The U.S. Department of Agriculture accredits 100 domestic and international agencies to certify organic farms and operations.

Certification hinges on an annual inspection. Individual certifiers determine exact experience and training requirements for the inspectors they hire.

Pennsylvania Certified Organic, which certifies the majority of state and local farms, requires its inspectors to take a 4 ½-day training course. Trainees also shadow experienced inspectors.

Organic inspections, which are scheduled in advance, can last from two to eight hours.

An inspection costs about $600 to $1,000, depending on the operation's size and annual sales. Pennsylvania is one of several states with cost-sharing programs that reimburse organic producers for a portion of certification costs.

Organic operations must keep extensive records, called an "organic system plan." The plan includes field histories, maps, animal health records, harvest data and pest- and weed-management practices.

"They practically have to tell you everything they do on that farm," said Betty Kananen, president, CEO and owner of Global Organic Alliance Inc., an Ohio-based certifier that works with 12 Lancaster County operations.

During an inspection, the inspector and operator go over the organic system plan. The inspector walks through fields, outbuildings and production areas, looking for evidence of noncompliance, such as penicillin in a refrigerator or empty containers of conventional pesticide.

The inspector also assesses risk of contamination, including pesticide drift from neighboring farms.

"The inspector is our eyes and our ears," PCO assistant certification director Robert Yang said.

Operators have 30 days to correct any minor violations the inspector finds. Certification is revoked immediately for major violations, such as using conventional feed or treating a cow with penicillin and not withholding the milk.

Contact Lancaster Newspapers staff writer Mary Beth Schweigert at mschweigert@lnpnews.com.