Owner and operator of Leibfried , Aaron, and his staff use a system of calendars to track most records and create an on-farm timetable of activities. “Everyone is responsible for logging specific actions such as harvest yields, locations, inventory levels and ration amounts into individual pocket calendars or posted wall calendars,” explains Aaron. “I then copy all the information from staff calendars into one of the ’ two master calendars — one for animal and feed An inside look at records and the other for field records.” Leibfried Documenting for An Audit: Records Data Receipts, and Log records of package labels, activities on the farm Farm invoices, certificates, such as dates, locations, affidavits, etc. quantities, etc.

Recordkeeping Case Study: Documenting Ruminant Feed

Organic Ruminant Livestock Feed Audit OR The USDA National Organic timeframe between the last day of Aug Program requires that 100 percent the previous season and Feed Log 2015 of organic livestock feed rations the first day of the new grazing Leibfried Farm-Wisconsin consist of organically produced season. An audit will then work and handled agricultural products. through feed records to verify MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY Feed rations include pasture, what and how much was fed to forage and purchased feed (e.g., the selected group. The is 1 2 3 hay). To verify this requirement tasked with demonstrating that Inputs during an organic inspection, an feed on hand matches what the Harvest Field 1, Includes compost, Feed Purchase: Barley, 44 Bales, minerals and Corn Silage (1 ton) inspector will audit at least one animals consumed, a calculation amendments added Stored in Silo B) Stored in Silo A randomly selected feed ration determined by reviewing harvest directly to the soil product. The inspector chooses an yield records (for feed produced animal group, for instance a dairy on-farm) and/or feed receipts and herd, and then typically targets a weigh tags (for purchased feed). RECORD Documents: RECORd Documents: Sample Feed Receipts/Weigh Tags Feed Records Audit Records Organic Certificate DATA TO LOG: DATA TO LOG: DATE & Change of Preparing for a DATE, LOCATION Feed Ratio ACTIvity: & AMOUNT ACTIvity: ACTIvity: Harvest Silage Last Graze First Graze Livestock (winter is coming) (End of Winter Feeding) ACTIvity: ACTIvity: Purchase Feed Change Ratio

DATA TO LOG: DATA TO LOG: DATA TO LOG: Feed Audit Date, Yield DATE & Amount DATE & Amount & Location of Silage of Silage RECORD Documents: RECORD Documents: RECORD Documents: Feed Records Feed Records Feed Records

calculate track Sav e Organize by date the Feed totals your harvest your Records Go through your calendar before Always track harvest yields for Livestock certification involves Since a feed audit can evaluate your inspection to pull out and all feed crops, measured in either tracking other records, including activities that occur over two or tally up figures that you might number of bins, bales or total animal births, grazing periods, more calendar years, be sure to need to show to your inspector, weight. Be sure to document yields veterinary visits, and milk have previous years’ calendars such as the percentage of a crop in and the field of origin in your yields. Tracking this information accessible during an inspection. a ration mix and changes in feed calendar, harvest spreadsheet or alongside your feed records The USDA organic standard inventory over time. directly on the storage container in a master calendar will help requires that you to keep your with the date. Also save purchase keep your certification records records for a minimum of 5 years. receipts and weigh tags for review organized in one place for ease of during your inspection. access for you and an inspector.

Resources: This product was developed with support from USDA Documentation Forms for Crop Producers (free pdf download) the U.S. Department of ’s Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program. https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=358

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