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A set of federal guidelines for organic production, called The National Organic Program, was released by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), on October 21, 2002 under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. All agricultural products labeled 'organic' have to be in compliance with these guidelines, and a grower or processor that is certified organic must meet or exceed all regulations.
Organic farms must:
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Use organic or untreated seeds and apply no prohibited materials for 3 years prior to certification
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Implement Organic Plans with proactive soil building, conservation, nutrient management, pest management and crop rotation systems
Organic livestock operations must:
- Provide outdoor access and pasture for all cows
- Use 100% organic feed
- Not use antibiotics, growth hormones or GMOs
Organic processing operations must:
- Not use ingredients that are genetically engineered, grown with the use of sewage sludge, irradiated or produced with volatile synthetic solvents
All organic farms must be certified by a third-party accredited agency. Third-party certifiers make regular ongoing visits to all organic farms to ensure compliance with organic rules, including new updates.
It takes one year to transition a cow to certified organic, and three years to transition pasture or cropland. On a transitioning farm, cows may be fed on third-year transitioning pasture. This allows the entire farm - animals and land - to convert in three years.
Horizon Organic® is fully compliant with the USDA standards. We are proud of each and every one of our company-owned organic dairy farms and our network of 353 family farmers who manage their land organically to improve the health of the land, animals and families. We work closely with our certifiers on an ongoing basis to ensure that each dairy is fully certified organic and meets the USDA national organic standards, which are the most stringent in the world
To learn more about our farms, please visit the Our Farms section of this website.
To learn more about the organic seal and labeling, please visit the Organic & Your Health section of this website.
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In the United States, all organic foods must be certified under the USDA organic standards. Only foods that meet these strict criteria may be labeled organic.
