Don’t Panic, It’s Organic

BY CHAS GIL

Back in the 80s, I was a certified organic vegetable grower. Organic certification was fairly simple then. You filled out an application with MOFGA (Maine Organic and Farmers and Gardeners Association), and if you followed their rules, and passed an inspection, you got your certificate. It was a time-consuming task but worth the benefits.

This changed in 1990, when Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) to develop a national standard for organic food and fiber production. With different states guidelines and an increase in abuses of the system, the federal government developed standardization. As one can imagine, having the government take over may not have been the best solution. This government intervention added costs, confusion, and complexity that are still present. I decided, like many, to drop the organic certification. Added paperwork and costs did not justify continuing in the program. My markets did not demand certification. I never would have guessed that 30 years later I would have a USDA-certified organic hemp crop.

The 2020 growing year was the first season that hemp growers could be certified organic by the USDA. I was hesitant about pursuing certification for several reasons. Could the added cost be justified by a product value increase? I determined that even though both the crop and the drying process could be certified, there were no extractors that were certified in Maine. I could sell my CBG or CBD biomass or smokable flower, but not the oil extract or products made from it. Basically, my certification terminates after being extracted. I could not even claim that the hemp was grown organically on my product label. This was a real deal breaker for me, as spending many times more on fertilizer, combined with other costs to certify as well as increased paperwork, did not seem worth it.

Because of the instability of the market, and our desire to produce quality products and open wholesale markets, we decided to pursue the certification process without the means to extract. Fortunately, a processor has been granted USDA organic certification—Sterling Botanicals (sterlinghemp.com) in Lewiston received its MOFGA certification in mid-October. We now have an in-state processor that will extract using safer materials and will be able to label extracted products as USDA Organic. They will also process marijuana (THC) in compliance with the MOFGA MC3 program.

Very generally speaking, being USDA-certified organic means using no prohibited materials for three years prior to planting. Prohibited products are typically synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Certification fees

can easily approach $1,000. The federal government can reimburse certified growers and handlers for 75% of their certification costs, to a maximum of $750 per certification. To further offset the cost of certification for small organic businesses, MOFGA offers a rebate to clients who gross less than $10K per year in organic sales.

What does ‘CERTIFIED ORGANIC’ mean? It does not mean free from pesticides, but it does mean that only certain approved products can be used. Growers must not use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The products organic farmers can use are generally safer. Basic organic standards have to deal with soil building and management of entire systems.

For organic certification, extensive documentation must be kept. A critical component to certification is Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), an international nonprofit that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing. Founded in 1997, OMRI lists over 7,000 approved products and is always adding to the list.

The 2018 Farm Bill placed hemp (cannabis with less than .3% THC) into legal status and removed it as a Schedule I narcotic. With legislation passed, and the USDA interim final rule for domestic hemp production, MOFGA can now certify hemp production under the National Organic Program (NOP). Hemp growers in the U.S. can now cultivate under certain regulated situations with the USDA NOP confirming organically managed hemp can be certified organic.

Marijuana (cannabis with more than .3% THC) cannot be USDA-certified organic. Since marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, it is not able to participate in the program. To satisfy the organic labeling need, MOFGA has developed a program to certify marijuana called Certified Clean Cannabis (MC3). There are approximately 30 MC3 growers in Maine. Guidelines for MC3 parallel the national standards but are simpler to navigate. Until the federal government releases marijuana (THC) from its criminal status, it cannot be USDA-certified.

The organic system does get abused, and it does not inherently ensure good farming practices. Hemp is a bioaccumulator, meaning that it cleans the soil and extracts toxins in the soil, so it is often planted to clean up radioactive waste and spills from industrial sites. If this hemp is used for extraction and concentration, the resulting products can be unsafe. Buying local and direct from the farmer is the best way to ensure healthy and safe products. Demanding third-party testing for heavy metals, molds, mildew, and other concentrations is also still important.

In Maine, there can currently be no USDA-certified organic marijuana products; only hemp products can be certified. Any labeling to this effect is misleading and incorrect. As with all consumable commodities, it is the responsibility of the consumer to evaluate products and make educated decisions.