The USDA announced September 7, 2021 that $700 million has been made available via the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program. Per the announcement, this program will aid farmworkers, meatpacking workers, and front-line grocery workers. The relief is intended to defray costs for expenses associated with the pandemic, such as: protective equipment, […]
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Funding Available: USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers On March 24, 2021, the USDA announced a new initiative intended to reach a broader set of producers than in previous COVID-19 aid programs. If you did not benefit from previous rounds of financial assistance, this may be your chance. Among other expanded criteria, the USDA Pandemic Assistance […]
Read More… from Need Help? USDA announces new program and you are likely to benefit!
In 2020, OneCert was able to conduct annual inspections by using a combination of remote records audits and on-site inspections. In a few cases we also allowed fully virtual inspections to take place. We will be following a similar approach in 2021 until more of the population has been vaccinated. For most operations, OneCert is […]
Read More… from 2021 Update: OneCert Inspections During Covid-19
As we think back on everything that has happened this year, of course the pandemic is at the forefront of our minds. Covid-19 has presented many unforeseen hurdles across the organic industry, and the world. Despite all these challenges, as we look back, we have found many things to be proud of. We see examples […]
All of us have had to respond to the now on-going pandemic but have we even had the opportunity to stand aside and realize the accumulated impacts we have weathered? The economic impacts are measurable and support efforts for the agricultural supply chain are happening, but what about the parts we don’t see? The more […]
Read More… from Side Effects of the Pandemic: Resources for tending to your well-being
As the organic community all across the country is faced with the ever-changing landscape caused by the pandemic, OneCert is collecting useful resources to help during this unique time. We are sharing resources gathered by our allies and are grateful for those who have put these resources together as well. This page will be updated […]
Are you wondering about what to expect for OneCert inspections this year? Did you hear we will be doing remote records audits due to the pandemic and you are wondering what this means? Would you like to know how you can prepare for your inspection? OneCert has put together this quick guide OneCert Organic Inspections […]
Read More… from Quick Guide for OneCert Organic Inspections During Covid-19
The Accredited Certifiers Association (ACA) and the International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) have released their industry-wide “Best Practice” on May 14th. The document is titled Contingency Plans for Verifying Compliance When On-Site Inspections are not Possible and it outlines tools that we can use to verify organic compliance while travel restrictions are in place and on-site […]
We continue to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and we want you to know the health of our employees, inspectors, and our clients are our priority. Most in-office OneCert staff will continue to telecommute until further notice except for a few key personnel to perform daily duties that cannot be done remotely. We want you […]
While the organic record-keeping requirements for certified operations aren’t likely to change any time soon, the way organic operations are asked to present their records may be–at least temporarily. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) office emphasizes that annual organic inspections must go on, though certifying agencies have been asked to […]
Read More… from Preparing Your Records for Inspection in The Covid-19 Era