ORGANIC CERTIFICATION FOR FARMS
Need Help Getting Your Farm Certified Organic?
What We Do for Your Farm
We take your farm from thinking about organic to certified. Coffee, cacao, fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, and specialty crops, anywhere in the world.
Land History and Your Plan
We check your 36 month land history, then write your Organic System Plan and SOPs from how you really farm.
Records and Input Checks
Simple logs for inputs, harvests, and sales, and every fertilizer or spray checked before you use it.
Inspection Day, Covered
A practice inspection before the real one, and help with every certifier question after.
Why Farms Choose Kona Organic
Getting certified is mostly paperwork, and paperwork is what we do best. You keep farming. We handle the plan, the records, and the certifier.
Done For You
We write the plan, fill out the forms, and track every deadline. You review and sign.
Anywhere in the World
Video calls, shared files, and photos of your fields. Remote help works for farms on every island and every continent.
Certified, Then Kept That Way
Yearly updates, renewals, and help when a question or letter comes in, so you never lose your organic seal.
Common Questions
How long does it take to get my farm certified organic?
Your fields need 36 months with no prohibited fertilizers, sprays, or treated seed. After that, most farms finish review and inspection in a few months.
What does organic certification cost?
Certifier fees depend on your farm's size and sales. The USDA cost share program can pay back up to 75 percent of your certification fees, up to $750 per scope, each year.
Can you help if my land was farmed conventionally?
Yes. We build a three year transition plan, keep the records that prove it, and have your application ready the day your land qualifies.
Which certifier should I use?
We help you compare USDA accredited certifiers by cost, timing, and the markets you sell into. Then you choose.
Do you work with farms outside Hawaiʻi?
Yes. We work with farms anywhere, by video call, email, and shared documents.
How do I get started?
Book a free 15 minute call. If you can, have a rough map of your fields and a list of what you have used on them in the last three years.
What records do I need to keep?
Inputs, seed and planting stock, harvest, and sales, for every field. The organic rules say to keep them for five years. We set up simple logs so this takes minutes, not hours.
Do I have to be inspected every year?
Yes. Every certified organic farm is inspected at least once a year. We get you ready each time, so it is a routine visit and not a scramble.
What if I sell less than $5,000 a year in organic products?
Then you do not have to be certified. You still have to follow the organic rules, and you cannot use the USDA organic seal. We can help you decide if certifying is worth it for your farm.
What Your Certifier Checks on a Farm
Land history for the last 36 months, a map with buffers, your input list, your seed sources, and records for planting, harvest, and sales. Our free 40 point checklist on the Free Tools page lists every one.
How Long It Takes
If your land already qualifies, plan on three to six months from application to certificate. If it does not, the land needs 36 months first, and we use that time to build your plan and your records.
What It Costs
Your certifier sets its own fees. The USDA cost share program pays back up to 75 percent of certification costs, up to $750 for each scope, for program years 2025 and 2026. We quote our own work as a flat price after a free call.
Who this is for
Crop farms of any size that want to be USDA Organic: vegetables, fruit, coffee, cacao, nuts, herbs, and more. New farms, farms in transition, and farms that tried once and stalled.
When to call us
Call before you buy inputs or sign up with a certifier. The sooner we see your land history and your input list, the less has to be redone.
Our conflict of interest policy is simple: we never inspect an operation we consult for, and your certifier always makes the certification decision. Book a consultation to talk through where your operation stands and what it needs.
Related: Organic Coffee • Organic Cacao • Organic Mushrooms • Transition to Organic • Farm Map App • Free Record Templates • Take the free readiness quiz • Organic Input Review • Organic Cost Share Help