• Data Portal Information Form

    Help Grow the Organic Movement – In Just 10 Minutes! This short form from Ontario Organic will help us build a stronger future for organic agriculture.
  • We're collecting information for three important initiatives: a national organic data portal, an updated Ontario Organic Directory, and stronger connections across the Ontario organic value chain. You do not need to be certified organic to participate – farmers, processors, retailers, educators, and supporters at every level of the value chain are welcome. Some questions may not apply to you — feel free to skip them. Only one entry per organisation please! Do you understand?*

  • Data Privacy & Consent

    Your privacy matters to us. We follow Canadian privacy laws and will never share your name, contact info, or location without your permission. Your answers will only be shared as anonymous (no names attached, ANONYMIZED) or grouped with other responses (AGGREGATED), unless you clearly give us permission to do otherwise.
  • I understand that the information I provide may be used by the Organic Council of Ontario for research, advocacy, policy, or the OCO Data Portal. My answers will remain anonymous or combined with others unless I’ve clearly said otherwise.*
  • Would you be open to having any of your data shared publicly (e.g., in anonymized datasets, case studies, or maps)?*

  • We take your privacy seriously and follow the highest Canadian privacy standards. Your name, contact information, and location will never be shared without your permission. Data collected through this form may be used will be stored securely and used only for our data portal, research, advocacy, and program planning. Aggregated results may appear in public reports, but your personal information will remain confidential unless you choose to opt in for a directory listing. You may withdraw your data at any time by contacting communications@organiccouncil.ca

  • Prize Draw Entry


  • Would you like to be entered in into the monthly prize draw from one of OCO’s sponsors. I understand that I must complete and submit the form to be eligible. Forms with only a name will not be accepted.

  • Operator Data

  • What is your role?
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Type of operation*
  • Do you hold any certifications (organic or other)?
  • If yes, which certification(s)
  • We have a directory that allows consumers, etc. to find your business. Would you like to be included in that directory? Note: If you hit "no" above in privacy and consent, we will not be able to include any of this information in our data portal.
  • Do you Identify as the primary decision maker in your operation?
  • What is the legal structure of your operation?
  • Are your products accessible to the public?
  • Would you be willing to have OCO tour your operation in the future? (We sometimes tour for events, to provide promotional content, or highlight your organisation)

  • Production Data

  • Main crops/livestock
  • Farm Size Category
  • Farm type?
  • What products do you sell the most?
  • Do you track yield per crop or per acre?
  • Are you willing to share yield data?
  • Do you track seasonal production data?
  • If yes, what intervals?
  • Do you compare yields overtime?
  • What comparisons do you track?
  • Do you use any of the following organic inputs?
  • What is your overall production approach/philosophy?
  • Are any of your practices certified beyond organic?
  • Why do you use these practices?

  • Market & Sales Data

  • Where do you sell your products?
  • What % of your sales go to each market? (rough estimate)
    Rows
  • Do you sell locally, provincially/territorially, interprovincially/interterritorially, or export?
  • Do you face barriers when selling interprovincially/nationally or internationally?
  • What months of the year are you selling?
  • Are you tracking retail prices for your products?
  • What is your typical consumer base?
  • What factors influence your pricing decisions?
  • Do you keep track of how much you sell (money or amount), by each product or where you sell it?
  • If yes:

  • Import and Export Data

  • Do you import or export organic goods?
  • What countries of origin do you import from?
  • What countries of destination do you export to?
  • Are the goods imported/exported certified organic?
  • Have you experienced inspection delays/compliance issues?
  • Do you receive any support/subsidy for international trade?

  • Processing & Capacity

  • Do you do any processing on-site or work with a processor?
  • What kind of processing do you require?
  • Have you ever faced capacity issues? (volume limits, scheduling delays, etc.)
  • Are there gaps in the processing services available to you?
  • Would you be willing to share your processor contacts to be included in our directory online?

  • Certification & Cost

  •
  • Have you received any support for the certification costs?
  • If yes, what type of support?
  • What certifiers have you used before?
  • Have you changed certifiers before?
  • Have you ever stopped certification for a period of time?
  • If you are not currently certified, what is the reason?
  • Are you considering changing or dropping certification?
  • Have you ever had any compliance issues or non-conformities?
  • What supports if any have you had with certification?

  • Sustainability Practices

  • Are you currently tracking or implementing any of the following?
  • Do you track or measure soil health?
  • What indicators?
  • Do you monitor biodiversity or pollinators?
  • Do you measure or estimate carbon sequestration or emissions?
  • Do you track water usage or efficiency?
  • Do you use any renewable energy systems?
  • If yes, which kind:
  • Do you track any energy or fuel usage
  • Do you have a waste management plan?
  • Do wetlands or conservation zones exist on your property?

  • Labour

  • How many works do you employ annually?
    Rows
  • What are the main roles on your farm?
  • Do you offer any formal wages, or is it mostly family-based labour?
  • Do you participate in the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program or other migrant programs
  • Do you provide housing or support for your workers?
  • Do you track average wages?

  • Research & Data

    These questions will be relating to our upcoming organic search engine, called AskAgriWise (working title). AskAgriWise will be an online tool that helps collect, organize, and view information about organics. It will allow businesses to track things like sales, products, and customers in one place. Users can look up data and see reports, research or charts.
  • What would you want to access from AskAgriWise?
  • Do you currently use any data or reports to guide your business decisions?
  • If yes, which ones?
  • Would you be open to testing a prototype/trial version of AskAgriWise once it's ready?
  • Are you interested in participating in research, pilot projects, or trials?
  • Have you participated in on-farm research trials in the past?
  • Have you adopted any new technologies in the past 3 years?
  • If yes, what kinds?
  • Do you use integrated pest management (IPM)?
  • Would you be interested in collaborating on research projects?
  • Have government policies positively or negatively impacted your operation?
  • Have you received subsidies or grants?
  • If yes, from what level?
  • Do you own your land, lease or mixed?
  • Are you aware of policy developments related to organic or sustainable farming?
  • Do you have any suggestions on alternate names other than "AskAgriWise"?

  • Demographics

  • Age Group
  • Are you a part of an under-represented community?
  • Do you identify as a newcomer, refugee, or immigrant farmer/business owner?
  • Do you identify as a newcomer to farming? (less than ten years)
  • Is your farm part of a family or multigenerational operation?

  • Final Thoughts

  • Would you be interested in contributing to more detailed data in the future?
  • Should be Empty: