Certified Naturally Grown

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Certified Naturally Grown is a non-profit alternate certification program created for small-scale organic farmers, and striving to strengthen the organic movement by preserving high organic standards and removing financial barriers that tend to exclude smaller farms that are selling locally and directly to their customers.

To be Certified Organic (as opposed to Certified Naturally Grown), a grower must keep detailed records of planting, cultivation, fertilization, harvest, and storage, and must pay for both organization membership and periodic inspection. This process works well for large-scale commercial growers, but becomes onerous for small mixed-agriculture farms. Since only certified seeds may be used, the varieties available to be grown are limited, and sustainable practices such as seed-saving is not permitted, unless the farmer also applies to be certified as a seed supplier.

Certified Naturally Grown farmers follow the same USDA Organic Standards, but the recordkeeping and inspection process is tailored to accommodate the needs of small-scale mixed-agriculture farmers. Farmers commit to act as inspectors. Farmer-Inspectors are uniquely qualified to observe and note whether their neighbors are sticking to the standards, and are encouraged to provide helpful feedback, which helps foster a sense of community and sharing. Inspection forms are posted on the Internet for anytime public access, and all farms are subject to random pesticide residue testing. All in all, the CNG procedure requires significantly less paperwork, yet arguably results in more transparency and fostering of better farming practices, than the Certified Organic process, which primarily depends on farmer declarations backed by copious paperwork, and which inspects the paperwork rather than the farm.

A nationally recognized and endorsed grassroots effort, CNG exists because of enormous volunteer efforts, running primarily on free-will donations from farmers and supporters.

[edit] External links

• Certified Naturally Grown
• Wholesome Food Association (CNG's sister group in the UK)
• Satya Magazine
• Organic Producer Magazine
• In Business Magazine
• Organic Seeds Trust
• NOFA/Mass
• Local Harvest
• USDA Organic Standards