Riddle also said that the USDA Organic Pasture Rules for organic livestock were recently clarified by incorporating quantifiable measurements for tracking the pasturing and living conditions of ruminant animals.
For example, 30 percent of the dry matter intake of ruminant animals is to be provided from grazing (this is when an animal breaks off forage from a living plant whose roots are still attached to the soil, green chop transported to the animals is not pasture) or from forage that has been cut and is still laying in the pasture as "residual forage."
The minimum time of the grazing season in a calendar year is 120 days and can be broken up into more than one time period and need not be continuous.
There are also some specific documentation requirements to ensure that these requirements can be verified by the inspector and certification agency.
Most organic dairy and ruminant livestock producers already graze their animals and maintain pastures that meet the requirements of this rule.
"Clear and enforceable standards are essential to the health and success of the market for organic agriculture," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who is not generally regarded as an organic agriculture supporter. "The final rule published today (February 12, 2010) will give consumers confidence that organic milk or cheese comes from cows raised on pasture, and organic family farmers the assurance that there is one, consistent pasture standard that applies to dairy products."
"This is very exciting news," said Riddle, who was 20 years a farmer, 20 years an inspector and former chairman of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). "It levels the playing field for organic livestock producers and meets consumers' demands."
Pasture management has been a long battle and the many different activist groups sometimes speeded up and slowed down legislation at the same time, said Faye Jones, executive director of MOSES. This sent mixed messages to the USDA, which as a government agency is typically slow in changing policy.
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