What You'll Learn
- How to weigh fit, responsiveness, and industry experience when choosing a certifier
- Certification costs
- How to use the Organic Integrity Database to find certifiers who work with operations like yours
- Why the certifier relationship is a partnership, and how over-communicating keeps you compliant
Watch Time: 11:42
Every certifier holds you to the same federal standard, so this video is about the things that actually differ between them and how to build the relationship once you’ve chosen who you want to work with. It walks through what to weigh when selecting one, from reputation and industry experience to responsiveness, turnaround times, cost structure, and whether you want a large certifier with a deep handling department or a leaner regional one. Handlers describe using the Organic Integrity Database to find certifiers who work with operations like yours, and why the cheapest option can mean the least support. The larger thread is that this is a long-term working relationship rather than a transaction, and the video lands on the habit that keeps it healthy, staying in close, casual communication and getting your certifier’s approval before you act rather than after. Watch this video when you’re choosing a certifier for the first time or rethinking whether your current one fits how your operation has grown.
About the Featured Operations
Organically Grown Company
- Organic Produce Wholesaler & Distributor
- Portland, OR
- 260 Employees
- Certified Organic since 1998
An organic produce wholesaler and distributor sourcing certified organic fruits and vegetables domestically and internationally for retailers, restaurants, buying clubs, and processors. At its core a logistics operation, it also sorts, repacks, co-packs, and private-labels. Founded to support local organic growers, it is now purpose-trust owned, serving a mission rather than profit and committed to advancing organic.
Giant Jones Brewing Company
- Organic Brewery
- Madison, WI
- 4 Employees
- Certified Organic since 2019
A certified organic brewery run by women, specializing in strong beer styles such as barley wines and Belgian tripels, sold in returnable bottles. The focus on big beers lets it absorb the cost of organic ingredients. Its motivation is rooted in community, sustainability, and a belief in organic agriculture’s benefits for soil, water, and wildlife.
Tradin Organic
- Organic Ingredient Importer
- Aptos, CA
- Certified Organic since 2010
A global organic sourcing company importing bulk ingredients such as seeds, grains, fruits, juices, and cooking oils, aiming to be a one-stop shop for U.S. companies seeking organic inputs. It emphasizes long-term grower relationships built on trust and farm visits, with a stated goal of making organic more broadly available.
Traditional Medicinals
- Organic Herbal Teas
- Rohnert Park, CA
- Certified Organic since 1995
An herbal tea company and early organic adopter, deeply committed to its source communities and organic teas. It sources organic botanicals from grower communities worldwide, treating those relationships as essential to its work, and advocates for organic on a broader scale beyond its own products.
Raven’s Brew
- Coffee Roaster, Wholesale & Retail
- Tumwater, WA
- Certified Organic since 2002
A small family-owned coffee roaster producing organic and conventional blends, serving grocery stores, cafes, service organizations, and direct-to-consumer customers online. It grew customer by customer from a small operation into a roastery that emphasizes strong relationships with its importers and green-coffee suppliers.