To become certified organic, livestock producers must demonstrate to an accredited certifier that their operation complies with National Organic Program regulations. This process is begun by completing an Organic System Plan (OSP) — normally part of the application for certification. The OSP illustrates to the certifier how the producer plans to comply with the regulations by detailing the practices, the inputs, and the monitoring procedures that will be used. The OSP is backed up by on-site inspection to ensure that the producer is, in fact, farming or ranching in the manner outlined in his or her OSP. It is the inspector’s responsibility to look for documentation and indicators that substantiate the producer’s claim to organic status, as well as to look for violations.

The forms in this package are provided as tools that livestock producers can use for documenting practices, inputs, and activities that demonstrate compliance with regulations or that assist in other aspects of farm record keeping. The forms can be kept anywhere that makes recording easy, such as in the truck, milk house, or machinery shed.

Please note that these are not required forms! Organic livestock producers have more than enough mandatory paperwork to keep them occupied. These forms are merely intended to give you something convenient and organized to record routine things that may be important to document. Use only those forms that suit your operation and recycle the rest.

These forms are located at Organic Livestock Documentation Forms.