Regional Body
Canterbury Organic Inc is the organisation responsible for OrganicFarmNZ in the Canterbury region. CO is also responsible for administrating OrganicFarmNZ in the Nelson Bays – Marlborough regions.
CO is a non-profit Incorporated Society whose aims are to implement the OrganicFarmNZ certification system.
CO evolved out of the initial MAF funded pilot project for a domestic certification scheme. It was incorporated in November 2001. When the national body became incorporated in May 2003, CO officially began implementing the OFNZ certification system. In December 2003 CO took on responsibility for administering the OrganicFarmNZ scheme in the upper South Island.
One of the key elements of CO is that it is run on a democratic basis by its producer members. This is to ensure accountability to those producer members to whom it provides certification services.
At each AGM the producer members of CO elect an Executive Committee to run the society and vote to set the level of certification fees for the coming year.
CO members are encouraged to:
- Attend the organic growing workshops run at the Biological Husbandry Unit (BHU) at Lincoln University; and
- Use the Pod Peer Reviews to introduce potential members to meet growers and see the scheme in action.
Geography
CO provides OrganicFarmNZ certification to both individuals and pods to producers in the upper South Island – Canterbury, Nelson Bays and Marlborough.
There are currently four established Pods based in Waimakariri, Selwyn, Motueka/Nelson, Sth Canterbury.
Fees
- POD: $400
- Individual: $570
Contacts
Certification Manager: Jeanne Larkin, certcanterburyorganic111@gmail.com 021 1884 890
Chairperson and Secretary: Nicky O’Sullivan
Treasurer: Janna Fitzsimmons
Committee: Alvina Murphy, Brendan Murphy, Jeanne Larkin, Janna Fitzsimmons, Eleanor Jolly, Jim Jolly & Nicky O’Sullivan.
Auditor: Tracey Marvin