For livestock operations with

ruminant animals, the OSP

(organic system plan) must

describe: (1) The amount of pasture

provided per animal; (2) the average

amount of time that animals are grazed

on a daily basis; (3) the portion of the

total feed requirement that will be

provided from pasture; (4)

circumstances under which animals

will be temporarily confined; and (5) the

records that are maintained to

demonstrate compliance with pasture

requirements.

The NOSB proposed guidance also

addressed temporary confinement and the

conditions of pasture. In the NOSB

proposed guidance, temporary

confinement would be permitted only

during periods of inclement weather

such as severe weather occurring over a

period of a few days during the grazing

season; conditions under which the

health, safety, or well being of an

individual animal could be jeopardized,

including to restore the health of an

individual animal or to prevent the

spread of disease from an infected

animal to other animals; and to protect

soil or water quality. The proposed

guidance also stated that appropriate

pasture conditions shall be determined

according to the regional Natural

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Conservation Practice Standards for

Prescribed Grazing (Code 528) for the

animals in the OSP.

NOSB: National Organic Standards Board