The price of manure certified as organic is double that of uncertified manure. There are other hurdles. The minimum period between initial application and certification is 90 days. All cows must be fed organically for a year before their milk is certifiable. Applications can be placed only during the six months between February 1 and October 1.
Fees support the certification program, and clearly they are necessary.
Still, entry into the organic dairy market is a major investment, a step up that demands solid financial footing. In a market supposedly friendly to small farmers, the process is most daunting to exactly those small farmers. No back to Washington. In the meantime, six certified farmers in St. Lawrence County and three in Jefferson County find themselves in a seller's market. Not only their milk brings top dollar.