures; Organic farming; Pathogens; Product differentiation; Product reviews; Raw materials; Salmonella; Soil amendment; Soil fertility; Temperature; Windrows; North Carolina; United States > US; California
• ISSN: 0276-5055

Reasons for this include: * Allows for (easier) sale to certified organic farmers * Some wholesale customers desire or require a Listing (e.g., "Bay Friendly" trained landscapers in California) * Mass merchants are requesting or requiring it on various lawn and garden products (e.g., compost, soil amendments and media, fertilizers) * Use of OMRI Listing for product differentiation, to try to raise value, as well as to assist in product branding The NOP is in place to ensure that the expectations of the buyer of the certified organic product (food, feed or fiber) are met. [...]if blended products are manufactured (e.g., potting media, bioretention soil), or multiple types of compost products, each one must be Listed. Mass merchants have been suggesting and/ or requiring their suppliers to provide more Listed soil and fertilizer products Compost Listing Checklist What's needed to list a product: * Supplier information for each feedstock * Manufacturing process description for feedstock sources * Description of system for removal of foreign material prior to composting * Formulation (percentage of feedstock types used in compost recipe (i.e., 70% green waste 30% manure) * Description of composting method, identifying temperatures maintained, the duration, and any mixing or managing of feedstocks to ensure that all parts heat to the minimum temperature for the minimum time. * Logs that track the following: о Compost temperature for a period of at least 15 consecutive days for compost made in windrows, or 3 consecutive days for in-vessel, static aerated pile or other compost о Heavy metal testing on final compost product for arsenic (< 10 ppm), cadmium (< 20 ppm), and lead (< 90 ppm) о Pathogen testing on final compost product for Fecal coliform and Salmonella level, with a stated detection limit * Product label for bagged product and/or if sold in bulk, provide an invoice for final product being sold in the market Source: Mary Jo Alexander, R. Alexander Associates, Inc.