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Summary
Maintaining organic integrity refers to the protection of organic products from contamination with prohibited materials and commingling with nonorganic products. It encompasses everything from establishing adequate buffer zones along property perimeters to making sure harvest containers are not treated with synthetic preservatives. Recycled or secondhand containers should be thoroughly cleaned prior to organic use.
Equipment can also be a source of potential contamination. Tractors and trucks should be kept in good repair to prevent oil or other fluid leaks in organic fields. Equipment used in both organic and nonorganic applications should be thoroughly cleaned between uses. This usually means hosing off soil from tillage equipment and tractor tires and vacuuming out combines and seed drills. Check with your certifier about the acceptability of your clean-out procedures.
Maintaining organic integrity goes hand in hand with maximizing organic crop quality. As in so many other areas of organic management, careful sanitation is a key to preventing pest and disease problems in stored crops. Storage bins and areas should be scrupulously cleaned between uses and kept in good repair to prevent the entry of rodents and other pests. Cleaning materials must be approved for organic use.
In the final lesson of this module, we'll talk more about organic processing and handling requirements.
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