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Converting The Farm
What are the main elements of the Conversion Plan?
The conversion plan must cover the period of a complete rotation and should include the following information where applicable:
What procedures do I need to follow if I want to convert to organic?
If you wish to sell any product as organic, you must register with one of the approved private sector certification bodies.
What Government support is available for converting to organic?
In Scotland, the Scottish Government Organic Aid Scheme (OAS) provides the following payments on a per hectare basis over a five year period:
What Government support is available as maintenance payments for organic farmers?
In Scotland, the Scottish Government Organic Aid Scheme (OAS) provides the following payments on a per hectare basis over a five year period, after completion of the Conversion Payments option or for existing organic farmers who have not participated in the conversion payments scheme:
What is the minimum time between the last application of a prohibited substance and the first organic crop?
24 months must have passed between the last application of a prohibited product and the establishment of the first full organic status arable crop, or, for grassland, the first full organic status grazing or conservation cut.
Would it be possible to convert only one or two fields on a farm?
It is possible to convert one or two fields at a time as part of a staged conversion, but the organic unit must ultimately comprise a unit which is large enough to establish a valid rotation.
Is it essential to convert the whole farm to organic production?
No, it is possible to convert part of a holding, but the organic unit should be a separate, discrete block of land.
Is it possible to sell produce as organic during the conversion period ?
Yes, it is possible to sell produce as ‘In-Conversion’, but only after at least 12 months has passed from the start of the conversion period to the harvest of the ‘In-Conversion’ crop.
What is classed as an ‘in-conversion’ product?
An in-conversion product is one that has been produced during the second year of conversion.
Is it possible to obtain a reduction in the conversion period?
The approved private sector certification bodies, such as the Soil Association or SFQC/SOPA, may with the approval of DEFRA, reduce the conversion period by up to four months.
For a field which had previously been in continuous cropping, what crop should be the first crop in the conversion period?
Where the land was previously under arable cropping, i.e.
How should land be managed during the conversion period?
The land must be managed organically during the two year conversion period.