Organic Grass-Fed

OPT Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Certification is an add-on label to USDA Organic certification that distinguishes ruminant products like milk and meat that have met high standards for being grass-based, grain-free, and cruelty-free. OEFFA is accredited by Organic Plus Trust (OPT) to offer Grass-fed Organic Certification to farmers and handlers throughout the livestock and milk supply chain. The program sets standards for organic, grassfed ruminant livestock production and verifies all handling of certified products from birth to processing to sale. If you are certified organic with OEFFA, you can apply for OPT Grass-Fed certification too.

What does OPT Grass-Fed mean?

• Organic is baseline. You must be certified USDA NOP organic to qualify for OPT Grass-Fed.
• Ruminant animals on pasture. The grazing season must be at least 150 days long and animals must receive at least 60% of their dry matter intake from grazing.
• No grain. Diets must consist of forage crops (pasture, hay, haylage). Grain crops may be grazed or fed at vegetative growth stages (before they start to set bloom, tassel, or boot). Grain carriers are allowed in mineral supplements and some non-forage feedstuffs are allowed such as molasses, kelp, and beets, but there are restrictions on how much can be fed each day.
• Animal welfare requirements. Operations participate in the F.A.R.M. animal care program, in their milk buyer’s animal welfare program (approved buyer programs: Organic Valley, Maple Hill Creamery, or Family Farmstead Creamery), or have their own practices approved by a veterinarian.
• Access to grass-fed markets. Farms certified grass-fed can sell their animals to other OPT Grass-Fed operations, can sell their milk as grass-fed (if the milk processing facility is also certified as OPT Grassfed), and can sell their meat as grass-fed (if the slaughter facility is also certified OPT Grass-Fed). Grass-fed products can be labeled with the OPT Grass-Fed Organic seal.
• Annual inspection and application paperwork at the same time as organic inspection and certification renewal.
• Note: OPT Grass-fed Organic is a different certification from American Grassfed Association (AGA) or other grass-fed labels. OEFFA only certifies OPT Grass-Fed organic.

How to get started: