Important Updates: Emergency Logistics

pacsadmin — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 05:23:08 +0000

pacsadmin Mon, 11/22/2021 - 21:23

Please find below some important updates from Organic BC regarding Emergency Logistics due to the recent flooding in British Columbia.

1. Fuel Prioritization Order

The BC government has placed temporary restrictions on vehicle fuel purchases and travel in areas impacted by flooding. The government has confirmed that essential vehicles include commercial transport trucks for critical goods and services including food and beverage, health care and safety; as well as grocery delivery, refrigerated trucks, agriculture and farm-use vehicles and veterinarians supporting flood response. These vehicles will not have fuel limits and will be able to access gas at commercial trucking gas stations. See Travel and fuel restrictions - Province of British Columbia.

The temporary fuel restriction has been put in place due to a very real need to temporarily ration fuel. The agriculture sector’s exemption has been granted because of the critical service it provides and based on trust that the sector will act in good faith around the spirit of the exemption.

Updates and the request for an Agriculture Essential Vehicle Certification can be found at the Ministry’s Flood Emergency webpage.

2. Veterinarians Assisting with Flood Victims

Please see this list of veterinarians available to support given the recent flooding events. Please contact Organic BC directly for this list.

3. Mass Carcass Removal for Affected Farms

Deadstock storage for flood-affected farms:

The Ministry urges producers to manage their mortalities within the barn structure until a disposal plan is in place. Storing the carcasses in the barn reduces biosecurity risk in two ways:
It reduces the attraction of scavengers and predators onto your farm. These animals can introduce diseases, including avian influenza to your property.
It reduces the risk of disease spread from the carcasses to other areas of your property or to your neighbours.
Other considerations:
Producers are ultimately responsible for their mortalities, and securing those mortalities in the event of rising water could be difficult if not stored in a barn or other secure structure.
Live animals should be segregated from deadstock where possible. If this is not possible within the barn, the Ministry recommends that the producer move and contain the live animals outside of the barn, under a tarp or in an otherwise secured way.
Deadstock disposal options:

The Ministry of Agriculture team within the Emergency Operations Center is coordinating transport and disposal of livestock carcasses. You can call the Ministry Livestock Carcass Disposal Hotline at 604-302-4830 and a staff member will help to facilitate the removal of any carcasses that may be on your farm. You do not have to be on the farm to make the call.

4. Mental Health Support

Please see the following mental health resources:

AFF – Mental Health Resources (PDF)
AgSafe’s new Mental Wellness Resource/App, called Avail
- We have permission from AgSafe to share their new Mental Wellness Resource/App, called Avail. Avail is not yet public on AgSafe's Mental Wellness page (it will be released on Dec 1st), but it is active now/available for producers & we have permission to share.
  - Read the Avail Handbook here (PDF)
Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC) Requesting Telephone Support (PDF)
Health Emergency Management BC website:
- Permission to share from PHSA Team

5. Accommodations for Displaced TFWs

Over the weekend, about 200 TFWs (150 SAWP and 50 AgStream) are in emergency evacuation centers. As water levels drop and employers assess the condition of their farms, some workers may not be able to return to their homes. As such, WALI is looking for farms on the Abbotsford and Chilliwack sides of the flood who are willing to house workers until long term solutions are found.

Please let Reg Ens know if you have a farm that might be willing to assist. They are also supporting workers who have lost personal belongings in the flood.

6. Emergency Logistics: Routing Your Products Through the US

CFIA and CBSA announced interim special measures to allow for goods to flow in-transit through the US. The standard requirements to electronically file a manifest and carry a bonded status have been waived and the measures require border entry/exit at specific crossings (Bellingham included). View the full protocols here (PDF).

Celebrating 20 Years of Organic Certification

pacsadmin — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 14:01:15 +0000

Celebrating 20 Years of Organic Certification

pacsadmin Wed, 08/04/2021 - 07:01

PACS is very excited to be celebrating 20 years of providing organic certification!

To celebrate, PACS has created a special 20th Anniversary logo.

Established on August 3, 2001, the Pacific Agricultural Certification Society, commonly known throughout the industry as PACS, has grown and become a strong leader in organic certification across Canada. A group of health-minded individuals interested in supporting a sustainable food system were the pioneers of organics and the founders of PACS. We honour their dedication and legacy every day by actively focusing on the growth of PACS nationwide.

PACS continues to focus on its core values to provide outstanding customer service and reliable certification to the members it serves.

PACS Core Values: Here are a few things PACS believes in with the delivery of our brand as we CERTIFY products and services.

