Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 17, September 10, 2024
a. A
request for certification of forage crops shall be made to the Department. Said
request may be made by phone or in writing.
b. An inspection request form shall be
completed by the producer prior to inspection.
c. The Department shall arrange for an
inspector.
d. The forage crop shall
be inspected in the field(s) of origin. The field shall include the surrounding
ditches, fence rows, roads, easements, rights of way, or buffer zones
surrounding the field.
e. Forage
which contains any weed(s) designated on the regional list may be certified if
the following requirements are met:
1. The
field upon which the forage was produced has been treated to prevent seed
formation prior to bud stage or boot stage to the degree that there is no
danger of dissemination of the seed or any injurious portion thereof from such
weeds; and
2. Any propagative plant
parts including weed seed, live roots, rhizomes, or stolons of the weeds are
not present in the forage to be harvested.
f. A certificate of inspection shall be
completed for each field/lot. The certificate of inspection shall document
whether the requirements stated in Section 2.00 , immediately above, have been
met based upon a reasonable and prudent visual inspection.
2.01
INSPECTION PROCEDURES
a. There shall be a minimum of two entry
points per field.
b. There shall be
a minimum of one entry point per each 10 acres.
c. Each point of entry shall be at least 150
feet into the field, and each additional 150 feet traveled shall constitute an
entry point. Travel shall be uninterrupted, proceeding through the field being
inspected.
d. The entire field
border shall be walked or driven.
e. Fields shall be inspected within 10 days
prior to harvest.
g. An inspector
may not inspect fields of which said inspector has ownership or financial
interest.
2.02
PROCEDURES FOR TRACKING AND IDENTIFYING CERTIFIED FORAGE
a. The producer shall inform the Colorado
Department of Agriculture of the bale count and estimated total weight of the
forage harvested from each inspected field.
b. Repealed.
c. If required by the purchaser or the
producer, or if the forage is destined to be processed into cubes or pellets, a
transit document, whether the original or a photocopy thereof, shall accompany
all inspected forage offered for sale or sold. The transit document shall
contain the inspection certificate number, the producer's name, and the
quantity purchased in number of bales and estimated weight. If the forage is to
be processed into cubes or pellets, the transit certificate shall also contain
the name, address and phone number of the processor. The purchaser, or the
processor of cubes or pellets, shall complete the transit document and return
it to the Department.
d. All
inspected forage bales shall be identified by a marking system, whether colored
twine or marked wire.
e. Processors
of bagged and bulk pellets and cubes shall comply with the following:
(1) All bags of pellets or cubes from
certified forage shall have sewn into the bag a tag which is provided by the
Department, identifying it as being made from certified forage. The processor
may obtain the tags by delivering to the Department transit certificates, as
required in Subsection 2.02.c above.
(2) All bulk sales of pellets or cubes from
certified forage shall be accompanied by the transit certificate(s). As bulk
sales of pellets or cubes are made, the processor shall record on an inventory
sheet when the sale occurred and what quantities were sold. When inventory
sheets are completed, or at least annually, the original documents shall be
sent to the Department.
(3) The
processor shall collect and maintain all twine or marked wire, as described in
Subsection 2.02.d above, from all certified forage utilized to process cubes or
pellets. The twine and wire shall be maintained by the processor for a maximum
of one year from the date of processing, or such lesser time as directed by the
Department. At the end of one year from the date of processing, if there is no
outstanding request by the Department to inspect the twine or wire, the
processor may dispose of the collected twine and wire.
