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03-02-2011, 11:46 PM

#58

gale

Super Member

Join Date: Apr 2007

Location: North-Central Indiana

Posts: 4,909

more info:
B. Organic products have been grown on land that has not had prohibited substances on it for a minimum of 3 years prior to the HARVEST of the crop. Prohibited substances are typically synthetic substances that are not allowed under the law and include chemical fertilizers, synthetic herbicides, and insecticides. It is important to document, as close as possible, the last date of prohibited substance application. This proves to the certification agency when the 36 months free of prohibited applications has passed, and what exact harvest date the crop can be sold as organic.

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F. The organic regulation also mandates that each organic field have clear boundaries and borders, with the acreage defined. Once the field is eligible to produce a crop sold as organic, the farmer will need to manage the borders of the fields if the neighboring field has had substances applied that are not allowed under organic regulations. There is no specific size of a “buffer zone” between organic crops and nonorganic crops, but it must be of sufficient size to prevent drift or runoff of non-approved substances. Typically, a buffer zone is 25-30 feet. Road crews, utilities, aerial spray companies, etc. can be notified not to spray along an organic farmer’s field. If a no-spray agreement cannot be reached, then the organic farmer can grow non-organic crops in the buffer zone, or leave it fallow. If a crop is taken from the buffer zone it will need to be harvested separately from the organic crop and documented that it was harvested, stored and sold as non-organic. Buffer zones are necessary between the organic crop and the nonorganic crop. Depending on the risk of contamination they are needed for the specific crop year when a prohibited product is being used by the neighbor and may be needed for a few years thereafter. For instance, if no sprays or chemical fertilizers are used by a neighbor for his oats, then a buffer zone may not need to be in place by the adjoining organic farmer for that year. However, if non-organic herbicide sprayed corn is grown the next year, then for that second year, the organic farmer will need a buffer. A certifier may require more years of nonorganic buffer zones even when no sprays were applied by a neighbor, so learn the policy of your certifier.

source: http://www.mosesorganic.org/attachme...transcrop.html

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