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Organic Conversion Information Service (OCIS)

Helpline: 0800 980 0048 / Information Pack

Free organic conversion advice is available under a new Service provided by Natural England, to help farmers and land managers in England consider the practical implications of converting their business to organic production.

What is this new Service?

The Organic Conversion Information Service (OCIS) is available to farmers and other land managers from 31 March 2008.

The Service aims to provide farmers and land managers with clear, accurate and targeted information and advice on the practicalities of converting their farm business to organic farming.

OCIS also provides advice and information on the organic strand of Environmental Stewardship, Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS).

Who provides it?

Natural England has appointed the Organic Research Centre (ORC) based at Elm Farm, with support from the Scottish Agricultural college (SAC) to deliver the new service.

What are the aims of the Service?

  • To tackle uncertainty over technical issues and misconceptions about what organic farming standards require;
  • To provide advice in order to help you understand the mechanics of conversion and appreciate the implications of undertaking conversion in relation to your individual farm business;
  • To raise awareness of the principles of organic farming and demonstrate the public benefits that accrue to society as a result of managing the land organically and in an environmentally beneficial way;
  • To encourage and facilitate more viable and better quality conversions;
  • To reduce the numbers of farmers and other land mangers who convert where it is inappropriate for them to do so;
  • To increase the area of land being farmed organically in England;
  • To raise awareness of Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) and the funds that are available under that scheme to encourage conversion and reward farmers and land managers who deliver effective environmental management on their organic land.

What support and advice is available?

  • A telephone helpline
  • An information pack
  • On farm visits

Telephone helpline: 0800 980 0048

Access to the helpdesk is free of charge and is offered to all callers on a strictly first, come first served basis.

It is recommended that your first action following your visit to this website is to ring the telephone helpline number given above.

On calling the helpdesk, you will be asked to provide details confirming your eligibility to receive the Service. These details will be recorded by ORC along with some basic information about you, such as your contact details and an indication of the nature of your current business activities. ORC will then send you an information pack by post.

Information Pack

The new Organic Conversion Information Service includes a comprehensive and detailed information pack.

The pack includes a questionnaire that requests details about your holding and businesses. It is the completion and return of the questionnaire to ORC that will be used to register your interest in receiving on farm advice, and determine your eligibility for receiving a free on farm visit.

All the documents in the information pack are available in electronic format, see Information Pack. If you wish to, the questionnaire can be filled in electronically and e-mailed direct to ORC.

Not all customers who contact the helpdesk and complete and return a questionnaire will necessarily receive a free on farm visit. Indeed you may find that the information contained in the pack is sufficient for your needs.

On farm visits

  • An on farm visit lasting half a day (of approx. 3 and a half hours duration)
  • An on farm visit lasting a full day (of approx. 7 hours duration)

The on farm visits are delivered by suitably qualified organic farm consultants who have a proven track record in advice delivery. They will major on the mechanics of conversion and whether the holding is capable of being run to organic production standards.

They will provide you with detailed and comprehensive advice concerning the requirements of organic registration and the options open to you in this respect in order to help you understand the issues arising from converting to an organic system.

The advisers will also help identify the effect conversion could have on your individual farm businesses and will encourage you to think about options such as business planning, the marketing of organic produce, possible restructuring, diversification, co-operation with others and challenge you to consider whether organic conversion is actually appropriate for your business operation.

They will also direct you to other sources of appropriate advice on business planning, information on the marketing of organic produce and on conservation and environmental management practices. Information on possible grants and other funding streams aid such as OELS will also be provided.

Am I eligible to receive an on farm visit?

You will need to meet the following eligibility criteria in order to qualify for an on-farm visit:

  1. You must be a farmer or land manager in England;
  2. Your farm must have a CPH number;
  3. You must manage the core farming business of the holding for which conversion aid is being considered;
  4. You may be a farm owner, tenant or land manager;
  5. Your agricultural holding must be greater than 10 hectares or you must derive at least 50% of your income from the holding you are looking to convert;
  6. You must not have previously benefited from conversion advice from OCIS, or its predecessor at any time after May 2005;

Once your eligibility to receive a visit under the Service has been determined, you will be offered either a half day or a full day visit, but not both. If you have a number of enterprises which you are looking to convert, you will normally be offered a full day visit. If you are looking to convert only one or two main enterprises, you will most likely be offered a half day visit.

Following the visit you will be provided with a written report of the advice received on farm, setting out the relevant options and opportunities available to you in order to help plan your conversion and develop your organic business in a way that will be financially viable, environmentally sound and acceptable with regard to your compliance with organic standards. The report will also identify where other specialists might need to get involved and you will be sign-posted on to where other forms of specialist advice can be obtained.

Access to the on farm visits Service is free of charge and subject to your being able to satisfy the eligibility criteria set out above, you will be offered a visit on a strictly first, come first served basis.

A half day on farm visits will have a nominal value not exceeding £306, while the full day on farm visits will have a nominal value not exceeding £471.

Ongoing and post conversion advice will not be provided by the Service.

How do I apply for the Service?

If you are looking for advice on how to convert your business, please contact the Organic Conversion Information Service, operated by ORC on behalf of Natural England:

Address: The Organic Research Centre, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 0HR

Telephone: 0800 980 0048
Lines will be open from 8:30am to 17:00pm Monday to Friday. A dedicated answer phone is available outside office hours and during busy periods.

Email: info@ocis.org.uk

Website: www.organicresearchcentre.com

Please note: When calling the helpdesk, you will need to have to hand the following information as indicated above:

  • Your contact details,
  • Your CHP number,
  • Details of the agricultural enterprises you are engaged in and the number of people it employs, and
  • Details of any conversion advice you may have received since May 2005.

Further information

For general information about the Service, please contact:

Nick Cooper, OCIS Project Manager
Natural England, Victoria House, London Square, Cross Lanes, Guildford, Surrey GU1 1UJ

Telephone: 01483 307705

Email: nick.cooper@naturalengland.org.uk

Website: www.naturalengland.org.uk/planning/farming-wildlife/ocis