Crops
Crop operations are exempt from the requirement to have a Fraud Prevention Plan.
True or False?
False.
Farmers will need a more "basic" plan that address "Where can you be taken advantage of?"
Does an import broker of organic products need to be certified?
YES, yes, and yes.
Livestock traceback audits for tracking of an animal back to mother/father/hatchery and from date of birth through sales/culling/removal requires the tracing of how many animals?
Minimum of 2.
Number of hours of training returning inspectors (one or more years of experience) are required to have each year.
Annual Training - 10 hours
Each added scope plus 5 hours
25 hours in total if you inspect all scopes
(Slide 12 of SOE Power Point has what qualifies as annual training.)
Implementation date for SOE?
March 19, 2024
Name one type of audit that MUST take place at a crop operation.
Seed Audit
Mass Balance (Production v. Sales)
Traceability
Name one type of audit that MUST take place at a handler operation.
Mass Balance (Production v. Sale)
Traceability
Import and/or Export traceback, if this applies to the operation.
Are pasture access and outdoor access for livestock the same things?
No.
Pasture access is the days livestock are on pasture during the grazing season.
Outdoor access are the days livestock had outdoor access. For ruminants this would be the nongrazing season and for nonruminants this would be year-round.
Number of hours new inspectors (those with less than one year of experience) must complete within their first year and prior to performing inspections independently.
2000 hours related experience (SOE Slide 14)
50 hours training (SOE Slide 15)
The NOP certificate of organic operation must be generated from where?
OID - Organic Integrity Database
Is a wagon or trailer used to transport organic crops considered a nonretail container?
Yes. Operators must have labeling on wagons/ trailers/semi's that identify the product as organic. It is not sufficient to have just a BOL or similar in the truck.
205.2 Nonretail container. Any container used for shipping or storage of an agricultural product that is not used in the retail display or sale of the product.
What do all organic products being imported into the US have to have?
An NOP Import Certificate.
Name one type of audit that MUST take place at a livestock operation.
Feed Fed audit.
Audit of edible livestock product processed/sold.
Audit of live animals sold.
May include crops harvested, depending on the operation.
Minor issues no longer exist and you never have to deal with them again!
True or False?
False.
GOA will no longer be issuing minor conditions. The 2024 Inspection Report must still have 2023 minor conditions addressed in sections 2.1 and 2.2 of the Inspection Report.
In 2025, you will no longer have to deal with them!
All operators are required to complete a long form this year.
True or False?
True.
Due to the many SOE & OLPS changes, this was necessary. Also the date of OLPS is 1/2/2025.
Audit trail documentation for crop operations does not need to be traceable back to the last certified operation since they are the producer.
True or False?
False. SOE ensures that traceability is maintained within an operation and back to the last certified operation. Includes seed.
Ensuring the lot numbers are used on all documents and they show "organic."
The operation you are inspecting grows apples and sends them to a cold storage location. How do you know if the cold storage location must be certified to store those apples?
By asking questions such as:
How are the apples stored? What type of container and labeling are used? Are they repackaged? What happens to open packages?
Sealed tamper-evident containers!
When transporting organic cattle, does the trailer have to be labeled as organic?
No because the cattle are all individually labeled/identified as organic.
No Minor Issues will be issued in 2024, how will GOA handle any issue of concern found at the time of inspection?
An additional information letter or a Notice of Noncompliance.
Name an example of operations that are still exempt from certification under the SOE.
Retail stores, handlers of only consumer ready prepackaged goods (organic product enclosed in sealed, tamper evident retail packaging prior to receiving with no further handling), transportation only, custom or logistics brokers, organic sales<$5000, Handle products <70% organic.
At the inspection, the operator tells you he hired John Smith to store and dry his 2023 corn crop. What do you do?
Ask for the organic certificate for the drying and storing of the operator.
Visit and inspect the bin location.
Get a map, address, amount of grain dried and stored, etc. Get the details!
Write your findings on the Exit Interview.
How did SOE change the method for calculating the percentage of organically produced ingredients?
Operations must now calculate the percentage of organic content based on the weight of all ingredients before processing.
Previously, used was "weight of the finished product" which did not account for water loss from ingredients.
When completing a feed fed audit, you should include livestock boarded at the operation in the calculation.
True or False?
TRUE, as long as the operation reports they are responsible for providing feed to the boarded livestock.
What is the goal of SOE?
Protect organic integrity and bolster consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal
Name a type of operation that will now need to be certified under the SOE rule.
Online Retailers
Importers and exporters
Brokers, traders, commodity traders, grain elevators, bulk grain handlers, warehouses that cull, label or repackage, central bakeries or kitchens that serve chain stores.