Certify: We believe in providing certification with competence, knowledge and professionalism.
Ethical: We believe in providing service with a high moral standard and integrity.
Reputation: We believe in developing and building trust with our clients and consumers while growing our client base.
Transparency: We believe in maintaining accountability with the standards that guide us.
Interests: We believe in protecting our current programs while proactively diversifying.
Future: We believe in never standing still and are constantly looking for opportunities to improve our systems to meet our high standard of customer service.
You: We believe service should be given from our team to your team with care, professionalism, knowledge and pride.

PACS would like to thank each and every one of its members. We value your hard work, dedication and support over the last 20 years and we look forward to working together to grow organics for many years to come.

*Please note this logo was designed for internal use only and will not be available for operators to use as marketing material.

Young Agrarians: Growing the next generation of ecological farmers

seenherd — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 22:27:17 +0000

Young Agrarians: Growing the next generation of ecological farmers

seenherd Thu, 04/23/2020 - 15:27

Young Agrarians (YA) is a network for new and young ecological and organic farmers. It started as a grassroots network in 2012 with the mission to grow new farmers, and has since spread across Canada from coast to coast. YA delivers educational events from farm tours to two-day farmer “mixers”, a B.C. Business Mentorship Network, the B.C. Land Matching Program, an Alberta apprenticeship program, and an extensive online community and bank of resources. To date, YA has hosted 231 events with more than 10,000 participants, representing 4,750 farmer volunteer hours.

The Young Agrarians network is made up of a diverse array of food growers and lovers: rural and urban farmers, market gardeners, seed savers, food activists, beekeepers, community gardeners, food/farmer organizations and more, all working to steward land and soil, and grow our local food systems.

YA facilitates capacity building by supporting new farmers to navigate startup through farmer2farmer learning. YA’s community economic development approach is to engage new, young, and potential farmers and friends online, bring them together to network and learn on and off farms, and when ready to start farms, support them to access land, as well as receive business and production mentorship from a seasoned farmer. This approach works to create and engage many people, thousands or even millions, that then refines down to new farmers serious about starting farms who need support to enter the sector. The long-term goal of YA is to increase the number of new, viable, and ecological farms in Canada.

Young Agrarians Programs

YA operates both online and offline programming to build the food and farm community:

Online:

U-MAP - a self-serve map that aggregates farm resources across Canada.
Farmer blog - sections for jobs, apprenticeships, prospective land to farm, and other opportunities.
Online tools - business resources, downloadable tools, such as land lease and license templates and a BC Land Access Guide.
Social media channels - buzzing networks that share opportunities, experiences, and connect our network across the country. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Hashtag #youngagrarians and grow the network with us!

Offline:

B.C. Land Matching Program - provides land matching and business support services to new farmers looking for land to farm, and landowners interested in finding someone to farm their land. Offers support developing leases and other land agreements.
Business Mentorship Network that pairs up new farms in start-up with experienced mentors.
Alberta Apprenticeship Program - coordinates advanced, hands-on apprenticeships in regenerative agriculture
Event series - regular year-round events ranging from farm tours, potlucks, and small-scale farming workshops to two-day mixers and more.

Spotlight on Plenty Wild Farms

Alyssa and David own and operate Plenty Wild Farms, a small-scale, PACS-certified organic farm located in the beautiful Pemberton Valley of British Columbia. Alyssa and David have been involved with Young Agrarians since the beginning, hosting events and writing fantastic farming articles for our blog. More recently, they participated in our Business Mentorship Network in 2016/17 under the mentorship of Chris Bodnar of Close to Home Organics. The purpose of their mentorship was to look for efficiencies to streamline their operation and marketing, write a business plan, and strategize for farming while having a new baby!

Seven years after starting the farm they have built a very successful farm business, and they now work alongside part-time & full-time seasonal staff to produce over 40 delicious types of vegetables, herbs, apples, and strawberries. You can find Plenty Wild at the Squamish and Whistler Farmers’ Markets, at their own staffed farm stand two days a week in Pemberton, or by signing up for their farm share program. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for them and their new little farmer, Felix!

Navigating new government measures, April 16 BCFB Virtual Town Hall

seenherd — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 22:26:12 +0000

Navigating new government measures, April 16 BCFB Virtual Town Hall

seenherd Thu, 04/16/2020 - 15:26

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has announced several measures to assist employers and their employees during this turbulent time.

Join us for our next BCFB Virtual Town Hall with Grant Thornton to navigate the programs and resources available to food, beverage, and NHP companies in BC.

Up-to-date details will be provided on these programs:

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
Temporary Wage Subsidy
Canada Emergency Business Account
Canadian Emergency Response Benefit
Work-Sharing Program, amongst others

A Q&A session follows this presentation.

Meet our speakers:

Peter Veerman, CPA, CA

As a partner in Grant Thornton’s Langley office, Peter has spent the last 14 years working closely with small and medium-sized businesses across the Lower Mainland, gaining extensive local knowledge and a home-grown outlook along the way. Peter is the leader of the region’s Consumer and Industrial Products group where he strives to provide clients with in-depth market knowledge and an understanding of the challenges and best practices required to help them meet their objectives.

Phil Ross, CPA, CA

Phil Ross is the Tax Service Line Leader for Grant Thornton’s South Coastal business unit, bringing 25 years of experience advising privately-held companies and their shareholders. Phil works closely with his clients to develop creative solutions to the business challenges they face.

Certified Organic is Non-GMO

seenherd — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 22:20:19 +0000

Certified Organic is Non-GMO

seenherd Mon, 08/26/2019 - 15:20

Certified Organic means Non-GMO and Beyond!

Celebrate Organic Week with PACS – September 9 – 15, 2019

Extra-Extra, read all about it... being “certified organic” means non-GMO and beyond!

This is old news, but let’s keep spreading the word to continue educating consumers.

We think it really comes down to continuing to educate the public about the value of certified organic products. Being certified organic means products are non-GMO. However, it’s so much more than just that. One has to return to the principles that are in the Organic Standards to get a fuller picture. Having organic certification means the certificate holder subscribes to the principles of health (in soil, plants, animals, humans),ecology (working with and sustaining living ecological systems and cycles), fairness (building on relationships respecting the common environment and life opportunities), and care (managing agriculture in a responsible manner for current and future generations and the environment).

Consumers are becoming more and more aware these days about the health benefits that are connected to the foods they are offering their families. In particular, they are looking for ways to avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Perhaps one day we will see mandatory labelling on food indicating the presence of GMOs. For now, we can avoid foods that are genetically engineered by selecting “Certified Organic” products knowing they are, by definition, non-GMO. However, the reverse is not true: non-GMO products does not mean they are certified organic products.

Certified organic farms and processors are required to follow approved methods in order to achieve organic certification. These operators follow a site-specific organic system plan and are inspected annually by a third-party organic verification officer to ensure compliance. The PACS monitors each operator all year, not just at inspection time, including communications to and from the PACS office to approve labels, inputs, etc. to ensure compliance to the Organic Standards, as well as answering other questions to ensure organic integrity is adhered to. In order to fulfill the Canada Organic Regime (COR) and Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), farmers and processors must demonstrate that they aren’t using genetic engineering in any part of their production and are utilizing approved practices to develop their products or cultivate their crops.

So, what have we learned? When you look at a label or product bearing a “Certified Organic” claim, you can rest assured that this product is in compliance and has met the following requirements:

Annual certification verification and compliance is maintained
No genetic engineering in any aspect of farming or processing
No use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
No synthetic drugs or reproductive or growth hormone use for livestock and no antibiotics in meat animals
Requires livestock to consume only certified organic feed and pasture
No synthetic colouring, flavouring and preservatives
Regulated and monitored by our government authority, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Now when you are comparing products at the grocery store, keep this in mind: If a product is certified organic, it is also Non-GMO! Remember, organic products are produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, which are dangerous for farmers, consumers, our land, and our water systems. These extra steps help to promote a sustainable and safe food system. Buying Certified Organic is the best way to avoid purchasing products that contain GMO and other undesirable ingredients!

To lean more about the steps to become certified with PACS you can follow this link to the PACS learn page

To learn more about organic labelling requirements you can follow this link to the CFIAs Directive 10-05: Labelling of organic products under COR.

Is Organic Certification Suitable for my Business?

seenherd — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 22:16:46 +0000

Is Organic Certification Suitable for my Business?

seenherd Tue, 06/11/2019 - 15:16

The real question should be, ‘do you see the value in organic certification for you and your family, whether you are a producer or a consumer?’ Is it right for your lifestyle? In my humble opinion, if we want to live a healthy lifestyle it starts with the right food choices, mental wellness and physical fitness. Choosing to certify is choosing to become a part of an industry that contributes to the health and well being of our families and society as a whole. From a producer perspective, sustainable ranching and farming are imperative to ensure regrowth and balance for our future farming. Some of our members have been around the organic farming movement since the establishment of organics, such as Charlie Lasser, with Lasser Ranches, who says he has always practiced organic farming and ranching before it was a movement.

