Pennsylvania Certified Organic

This site partially funded
by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Pennsylvania Certified Organic

106 School Street
Suite 201
Spring Mills, PA 16875

phone: 814-422-0251
fax: 814-422-0255
E-Mail Us

PCO's purpose is:

To assure the integrity of organic agricultural products through education, inspection, and certification of Pennsylvania-based growers, processors and handlers.

PCO Annual Meeting 2010

Download the Annual Meeting Flyer Here!

All Things Organic Pre-Conference Track
& Business Meeting
February 4, 2010

PASA Conference
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel
State College, PA

Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) will be holding its annual meeting at the PASA Farming for the Future Conference as a pre-conference track titled All Organic Matters.

Focusing on organic certification policies and practices, this track provides instruction and discussion on organic topics that appeal to all levels of organic farmers and food processors. PCO invites you to learn more about organic food and agriculture by attending these information packed events.

Agenda
9:00am-5:00pm All Organic Matters with PCO

Workshops
· ABC’s of Organic Certification - PCO staff

· Approved Materials for Organic Production Practices: What’s Allowed and Prohibited in Organic Production for Pest, Disease and Fertility Management - PCO staff

· Organic Food and Farm Policy Update: Protecting Organic Integrity - Miles McEvoy, USDA National Organic Program

· Quality and Packing Standards for Organic Vegetable Production - Tony Ricci, Green Heron Farm

· Rotational Grazing & Productive Pasture Management - Troy Bishop, Bishop Family Farm

· Organic Food Processing - Al Johnson, PCO Inspector

· Inspector Discussion: How to Prepare and What To Expect at Your Inspection – PCO Inspectors: Bob Vernon, Amy Talarico, Brian Magaro

· Panel Discussion: Marketing Organics in Challenging Economic Times - Jeff Taylor, Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative; Kim Tait, Tait Farm Foods; Tim Bowser, Elk Creek Café + Aleworks

· Organic Policy in the News: Hot Topics Impacting Organic Food and Farms: PCO Policy Team led by Emily Brown Rosen, PCO Policy Director

The PCO Annual Business Meeting will Follow the Pre-Conference Track

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THE 2010 PASA CONFERENCE “Farming For The Future”
February 4-6, 2010
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel
Penn State, PA

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) will be holding their 19th annual conference Farming for the Future February 4th-6th, 2010.

Featuring:

11 Preconference Tracks

70 Workshops with Expert Presenters At The Cutting Edge Of Sustainable Agriculture

Keynote Speakers: Lisa M. Hamilton & Michael Reynolds

Special Features: Meals, Tradeshow, Annual Meeting, Farm Arts & More

You can find out more information and how to register at www.pasafarming.org/conference2010/

Late Blight Information

The Northeast has been hit by the devastating vegetable disease known as Late Blight, (Phytopthera infestans) on tomatoes and potatoes. Normally late blight hits our region rarely, and late in the season, but this year it is widespread. Penn State reported it had been confirmed in at least 26 counties by the end of July. Tomato transplants grown in the south and shipped to “big box” stores all over the Northeast were apparently infected with late blight. The disease turned up in home gardens all over the region, and the cool wet weather this June enabled wide dispersal of the deadly spores.

Current OMRI approved copper products:
Champ WG by Nufarm
COC WP by Albaugh
Nu Cop 50WP by Albaugh
Concern Copper Soap Fungicide - by Woodstream
Cueva Fungicide Concentrate by Neudorff
Lilly Miller Cueva Copper Soap Ready to Use by Lilly Miller
Nordox 75 WG by Nordox

PCO has also approved:
Soap-Shield Flowable Liquid Copper Fungicide by Gardens Alive
Liquid Copper Fungicide Concentrate by Bonide

For more information:
Click here for an article on Late Blight by PCO’s Policy Director, Emily Brown Rosen.
Also visit http://www.extension.org/article/18351 for an e-extension article on the blight.

Funding Opportunities for Organic & Transitioning Farmers

Path to Organic Program
The Path to Organic Program has two main purposes: first, to provide an incentive for farmers to make the transition to certified organic production practices; and second, to evaluate organic production practices as tools in improving soil health, protecting water quality and sequestering atmospheric carbon on a pilot basis outside of the traditional research environment. Assistance will be available to producers who are currently in the three-year transition process, which is required by the USDA National Organic Program, as well as those who have not yet begun the process. Application deadline is July 31. Click here for more information.

EQIP Organic Initiative
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 created a special provision for organic producers and those who are in the process of becoming organic producers. NRCS has designated over $880,000 in Pennsylvania in 2009 to be used to help these producers take care of their natural resources. The implementation of conservation practices detailed in a custom-designed conservation plan will help improve our natural resources and ensure that Pennsylvania's farmland remains viable and healthy. Application deadline is June 12. Click here for more information.

For additional information on the EQIP program, click here.

Information on the New Pasture Rule

National Organic Program (NOP)—Access to Pasture (Livestock); Proposed Rule Oct. 24, 2008 Federal Register

Find a reader-friendly version of the changes to the Pasture Rule here

What does "Certified Organic" mean?

The United States Department of Agriculture requires that anyone who produces, processes or handles organic agricultural products must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifier in order to sell, label or represent their products as "organic." To become certified, an organic producer, processor or handler must develop, implement and maintain an organic system plan. That's where PCO comes in. We provide the information needed to develop an organic system plan.

Once an organic system plan is approved, we send a qualified organic inspector to perform an onsite evaluation of the organic operation. Then, based on review of the organic system plan, inspection report and related documents, PCO will determine whether the operation meets the requirements of organic certification. A certified operation must update its organic system plan and be inspected annually.

PCO's certification program is accredited by the USDA for compliance with the National Organic Program and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guide 65.

Organic certification is not a guaranty of quality or purity of the product. Rather, it is evidence of the operation's adherence to a prescribed system of agriculture and food production that involves the building and enhancing of the soil naturally, protection of the environment, humane treatment of animals and avoidance of toxic synthetic substances.

PCO invites comments and questions on organic topics from consumers, growers and anyone interested in organic agriculture. We also encourage you to become involved! PCO is a grass-roots organization. Our committees are made up of volunteers bringing their diverse backgrounds, expertise and ideas together to help PCO work for the organic producers of Pennsylvania. Look on the Membership page of this site for ways you can connect with PCO and organic agriculture.

This page last updated 1/21/2010