Business Briefs

Organic farm certification applications are now available from the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) through the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Application packages will be available at a cost of $25, which will be deductible from the certification fee. Application packets include: A copy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations for organic production and handling, 7 CFR Part 205, the National Organic Program; Final Rule; the current Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) Generic Materials List and Brand Name Products List; and all necessary forms for organic certification of production (farming) operations. Any producer selling more than $5,000 worth of product and making an organic claim must be certified. Certification must come from an USDA Accredited Organic Certifier, such as NOFA-NJ. To request an application packet, growers should send a $25 check or money order made out to NOFA-NJ to: Organic Certification Program, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Marketing and Development, P.O. Box 330, Trenton, N.J. 08625, attention: Erich V. Bremer. The certification and approval process can take three to six months to complete. If a grower intends to sell organic crops in spring of 2006, now is the best time to apply for certification. More information concerning NOFA-NJ can be found on their Web site at www.nofanj.org. For additional information concerning organic certification, contact Mr. Erich Bremer at (609) 984-2225 or erichbremer-@ag.state.nj.us.