| 1.
Any prohibited substance applied
intentionally or unintentionally will
disqualify the affected area (including an
appropriate buffer zone) from certification
in the given year and possibly for several
years thereafter. Residue testing may
be subsequently required. There is no way to
assure that any organically grown food is
free of all harmful residues.
Nevertheless, it is each grower’s
responsibility to be aware of, to prevent,
and to restrict all possible sources of
contamination, including unwanted aerial or
roadside spraying.
2.
Further, whenever a prohibited substance
is applied to a certified field, or a
prohibited substance contaminates a field
through spray drift or other external
causes, the Certification Board must
be notified immediately, and in no
circumstances more than two days after the
occurrence.
3.
New fields brought into "Certified
Organic" status must be committed to
permanent organic production
practices. It is prohibited to switch
certified fields back and forth between
organic and conventional production
practices. If a field is treated with
a prohibited substance, three years must
pass before it is again eligible for
certification.
4.
Failure
to reapply for certification, to meet
qualifications of certification imposed in
preceding years, or to respond to
Certification Board requests for additional
information in a timely fashion may be cause
for disqualification or de-certification.
5.
GRO - UP retains the right to
advertise the date of disqualification of a
certified farm from the program.
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