About MOSA News & Events Associate's Pages Employment Opportunities Resources
Certification
or Request an Application Packet
Please note that the certification process may at least three months from the time we receive your completed application until your certification is completed.
Thank you for your interest in certifying with MOSA. We are a leader in crop and livestock certification in the United States, particularly in the Midwest. In 2009, MOSA certified 1150 crop and/or livestock operations. We strive to provide knowledgeable, practical and timely certification services, and hope you choose to join our satisfied clients.
MOSA’S CERTIFICATION PROCESS
1. Submitting an application
You can order an application packet by mail, phone or by email. The packet contains all you need to begin the process. When you submit your application, either by mail or electronically, you’ll include certification fees and a deposit toward your inspection costs. The fee schedule on page 3 of the Free Info Packet will help you determine what fees to send in with your application and what the total cost of certification with MOSA will be.
2. Initial review
When we receive your application and fees, a certification specialist reviews it to see if it gives a clear picture of fields and crops, management practices, record keeping and methods used to prevent contamination. You then receive a letter which details any information needed before we assign an inspector or information you need to have available at inspection.
3. Inspection
After the initial review is complete, we assign your file to one of our qualified inspectors, who contacts you to arrange a mutually-convenient time for inspection. The role of the inspector is to make observations on how your operation and the records you provide conform with your organic plan. The inspector’s report is returned to MOSA and you receive a copy and a bill for any inspection fees beyond the previously-submitted deposit. You have an opportunity to give us feedback on the inspection report and the inspector.
4. Final Review
Your file, along with any comments you make concerning the inspection findings, is reviewed by our certification staff. If additional information is needed before a certification decision is made, you will be given a time period in which to provide it. When a certification decision is made, it may include any conditions for changes that will need to be made. Once certification is granted and you receive your certificate you may sell your products as certified organic to the National Organic Standards.
5. Continuing Certification
Certification continues to be maintained with the payment of user fees on organic sales, the annual submission of an updated organic plan along with fees for certification and inspection, and a successful annual review of your file.
Our pledge to you…
As an accredited certification agency, we cannot advise you in marketing or in identifying barriers to certification, but we are committed to making the process of certification as clear, open and transparent as we can. We welcome your questions at every step along the way. Please contact our friendly staff if you want to know more about requirements or acceptable products and practices.
What Fees do I need to consider?
There are three costs to consider:
Certification fee - a yearly amount paid at the time application is processed
Inspection fee - a yearly amount paid at the time application is processed and later if more time/expenses are incurred
User fees - these fees are paid quarterly, or within 30 days of billing, and depend on gross organic sales
(with a minimum of $200 due annually).
There is no deadline for initial certification. Applications are accepted throughout the year. However the inspection must occur prior to crops being harvested for farm operations. Annual update certification documents and fees are due on May 1st of each year, regardless of when your first year of certification is completed.
New Fee Schedule effective January 1st, 2010 Click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions