Montana's organic farmers will have an easier time exporting their products to Europe, after the Department of Agriculture announced this week that Montana's program for certifying organic producers and handlers has been recognized as meeting a key international standard.

Montana becomes the second state, after Washington, to receive USDA accreditation under International Standards Organization Guide 65.

While ISO Guide 65 status doesn't relate directly to the organic standards being met by Montana farmers, it means that the state's program for certifying those organic operations meets with international approval.

"This recognizes the legitimacy of your certification system and your ability to apply the standard," said Doug Crabtree, the Department of Agriculture's organic program certification manager. "Now that we're accredited, those producers we've certified will have their certification recognized and be able to export."

Before this week's approval, Montana's organic producers had to find a private, out-of-state organizations that met ISO Grade 65 certification standards if they wanted to export to Europe or other parts of the world.

As a processor, Andre Giles, owner and manager of Montana Flour & Grains in Fort Benton, said he's gone out-of-state for ISO certification. He'll switch that to a local certification if the price is right.

"I'm inclined to shop locally if the numbers are fairly close, and I think they will be," he said. "What this really does is open up markets for a lot of small Montana organic farmers."

Montana has been certifying organic producers under USDA standards since 2002, and is in the process of certifying organic growers to meet standards required by the European Union.

Crabtree said three Montana producers have been certified at European standards, "and they can begin exporting as we speak," he said. He anticipates several more producers will secure certification to European standards in time to export crops grown this summer.

"We get calls in this office from Italy and Belgium and elsewhere, looking to buy organic wheat," he said.

Crabtree said USDA and EU standards are appreciably the same, especially for the grains that dominate Montana's agricultural landscape.

Montana is one of the country's leaders in organic grain production (see box on 1A). The state's 56,281 acres of organic wheat are the most in the country and account for 20 percent of U.S. production. Montana farmers produced 1.2 million bushels of organic wheat in 2005.

Montana also ranks first in organic acreage of peas and lentils, and second in acres of organic barley and flax.

John Harrington can be reached at 447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com.