How does "organic" eggs/meat work..special certs?

[AccidentalFarm]

I am curious-
If you want to sell eggs as organic, is there any special certification required?
How about selling eggs in general?
May be a stupid question, but can you sell eggs or even meat birds to just individuals, or can you sell to .. say..grocery stores or restaurants? I would think that a store or restaurant would have restrictions on where they are able to purchase food, but I really don't know for sure.
And, while i'm asking, it just occurred to me that there could be a difference in regulations between city and country/county(??) store and restaurant regulations...?

Anyone?

 

[Orpingtonlover]

If you want to sell your eggs as Organic the hens need to be fed a Organic Feed and also be free roaming Eggs in general i don't think there is anything special that needs to be done.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

I knew about the organic feed, I just was unsure about any regulations on selling them and if 'companies' i guess, can purchase from individuals, or what.

Free Roaming- this is something i've wondered about as well. I'd like to allow my hens to free range, but worry about predators. Would a very large - say, 700-1000sq ft fenced area be considered free range for 10-15 hens? Or do they actually have to have no boundaries?

 

[keljonma]

Each state is different......

Here in Ohio you do not need any kind of inspection to sell them from your home and it is legal to put a sign out in the road.

The minute you go off property, to a farmer's market, or sell them to a health food store, for example, you need to be inspected. You also need to pay for a seller's license.

Organic eggs mean that you are feeding them certified organic feed. You CAN call them organic eggs if you are doing this, and still not be certified, but you must clarify that they're not "certified" organic. To sell eggs as "certified" organic in Ohio requires an inspection.

Ohio also has specific egg carton labeling laws that must be adhered to when selling your eggs.

We didn't have chickens when we lived in Texas, so I can't help you with that.... maybe Wes can say.

I would advise you check with your local county extension agent about any inspections and/or certifications you need to sell eggs and to sell them as organic. They will also be able to provide you guidelines for free-ranging and if it is required in your state.

Good luck!
regards,
keljonma

 

[4H kids and mom]

In Wisconsin, all you have to do is call the county and they will send out an inspector within a few days for a small fee. He checks the living conditions, wether they free range during daylight hours, and the feed must be organic. Also, they must be Pullorom (sp?) tested negative (only needed if you plan to sell them as MEAT and not just eggs). Then he puts in for you to receive a certificate and sellers permit. You get them in the mail about 2 weeks later. Once you have these you can sell the eggs or meat to anyone that will buy them! I have my sellers permit already so I could "legally" sell the extra cockerels we have. My Organic cert will be here shortly, even though I have a good 2 months until I'll need it...lol It wasnt hard to do, and only took a couple of phone calls to find out how to go about it. Cost me roughly $65 all total.