Produce Application

Muddy Creek Farmstead

Owner: Nate Clark

Farm Address:
Harrisonburg, VA
United States

daytime phone: 540-810-1067
evening phone: 540-867-9189
Web site: http://muddycreekfarmstead.wordpress.com/

Application Date: 2009-02-21

Applicant Details

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown program:	I wish to adhere to standards of farming that are sustainable and ecological. Organic certification is not a possibility at this time because of cost (and i believe my growing practices go beyond the usda standards of organic)
Are you currently third party Certified for your produce operation by any other organization (Organic, Biodynamic, etc)?	no
Have you ever been certified in the past?	no
Have you ever been denied certification?	no
How did you hear about Certified Naturally Grown?	a fellow market grower (Wildwood gardens)

General Farm Information

Farmland Management and Practices

Primary Tillage System:	8 hp tiller
Do you use Cover Crops?	yes
If yes, please list:	winter rye, clover, buckwheat, oats, oil radish, mustard, vetch
Do you use Compost?	yes
If yes, please note general sources (on farm, purchased complete, local grass clippings, local dairy, etc.):	on farm from: (horse manure, grass clipings, leaves, rotted hay/ straw, vegetable waste) also some purchased from local source
Please list application rates. Give a specific amount or range (for example: one to two tons per acre, ten wheelbarrow loads per 1,000 square feet, or 1-2 inches deep). Do not answer "varies".	about one inch deep or more
Do you use Manure?	yes
If yes, please note general sources (local dairy, horse farm, etc.):	local organic dairy cow manure
Please list application rates. Give a specific amount or range (for example: one to two tons per acre, ten wheelbarrow loads per 1,000 square feet, or 1-2 inches deep). Do not answer "varies".	used for compost in fall
What time of year do you apply the manure?	fall/ early spring
Do you apply any non-composted Manure within 120 days of veg-crop harvesting?	no
Please list any other brought in fertility sources that you use (specific rock powders, lime, soybean / alfalfa meal, specific purchased pre-mixes, etc)and how often it's used. If you indicate a name brand product, please also specify the ingredient/s.	rock phosphate, premixed organic fertilizer (Golden Harvest natural fertilizer, contains: alfalfa, comfrey, humic acid, equesitum, asorbic acid, yarrow, pure cane sugar, powdered fishmeal,)
Have any chemical fertilizers been applied to the fields you are seeking Certification for in the last three years (36 months)?	yes
If yes, as per the Certification regulations, it is acceptable to apply chelated chemical fertilizers to correct specifical micronutrient imbalances as listed on a recent soil test. Does the application of this fertilizer meet those requirements?	no
If Yes, please specify types, amounts and application dates:	2010 season fertilizers were added to grow soybeans by another farmer. unknown amounts and exact dates.
Have any non-acceptable pesticides and/or herbicides been applied to these fields in the last 3 years?	no
Do you use Professional Soil Testing services?	yes
Describe your primary weed problems and methods of control. If you indicate a name brand product, please also specify the ingredient(s), what kind of product it is (a soap, microbial, oil, a botanical...), and how often it's used.	mowing in orchard (with scythe), hand weeding/hoeing in garden
Describe your primary insect problems and methods of control. If you indicate a name brand product, please also specify the ingredient/s, what kind of product it is (a soap, microbial, oil, a botanical...), and how often it's used.	hand picking of potato beetles, Japanese beetles in garden. for apple orchard i use neem oil, surround (kaolin clay), pheromone sticky traps
Describe your primary disease problems and methods of control. If you indicate a name brand product, please also specify the ingredient/s, what kind of product it is (a soap, microbial, oil, a botanical...), and how often it's used.	in orchard for scab/ fungual diseases i deter with bicarbonates (baking soda), and use organic sulfur spray to treat an infection
Please list the water source you use for crop irrigation. If source is public river, pond or lake, please note the name:	farm well
Are there any known contaminants in the irrigation water?	no
Are you a maple producer who seeks to certify your sugarbush?	no

Seeds, Transplants and Buffers

Do you purchase or grow using any Genetically Modified seeds?	no
Do you use any chemically treated seeds in your operation?	no
Do you grow your own transplants?	yes
Are they grown using Naturally Grown/Organic methods?	yes
If they're not grown according to CNG methods, please list them here. This produce may not be sold as Certified Naturally Grown. (If they are, put "N/A")	n/a
Do you purchase any transplants from outside sources?	no
Chemical/Spray Drift and Buffers:
Is there any likelihood of Chemical/Spray drift contamination of your fields?	yes
If yes, please state the source (conventional farm field, golf course, etc.)and any details you can provide (type of pesticide, fertilizer, herbicide used, and/or what used for.)	neighboring conventional farm (corn)
Do you have an adequate buffer to protect yourself from potential contamination?	yes
Please describe your buffer. Be as specific as possible. On all sides, how far is it from your crops to the next closest use (road, conventional crop, residential yard)? Be sure to specify what is grown on neighboring land that is in agricultural use. For example: To the north and east, a wooded area of at least 100 yards separates us from the neighbor's corn fields, to the south is a fallow field at least 100 yards deep separating us from the road, and to the west about 60 feet separates our crops from a field where conventional corn and soybeans are grown.	vegetable production is separated by 100 ft or so, the corn production is separated by a fence and 20 feet from one row of apple trees

Agreements

Please indicate your agreement with the following statements by checking the boxes.
I will not label, or in any way lead consumers to believe that produce not raised in accord with CNG standards is Certified Naturally Grown^TM.
I understand that I have to complete at least one (and hopefully more) Certification Inspection(s) of another farm in my area each year, and that the inspection will NOT be of the same farmer that inspected me.
I have reviewed the Certified Naturally Grown certification standards, I understand them, and I will abide by them. I understand that if I have any questions I may contact CNG for clarification.
You may use this space to tell us anything else you think we should know about your farm:	New 1/2 acre plot added for 2011 season. Was grown to Soybeans using conventional methods 2010. Before that for many years it was mowed

Farm Acreage you want listed as Certified Naturally Grown^TM:
Total Farm Acreage you actually GROW on:	5
Number of above acreage that you own:	0
Number of above acreage that you lease:	5
Do you have other acreage in "Conventional" Agricultural Systems?	no
General Listed Acreage Breakdown
Veg Crops:	.5
Fruit Crops:	3.5
Hay:
Grains/Beans:
Sugarbush:
Other Acreage:
Please check all items you grow and will market as Certified Naturally Grown^TM	Vegetables Herbs Berries Tree Fruits Grapes Grains Beans Hay Flowers Greenhouse Plants Other (please specify below)
Please Specify Any Other Items:
Please check all markets you grow for (this will be displayed on your farm profile to help potential buyers find you).	Farmer's Market Farm Stand Local Restaurants CSA's Coops Health Food Stores Groceries Regional Wholesalers www.LocalHarvest.org Commodities Other (please specify below)
Please Specify Other Markets: