How to become a Certified Enterprise

One: Read the Standards

Read our Certification Standards, Version 5.1 to check that you comply.

Two: Register

Log into your personal dashboard. Don't have an account? You can easily create one now. If you know you'd like to become a member (£120 p/a) and receive your certification licence for free, register here. Or, you can register for a free account here. Certification licence fees (£120 p/a) will apply if you are not a member.

Three: Fill in your business details

Once logged in, select 'become certified' from the left hand navigation of your personal dashboard. Enter and submit your business information, ensuring you select 'producer' as one of the options under 'business type.' This is key to ensuring you complete the correct Certified Enterprise application. If you are also applying to become an Approved Business then select 'retailer' too. Just trying to become an Approved Business? Visit our 'how to' page.

Four: Agree to the terms

You will be asked to confirm whether you:

• Comply with the Certification Standards, Version 5.1.
• Agree to fees for your OF&G inspection, levies, and annual licence (if applicable).
• Consent to your business details being available for use of PfL partners for audit and supply chain traceability.
• Would like an annual or triennial inspection with Organic Farmers & Growers [OF&G], and wish to combine audits with any other certification schemes.*

*You can choose to have your on-farm inspection annually or once every three years with a desk-based audit in the intervening years. Triennial inspections are cheaper, but require you to commit to an annual fee for the whole three year period. See our triennial certification agreement and OF&G's fees. It is also possible to combine the Pasture for Life inspection with some other external audits, such OF&G, BDA and Soil Association. All auditing charges are payable to OF&G.

Five: Record keep and prepare for your inspection

In the resources section of our website, type 'record keeping' into the box labelled 'filter by category' (not the search bar). This will pull up a list of editable PDFs to help you with record keeping in preparation for your audits and ongoing management of your business.* The pack includes:

• Animal Health and Welfare Plan
• Bought-in Feed Record
• Non-Certified Livestock Record
• Record of Sale and Purchase of PfL Certified Stock
• Medicine Records
• Grazing Management Guide

Save the 'template pack' to your personal dashboard by clicking into a resource and selecting the tag icon in the top left hand corner of the page.

*If you already keep these records in another format, PfL does not expect you to duplicate them on these forms.

Six: Inspection

Once we have reviewed and approved your business details, we will send them to our certifiers, OF&G. They will contact you to arrange an audit and invoice for audit fees. You can track the progress of your application in your personal dashboard.

Seven: Results

Following your inspection, OF&G will email you and us to let us know whether your certification has been granted. If it has been but your are not a Pasture for Life member, we will send you an invoice for your licence fee to use the certification mark and branding. Or, become a member to receive your licence for free. You will now be able to log into your personal dashboard to manage your certification.

Eight: Create your farm profile

If you sell produce directly to the public, your farm profile can appear on our 'where to buy' map — the most visited page on our website. For this reason, we suggest you take time over this section and use high quality imagery (1-2MB). Log into your personal dashboard and select 'business public profile'. Fill in and submit your details. Click 'where to buy' to see your farm profile in action.

Nine: Manage your livestock

As a Certified Enterprise, you can give your customers total transparency as to where their animals or produce has come from. We make it easy to manage all your certified livestock and to market your business using the 'your livestock' section of your personal dashboard.

Simply upload a file (Excel or CSV) to get started. Go to 'how to upload your livestock' for our step by step guide. Frequently used information including herd or flock number is set up within your business details and used to pre-populate the form. When the animal is ready to leave the farm, simply move it to another Certified Enterprise or Approved Business by selecting the destination from a drop-down list. You can also record milk batches, and fibre (wool and skins/hides) products.

Ten: Your Certified Enterprise kit

In the resources section of our website, search 'Certified kit'. This will pull up everything you need to promote and make the most of your certification. The kit includes:

• Logos
• Brand guidelines
• Postcards (to download and print)
• Posters (to download and print)
• Email signature

Save the 'Certification kit' to your personal dashboard by clicking into a resource and selecting the tag icon in the top left hand corner of the page.

Eleven: Renewal and levy payments

OF&G will contact you when it is time to renew your certification. We will contact you annually when it is time to pay your levy fees. You can also stay on top of this in the 'manage certification' section of your personal dashboard.

Contact your Certification Manager, Jenna, with any questions using our contact us page.

Two: Login

Three: Business details

Four: Agree to terms

Five: Record keep

Eight: Farm profile

Nine: Manage your livestock

Ten: Certified kit