Mendocino Renegade Standards
The standards for the Mendocino Renegade (MR) label are substantially stricter than the USDA standards.
The most important difference being that parallel and mixed production are not allowed. Only those farms and businesses that use organic methods for their entire farm or operation can qualify for the Mendocino Renegade label.
Procedure
- A Review Committee composed of members representing organic producers, processors, and consumers, is responsible for administering the labeling program, final approval or denial of applications, and maintaining the integrity of the program
- Producers and processors must meet or exceed organic practices as outlined under Standards and must submit the following:
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- A completed application (available in Renegade Application section)
- A short (1 page or less) description of the operation
- A standard checklist / questionnaire covering prohibited practices, etc.
- A signed affidavit that the description and questionnaire are accurate and true
- An initial non-refundable fee to cover the cost of the reviews and administrative costs
- Initial reviews to be done by peer reviewers who have been certified in the past.
- The Review Committee will approve or deny the operation for the use of the label
- Renewal of certification must be done annually by providing a current affidavit and paying a fee to cover costs of administration and maintenance of the web site
- If operation has changed substantially or if there is credible reason to suspect that an operation is not as stated, the Review Committee may request a new review--to be paid for by the processor or producer
- Annual review: all Renegade certified operations will be inspected and reviewed once during each calendar year.