There are a few ways to find out if an input is allowed or prohibited in a certified organic system: 

• Check with your certifier. If you’re ever in doubt about a particular product or input, you can always ask your certifier whether or not it is approved for use. This is a yes/no question that they can answer.  However, just because an input is approved by one certifier does not mean it is approved by another, so it is always important to check with your current certifier. 

  If you are not currently certified organic, you can still contact an organic certifier to ask if they approve the product or input you are planning to use. You can find the contact information for Georgia certifiers on the Organic Integrity Database Certifier Locator. 

• Check the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances within your scope of production (i.e., crop or livestock). 

  • Crop

    § 205.601, Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production;  

    § 205.602, Nonsynthetic substances prohibited for use in organic crop production; 

  • Livestock 

    § 205.603, Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic livestock production;  

    § 205.604, Nonsynthetic substances prohibited for use in organiclivestock production

  If there is a synthetic substance that is NOT listed as allowed on one of these lists, it is very likely prohibited. If there is a natural or nonsynthetic substance, that is not on the list, it is probably allowed, unless it appears on the “prohibited for use” lists. 

  Non-synthetic (natural) substance: A substance derived from a mineral, plant, or animal matter that has not undergone a synthetic process 

  Synthetic substance: A substance formulated or manufactured by a chemical process or by a process that chemically changes a substance 

• Read the product label carefully, paying attention to: 

  • Active ingredients 

  • Inert ingredients 

  • Formulation 

  • Application method 

  • Source of ingredients 

  All of these can factor into whether or not a product is allowed. If you’re unsure about an ingredient listed, check the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. 

• Check if the input in question has been reviewed and approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) at omri.org. If so, it is likely allowed for use.* OMRI is a nonprofit organization that provides an independent review of products — such as fertilizers, pest controls, livestock health care products — intended for use in certified organic production and processing. When manufacturers apply to be “OMRI approved”, OMRI reviews their products against the NOP’s (National Organic Program) organic standards, and acceptable products are OMRI-listed and appear on the OMRI Products Lists. 

  *Note: A product can be OMRI-listed, but if used incorrectly can be considered out of organic compliance. Pay attention to use and scope restrictions.  

• AQUAPONICS/HYDROPONICS (coming soon)

• BENEFICIAL INSECTS

  • Arbico Organics

  • Nature’s Good Guys

• BIOCHAR - What is biochar? Biochar is a plant-based soil conditioner made from sustainably sourced wood waste or other organic materials that are heated in a low-oxygen environment to create a stable, carbon-rich amendment that improves soil health, water retention, and nutrient availability. 

  • Wakefield Biochar– out of Valdosta, GA; OMRI-listed 

• COMPOST

• FERTILIZERS

• FUNGICIDES

• HERBICIDES

• INSECTICIDES

• LIVESTOCK FEED & MEDS

• MUSHROOM PRODUCTION (coming soon)

• MULCH

• POTTING SOILS/SEED STARTING MIXES

• SEEDS & PLANTING STOCK

• Avoid Common Mistakes Made with Organic Inputs: A short review of some simple mistakes to avoid that would start the three-year “transition” clock back to zero  

• Treated Lumber Fact Sheet 

• Plastic Use in Organic Systems 

• Search OMRI’s list