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The Organic Certification Process with Oregon Tilth
Organic certification starts with trust.
In the first video of our Growing Organic with Oregon Tilth: Stories of Connection series, we embark on a journey with the people who guide the organic community through the certification process every day. This video highlights the individuals working behind the scenes and the partnerships that help maintain the integrity of the organic industry over time.
To support this journey, applicants need to understand what is required, why it matters, and how to stay in compliance with USDA organic standards.
Meeting these standards means keeping detailed records and maintaining consistent communication. With clear expectations and steady support, compliance becomes more manageable, allowing farmers and handlers to focus on running strong, resilient businesses.
Our team supports applicants from their first call to inspection. They answer questions, provide education, and help operations feel prepared and confident in their compliance. The work is detailed. The standards are rigorous. The support is real.
Establishing that foundation of trust shapes everything that follows.
What These Stories Share
Across dairy, grain, and wine, the themes are consistent:
Growing Organic with Oregon Tilth: Stories of Connection brings you authentic stories from the field, told directly by the farmers, ranchers, handlers, and processors who have experienced the organic certification journey with Oregon Tilth.
Each story offers a window into the real-life experiences of those who have walked the organic certification journey with Oregon Tilth. From the early stages of transitioning to organic to confronting and overcoming operational hurdles to witnessing long-term impacts on their land, livelihoods, and communities. Our partners share how these connections have shaped their path forward.
Whether it’s curiosity about transitioning to organic, actively working toward certification, or someone simply wanting to understand more about how organic systems work, these stories will offer real insight, lessons learned, and inspiration from those who know it best.
Take a deeper dive into the certification process and a closer look into a way of life rooted in transparency, sustainability, and the shared goal of growing a better food system.
Three Farmers. One Shared Commitment to Organic Integrity
Watch the complete Stories of Connection playlist on YouTube and hear directly from the farmers and partners behind these stories.
Generational Strength in Oregon Dairy
Organic certification supports both values and long-term viability for this multi-generational dairy farm.
Precision and Partnership in Organic Grain
Strong systems and coordination help this fourth-generation farm grow sustainably.
Stewardship in Oregon Wine
Organic farming guides vineyard management from the ground up.
Generational Strength in Oregon Dairy
In the greener pastures of Oregon, the Bansen family has been producing organic milk for three generations.
At Double J Jersey, that commitment shows up in decades of care for their land and herd. Their cows trace back through their family line. Today, Ross Bansen carries that legacy forward as the next generation leads the farm.
They have been certified organic since 2000 and have long partnered with Organic Valley, a farmer-owned cooperative that provides stability, community, and a fair return.
Certification requires discipline and careful records. It also creates clarity and more sustainable systems. For Double J Jersey, prevention, animal health, and stewardship of the land guide every decision they make.
Organic certification helps sustain this Oregon dairy farm for the future and supports continuity across generations.
Precision and Partnership in Organic Grain
Farming is a commitment you carry forward.
At G3 Organics, Jordan Grimm represents a fourth-generation farmer continuing his family’s legacy of grain production. Jordan’s operation demonstrates how traceability, recordkeeping, and collaboration help producers meet the USDA National Organic Program standards.
Grain Millers has been certified organic with Oregon Tilth since 1990 and has partnered with growers like Jordan for decades. Their long-standing commitment to organic certification demonstrates that clear standards and consistent practices support transparency and integrity throughout the supply chain, from the field to the shelf.
Organic certification creates opportunities for farmers, protects soil health, and builds resilience in organic grain production. It also inspires discipline that leads to confidence, and when expectations are clear and support is steady, organic becomes a way of life just as it was meant to be.
Stewardship in Oregon Wine
At Lemelson Vineyards, organic farming is more than a method; it’s a daily intention to care for the land.
Certified organic with Oregon Tilth since 2004, their approach prioritizes environmental protection, worker well-being, and exceptional grape quality.
Vineyard Manager Rob Schultz shares how organic certification goes beyond conventional standards, nurtures long-term sustainability, and fosters connections within the farming community.
The work is hands on. Each vine is tended many times throughout the season. Certification requires attention and steady records, but Rob says the process is manageable once you understand it. The real learning comes from talking with other farmers, comparing notes, and sharing experiences.
For this vineyard, organic is simply the right way to farm.
Begin Your Organic Certification Journey
For over 50 years, Oregon Tilth has worked alongside farmers, handlers, and processors to protect organic integrity through education, advocacy, and rigorous certification standards.
We believe the strength of organic certification lies in the power of connection, from the soil to the people. While upholding stewardship and continuing to evolve through innovation.
Start your organic certification journey today.