Consumers often wonder: is buying organic worth the investment? Certification gives the consumer confidence in the product, as well as reassurance that the products have gone through the process of meeting the Canadian Organic Standards. Knowing they have received validation of having met organic integrity. It all comes down to trust in the product and producer. With organic certification you have third-party verification to support the organic claim.

Businesses often wonder: is organic certification worth my time and financial investment? From small-scale farms to large multi-ingredient processors, this question is asked by both, yet all businesses will have completely different business strategies, operational needs and concerns. Small farmers might wonder, ‘am I too small for certification? Is it only for large farmers and processors?’ Large processors might wonder, ‘we have too many ingredients and how can I orchestrate all of them to meet organic integrity?’ and ‘What will be my time and financial commitment to obtain certification?’

Are you wondering, ‘how do I know if being certified organic is right for our business’? Are you still on the fence and feel as if you just don’t have the time to research it? Organic certification can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Organic certification can be seen as an extra expense. However, the cost is not meant to be prohibitive. In practice, the actual cost varies based on the individual needs of the client, their standard operating procedures (SOP), recordkeeping, organisation, gross organic sales and the size of the farm/processor and other factors like certification reviewer time.

During our years as a Certification Body, we’ve recognized that businesses sometimes need a helping hand before they make the big jump into organic certification. PACS has launched a new program just for businesses in this situation called the PACS Organic Suitability Assessment (OSA) program. This service is exclusive to PACS. The cost of this program is $105. This service allows a business to spend up to 2 hours via email questions and/or phone meeting with PACS’ very knowledgeable certification experts to determine eligibility, ask questions, etc. This allows businesses to ask the big questions before committing themselves to the organic certification process. We explore different elements based on your enterprise goals and unique structures and abilities. If you are thinking about getting certified, but have had some reservations, this OSA program should address those common reservations and leave you with a clear idea of what’s involved in the process and if organic certification is right for your business at this time.

At the end of the OSA process, you might realize that organic certification might not be as expensive or cumbersome as you initially thought. If you end up registering with PACS within the allotted time frame, the $105 fee is discounted from your initial registration fee. If you deem it is not the right time for your enterprise, no worries! We are here to educate you and want the best for you, and your business’ future endeavours.

To find out more about the PACS Organic Suitability Assessment (OSA) program, please contact us!

PACS Re-Branding

seenherd — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 23:02:46 +0000

PACS Re-Branding

seenherd Thu, 02/21/2019 - 15:02

We are proud to announce the launch of our Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS) logo as part of the ongoing evolution of the PACS Certified Organic brand. With our new branding we were excited to launch a new website in the Spring of 2019.

Last year we started considering new ways to use web technologies to support and expand our dedication to client services. The first step involved updating our branding. Pacific Agricultural Certification Society is commonly known throughout the industry as “PACS,” so we decided to keep the acronym in our new logo for easier name recognition. Next, we developed a new website that reflects current standards, electronic device capabilities and offers a more robust platform for user experience and feedback. To streamline the transition from the current logo to the new logo, both logos will be available for a period of time. If you are an operation with a large inventory of labels (expected to last 2 years before exhaustion), please let us know.

Over the past seventeen years, PACS has grown and become a strong leader in organic certification across Canada. We’re developing new certification to a broader infrastructure of service opportunities. We have also continued to innovate new procedures to reduce the burden of paperwork for our clients. With the release of our new logo and website we will further enhance our customer service. As always, PACS strives to provide customers with top quality services at competitive prices while maintaining a consistently high level of customer service. We are motivated to establish and maintain a sustainable system that will save operators time during the certification process.

A group of organic, health-minded individuals interested in supporting a sustainable food system were the pioneers and the founders of the PACS. We honor their dedication and legacy every day by actively focusing on the growth of PACS nationwide. We redesigned our logo to reflect who we are today and to symbolize our dynamic and unswerving commitment to the organic industry and our clients.

Our next goal is to use our new infrastructure to increase client engagement and satisfaction. We are eager to receive client input during this phase. Please let us know what would be most valuable to you on the website: blog posts, resource material, frequently asked questions (FAQ), etc. We want to customize the experience to best suit your needs and preferences.

As always, we appreciate your loyalty to PACS! We will continue striving to deliver the best service and support to help facilitate your vital work of providing continuous certified organic products and services for consumers all over the world.

