Your Ally in Organic Certification
Navigating the complexities of organic certification alone can be daunting. Engaging a professional consultant like Alluvial LLC, led by Megan Robertson, equips your team with high-level expertise unmatched by in-house capabilities. Megan offers application support and ongoing certification management. Consulting services are customizable and billed at an hourly rate to meet business needs without excess expense.
Meet Megan Robertson
Megan is a regarded expert in organic certification. She is immersed in the trade as a triple-scope inspector, business consultant, and CCOF-certified organic broker. Her various roles keep her well-informed on ever-changing certification rules. She regularly attends industry events and maintains an impressive professional network. Megan holds an MBA specializing in marketing and supply chain and a master’s in communication and food sustainability. She is based in Central California and regularly travels to meet clients throughout the state and across the US.
Why Hire a Consultant?
Save Time and Money
Ensure expert handling of certification management to minimize errors and costly delays when adding new products and labels. Megan manages certifications for multiple small businesses, including her own, allowing her to address routine information requests and submissions efficiently. Her familiarity with required forms and formats enables her to pre-review documents to ensure acceptance on the first submission. She can identify areas for improved efficiency and cost savings. When certification matters arise, Megan will advocate on your behalf for prompt resolution.
Ignore the Endless Emails
Safeguard your business from accidental lapses in compliance due to missed notifications or misunderstood requests. Megan’s role in monitoring communications will save you the burden of sifting through the endless stream of auto-emails from your certifier and provide peace of mind that important notices will not be overlooked.
Prepare for Flawless Inspections
Ease annual inspection anxiety with an expert on your side. Proper record-keeping and preparation can cut inspection bills by hundreds of dollars for small businesses, or by thousands for complex operations. Megan works for several organic certifiers as a top tier multi-scope inspectors. She knows the questions and how to “check the box.” Presenting your inspector with the answers they are looking for before they even have time to ask the questions makes for a quick and easy audit.
Translate into Simple Terms
Focus on the rules that apply to your specific business and skip the rest. Organic regulations use complex regulatory language and are written to cover all types and sizes of businesses under one large certification umbrella. Megan has insider understanding of organic regulations and certifier policies. She will translate requirements into simple terms and supply addition context, securing your team’s confidence in their compliance. On the flip side, Megan knows just what to say to “check the box”. She will skillfully craft clear and concise communications to satisfy the requirements of your certifier without back-and-forth requests for clarification.
Transition Seamlessly
Protect from lapses during employee transition and turnover. Changes in management elevate risk of noncompliance and pose major challenges for maintaining certification. Loss of key staff can leave protocols to fall through the cracks. When new employees are onboarded, training in certification management is often low on the priority list and qualified instructors are lacking. Megan can assure continuity and provide staff training to transfer knowledge through generations of employees and prepare the team for flawless inspection.
Rely on a Trusted Advisor
Guarantee quality on-call support for questions as they arise. Eliminate the hassle of explaining your situation to a different person every time you reach out for support and getting conflicting answers from various personnel. While your organic certifier’s staff are friendly and helpful, they are often slow to respond and are limited by regulations
prohibiting certifiers from advising or consulting their clients. They have varying levels of experience and could unintentionally steer you down the wrong path. As an established Alluvial consulting client, you can call, text, or email Megan anytime and expect informed answers and trustworthy business advice. You will also have to her Bookings calendar to schedule calls or meetings whenever you need.
Certification Management Services
Prepare for Organic Certification
• Ensure company practices meet organic standards.
• Develop certification-compliant recordkeeping protocols.
• Train staff on organic certification requirements.
• Remain available on-call to address questions as they arise.
Apply for Organic Certification
• Complete and submit certification application packet.
• Serve as you company’s liaison during the application process.
• Prepare your staff for initial inspection.
• Attend inspection and ensure all requirements are efficiently met.
Maintain Organic Certification
• Monitor emails and communications from organic certifier.
• Respond to information requests from certifier.
• Notify of changes to organic regulation or certifier policies.
• Participate in annual inspection in-person or via remote call-in.
Manage Organic Certification
• Maintain a shared file for documents related to organic certification.
• Periodically review records to ensure compliance.
• Evaluate and submit new products, labels, suppliers, or OSP changes.
• Provide guidance on product development and label design at early stages.