Organic Livestock Documentation Forms

The Purpose and Use of These Forms

In order 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 Organic System Plan 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 look for any 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 they make recording easy, such as 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.

Acknowledgements

These documentation forms were developed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) with funds provided by the USDA/National Organic Program (NOP) and the USDA/CSREES Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program. Distribution is provided by NCAT's ATTRA Project, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of those in the organic community who contributed to the creation of these documents including:

• Katherine Adam, NCAT, Fayetteville, AR
• Janet Bachmann, NCAT, Fayetteville, AR
• Harriet Behar, farmer, organic inspector, and OMRI, Gays Mills, WI
• Diane Bowen, IFOAM, Milwaukee, WI
• Emily Brown-Rosen, Organic Materials Review Institute, Titusville, NJ
• Rex Dufour, NCAT, Davis, CA
• John Foster, inspector, OMRI, and Seven Spoke Farm, McMinnville, OR
• Lance Gegner, NCAT, Fayetteville, AR
• Gail Hardy, NCAT, Fayetteville, AR
• Keith Jones, Director of Program Development, National Organic Program
• Mark Keating, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, Washington, DC
• Rose Koenig, Rosie's Organic Farm and NOSB, Gainesville, FL
• Nick Maravell, Nick's Organic Farm, Potomac, MD
• Nancy Matheson, NCAT, Helena, MT
• Teresa Maurer, NCAT, Fayetteville, AR
• Miles McEvoy, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Olympia, WA
• Jim Riddle, Organic Independents and NOSB, Winona, MN
• Maria Rosmann, Rosmann Family Farms, Harlan, IA
• Kelly Shea, Director of Organic Agriculture, Horizon Organic, Penrose, CO
• Francis Thicke, Radiance Dairy, Fairfield, IA
• Ann Wells, NCAT, Fayetteville, AR

Pasture / Paddock / Hayfield Management Forms

A. Pasture / Paddock / Hayfield Activity Log (MS Excel / 31 K)
Use to record all practices and equipment used, as well as the amount of forage produced or hay harvested, for each field.

B. Pasture / Paddock / Hayfield Inputs Log (MS Excel / 30 K)
Use to record all materials, seeds and/or sprigs used for each field.

C. Organic Seed and Sprig Record (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use for documenting source, treatment, and other information on seed and sprigs used.

D. Organic Seed and Sprig Search Record (MS Excel / 16 K)
Use to demonstrate attempts made to locate an organic source when non-organic seed or sprigs are used.

E. Compost Production Record (MS Excel / 18 K)
Use to document your compost production methods in order to meet National Organic Program regulations.

F. Fertility / Soil Monitoring Log (MS Excel / 20 K)
Use to document monitoring of soil fertility and soil erosion in your pastures, paddocks, and/or hayfields. Monitoring procedures are required to justify the use of most micronutrient fertilizers.

G. Weed / Pest Monitoring Log (MS Excel / 18 K)
Use to document monitoring of weeds, diseases, and insect pests in your pastures, paddocks, and/or hayfields. Monitoring procedures are required to justify the use of most biological, botanical, and allowed synthetic pesticides.

H. Equipment Settings Record (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to record settings and adjustments for your field equipment, for your convenience and increased efficiency year to year.  

Large Livestock Management Forms

I. Large Livestock Inventory for Inspection (MS Excel / 16 K)
Use to indicate the numbers of each class of animal in order to have an accurate tally of the livestock on your farm prior to the organic inspector's arrival.

J. Dairy Livestock Inventory for Inspection (MS Excel / 16 K)
Use to tally your total numbers of dairy animals, and whether they are organic, transitioned to organic, transitioning to organic, or conventional, in order to have an accurate tally of the livestock on your farm prior to the organic inspector's arrival.

K. Record of Purchased Animals (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to verify the organic or non-organic status of purchased animals.

L. Individual Organic Animal Health Record (MS Excel / 16 K)
Use to track the identity of and the health care practices and products used for each organic animal.

M. Breeding Record (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use to track the organic or non-organic status of animals born and/or bred on your farm.

N. Pasture Access Record (MS Excel / 17 K)
Use to log the days your ruminant livestock had access to pasture.

O. Outdoor Access Record (MS Excel / 17 K)
Use to log the days your non-ruminant livestock had access to the outdoors.

P. Organic Livestock Sales Record (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to record sales of live organic animals.

Q. Organic Livestock Slaughter / Product Sales Summary (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to track your organic livestock slaughter and sales of organic meat products.

Poultry Management Forms

R. Poultry Inventory for Inspection (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use this form to indicate the numbers of each class of poultry in order to have an accurate tally of the poultry on your farm prior to the organic inspector's arrival.

S. Organic Poultry Flock Health Record (MS Excel / 16 K)
Use to track the numbers of chicks/poults placed, mortality numbers, health care actions taken, and total number of birds produced in each individual flock or house.

T. Outdoor Access Record (MS Excel / 18 K)
Use to log the days your poultry had access to the outdoors.

U. Organic Poultry Sales Record (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to record sales of live organic poultry.

V. Organic Poultry Slaughter / Product Sales Summary (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to track your organic poultry slaughter and sales of organic poultry products.

W. Monthly Organic Egg Packing Record (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use to track monthly organic egg production.

X. Monthly Organic Egg Sales Summary (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use to track monthly organic egg sales.

Feed Records

Y. Organic Feed Ration Record (MS Excel / 16 K)
Use to list ingredients for organic rations.

Z. New Organic Dairy Herd Feed Record (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use this form to calculate percentages of organic and non-organic feed rations for new ("converting") dairy herds only.

AA. Organic Feed Storage Record (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use to record details of your organic feed storage. 

BB. Pest Control Activities and Inputs for Organic Feed Storage (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to record pest control activities and inputs in your organic feed storage.

Inventory Forms

CC. Feed Supplements and Additives: Product Inventory (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to track inventory of feed supplements and additives currently in use for organic livestock and the date(s) they were approved by the certifier.*

DD. Health Care Products: Product Inventory (MS Excel / 15 K)
Use to monitor inventory of health care products and vaccines currently in use for your organic livestock and the date(s) they were approved by the certifier.*

EE. Sanitizers: Product Inventory (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to monitor inventory of all detergents, acid washes, sanitizers, and other cleaning products currently in use, and the date(s) they were approved by the certifier.*

FF. Pest Control Products: Product Inventory (MS Excel / 14 K)
Use to monitor inventory of all pest control products used in your organic livestock operation (e.g. fly control sprays, baits, manure treatments, etc.), and the date(s) they were approved by the certifier.*

These forms may be copied and distributed freely. Additional hard copies can also be obtained by writing ATTRA at P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702, or by calling 1-800-346-9140.

* New product formulations might not be allowed in organic production. Always consult your certifier about, and record the date of approval for, any new product.

Organic Livestock Documentation Forms
By George Kuepper
NCAT Agriculture Specialist
Lisa Cone, Waterfall Hollow Farm, Berryville, AR,
Joyce Ford, Organic Independents, Winona, MN
Tiffany Nitschke, HTML Production
IP 237
Slot 239

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