Produce Application
Caristi Farm
Owner: Anne Marie and Joseph CaristiFarm Address:
98 Belcher Rd.
Blairstown, NJ 07825
Warren County
United States
daytime phone: 908-362-7650
Application Date: 2010-02-16
Applicant Details
| Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown program: | I am a very small producer and I would like to be able to assure my customers that they are getting all natural produce. I would also like the benefits of certification, such as having this distinction when present at farmer's markets, etc. |
| 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? | Came across information while researching becoming certified organic. |
General Farm Information
| Farm Acreage you want listed as Certified Naturally GrownTM: | |
| Total Farm Acreage you actually GROW on: | 22 |
| Number of above acreage that you own: | 22 |
| Number of above acreage that you lease: | 0 |
| Do you have other acreage in "Conventional" Agricultural Systems? | no |
| General Listed Acreage Breakdown | |
| Veg Crops: | 1 |
| Fruit Crops: | 1 |
| Hay: | 12 |
| Grains/Beans: | 2 |
| Sugarbush: | 0 |
| Other Acreage: | 6 |
| Please check all items you grow and will market as Certified Naturally GrownTM |
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: | |
Farmland Management and Practices
| Primary Tillage System: | Disc harrow for hay, rotary tiller for vegetables/flowers |
| Do you use Cover Crops? | yes |
| If yes, please list: | Clover, rye, vetch, oats |
| Do you use Compost? | yes |
| If yes, please note general sources (on farm, purchased complete, local grass clippings, local dairy, etc.): | purchased complete |
| 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". | 1-2 inches deep |
| Do you use Manure? | yes |
| If yes, please note general sources (local dairy, horse farm, etc.): | on farm poultry 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". | 1 inch deep |
| What time of year do you apply the manure? | Fall and/or 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. | SeaAgri Sea-90 sea solids, 50 lbs per acre, surface applied or tilled in during Spring lime as indicated by soil tests |
| Have any chemical fertilizers been applied to the fields you are seeking Certification for in the last three years (36 months)? | no |
| 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. | We have a very large variety of weeds. We use cover crops, plastic mulch, hay mulch and cultivation for weed control |
| 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. | Squash borers; rows covers during egg-laying season, garlic spray if infected Potato beetles; manual intervention, crop rotation Cucumber beetles; traps Aphids/mites; Safer Insecticidal Soap when necessary |
| 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. | Cucumbers: Bacterial wilt Tomatoes; Anthracnose, verticillium wilt Corn;Smut Fruit;every disease! I have basically ignored all plant diseases, taking a loss when they occur. I use disease resistant varieties, crop rotation, and soil fertility to keep losses to a minimum. |
| Please list the water source you use for crop irrigation. If source is public river, pond or lake, please note the name: | Private 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") | They are grown according to CNG methods. |
| 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? | no |
| 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. | South, West; wooded area, over 100 yards; North; Certified Organic vegetable farm East; my own personal fields used as buffer - 250 feet wide |
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 GrownTM. | |
| 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: | |