B.C. Organic Certification Regulation

seenherd — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 22:55:05 +0000

B.C. Organic Certification Regulation

seenherd Thu, 02/21/2019 - 14:55

On 1 September 2018, the B.C. government implemented the B.C. Organic Certification Regulation. Under this regulation, the term “organic” is a protected label for agricultural and aquaculture products produced or processed in B.C., and where certified organic programs exist. Grammatical and phonetic representations, and abbreviations and symbols for the term organic are protected.

Only operations who hold certification through the B.C. Certified Organic Program (BCCOP) or the Canada Organic Regime (COR) may use a protected label for marketing food or agricultural products.

Some people have asked why this Regulation came into being. The requirement for organic certification provides assurance to B.C. consumers that their organic purchases have been verified to recognized standards in organic production in B.C. The Regulation also provides a more fair, competitive marketplace among organic producers by removing those operations who make false organic claims.

Producers, processors, distributors and marketers in B.C. must hold organic certification to market their products as organic. Retailers are not required to hold certification for selling bulk or prepackaged organic products, for changing the packaging/container of organic products, or for cutting singular organic products; however, there must be consumer labelling that identifies the certification body of the organic product. Examples of when organic certification is required, or not, are described in the PDF document, Guidelines for BC’s Organic Certification Regulation from the Ministry of Agriculture.

If you have any questions about the B.C. Organic Certification Regulation, or if you would like to discuss whether your operation requires organic certification, please contact us.

Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)

seenherd — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 22:53:44 +0000

Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)

seenherd Thu, 02/21/2019 - 14:53

On 15 January 2019, the Organic Products Regulations, 2009 were replaced by Part 13, Organic Products, of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). Under the SFCR, any food, seed, or animal feed that is labelled as organic is regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

In case you are wondering how this affects your operation, we would like to outline a few of the changes below, which will affect our COR certified clients.

Food Processors:
• Yeast will now be covered under the scope of organic products since, under the SFCR, yeast is considered a “food” as per Section 2 of the Food and Drugs Act and, as a food commodity as defined in Section 2 of the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA).

Aquaculture:
• Under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, organic certification requirements apply to aquaculture products. As of January 15, 2021, all organic aquaculture products must comply with the organic aquaculture standard CAN/CGSB-32.312-2018 Organic Production Systems – Aquaculture – General principles, management standards and permitted substances. Aquaculture products, as defined in 32.312, are “crops and livestock, or a product wholly or partly derived therefrom, cultivated in a controlled or managed aquatic environment. The products of fishing of wild animals are not considered part of this definition.” There is no expectation that all Certification Bodies should become accredited to certify aquaculture products.

General certification information:
• Section 346, SFCR - a specified timeline was added whereas the information contained in an application must be submitted no later than 6 months after an organic certificate is issued, and on-site verification must be conducted within 12 months. The purpose of this timeline is to ensure applications are submitted on time, thereby avoiding extensions of organic certification.

• Section 349 (2), SFCR – A period of time is mentioned in which corrective action for a Non-Compliance must be taken. It is not specified in the SFCR, but is, however, specified in the COR Operating Manual. Failure to take corrective action in order to avoid suspension within a time period specified by the CB may result in suspension of certification (Non-Compliances must be addressed within 30 days of their receipt, as per COR Operating Manual C.2.3.1).

• Section 349 (3), SFCR – states that a CB may grant an extension, only once, of the period in which corrective action must be taken (the plan shall include a completion date not exceeding 90 days from receipt of the Non-Compliance, COR Operating Manual C.2.3.1).

• Section 350 1 (b), SFCR - A new requirement allowing a CB to cancel an organic certificate immediately if an operator provided misleading or false information in its application, or at any time during the period of validity of certification, without having to suspend as an initial step. It is different from the requirement for suspension when non-conformities are found during a scheduled inspection.

• Section 350 1 (c), SFCR – the SFCR clearly states that a certification body must cancel an operation’s certification if, while the operation is suspended, it conducts any activity with respect to a food commodity that is identified in the certificate.

• Section 359 (3), SFCR – using the COR logo for advertisement or information purposes for things that are not food commodities no longer requires an application to the CFIA. It is expected that the COR logo will be used appropriately, as specified in the SFCR.

If you have any questions about how Part 13 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations affects your certification, or if we can be of assistance in the interpretation of the above points, please don’t hesitate to contact the PACS office. For your reference, the COR manual is posted on the new SFCR page under the Organic Products page at:

COR Manual (English)
COR Manual (French)