Organic Registration

The first step in selling your organic product is registration as an Organic Producer in the county where principal production occurs. Registration is a simple process, and starts with the completion of paperwork that can be picked up at our office or may be downloaded below. Applicants must be able to provide history of the production site for the previous 36 months.

You will be asked to supply your assessors parcel number, list the commodities you plan on growing, provide a simple map of the production site including adjacent land uses, and a list of all substances applied to the site in the previous 36 months.

A county agricultural inspector from our office will help with questions about completing the paperwork, applicable fees, certification agencies, accepted and prohibited applied substances, organic resources, and developing a sound Farm Plan.

Our office also processes registrations for retail establishments involved in the handling or processing of organic products as required by the California Organic Products Act of 2003.

County inspectors conduct producer and handler audits and perform inspections at retailers and farmer's markets to ensure compliance with the law. They may respond to complaints or conduct investigations in cooperation with the State. In Shasta County, contact Caryn Moen at (530) 224-4949.

PRODUCERS "Packet"

The national organic standards apply to the production process by the methods, practices, and substances used in producing crops, livestock, and processed agricultural products.

• Shasta County Organic Registration Cover Letter
• California Organic Products Act of 2003
• Questions and Answers for Implementation of the National Organic Program (NOP)
• NOP Production and Handling Standards
• Instructions for Organic Producer/Handler Registration Form ORG-100
• Organic Producer/Handler Registration Form ORG-100 :: Pages 1-2
• Organic Farm Substance List ORG-100 :: pg 4
• Organic Public Information Sheet ORG-100 :: pg 5
• Organic Grower Field Map
• Organic Commodity Codes

HANDLERS "Packet"

"Handler" means any person engaged in the business of handling agricultural products, but does not include final retailers of agricultural products that do not process agricultural products. "Handling operation" means any operation or portion of an operation, except final retailers of agricultural products that do not process agricultural products that (1) receives or otherwise acquires agricultural products, and (2) processes, packages, or stores agricultural products.

• Shasta County Organic Registration Cover Letter
• California Organic Products Act of 2003
• California Organic Retail Practices
• Questions and Answers for Implementation of the National Organic Program (NOP)
• NOP Production and Handling Standards
• Instructions for Organic Producer/Handler Registration Form ORG-100
• Organic Producer/Handler Registration Form ORG-100 :: Pages 1-2
• Organic Farm Substance List ORG-100 :: pg 4
• Organic Public Information Sheet ORG-100 :: pg 5
• Organic Grower Field Map
• Organic Commodity Codes
• California Department of Health Services :: Health and Safty Code pertaining to Organic Production

PROCESSORS "Packet"

"Processing" means cooking, baking, heating, drying, mixing, grinding, churning, separating, extracting, cutting, fermenting, eviscerating, preserving, dehydrating, freezing, or otherwise manufacturing, and includes packaging, canning, jarring, or otherwise enclosing food in a container.

• Shasta County Organic Registration Cover Letter
• California Organic Products Act of 2003
• California Organic Retail Practices
• Questions and Answers for Implementation of the National Organic Program (NOP)
• NOP Production and Handling Standards
• Instructions for Organic Producer/Handler Registration Form ORG-100
• Organic Producer/Handler Registration Form ORG-100 :: Pages 1-2
• Organic Farm Substance List ORG-100 :: pg 4
• Organic Public Information Sheet ORG-100 :: pg 5
• Organic Commodity Codes
• California Department of Health Services :: Health and Safety Code pertaining to Organic Production