Produce Application

The Martin Family Farm

Owner: Matt Martin

Farm Address:
28172 30 mile road
Lenox, MI 48050
Macomb County
United States

daytime phone: 586-212-5834
evening phone: 586-749-8647
Web site: http://www.themartinfamilyfarm.com/

Application Date: 2010-02-24

Applicant Details

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown program:	In the past 3 years I have been organically producing my vegetables and was in the process of getting organically certified, but found that it was not finacially viable for a small farm like mine. I also had some concerns about the fact that the organic orginization I was going through took a percentage of my sales at the end of each year. I did not find this fair at all. I also found that I was spending so much time on paperwork that it was cutting into my farming in general. I found your orgainization in a veggie magazine and talked to a member of your group and found it to be just what I was looking for.
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?	An article on one of your farmers in American Vegetable Grower.

General Farm Information

Farmland Management and Practices

Primary Tillage System:	rototiller, hand hoe, cultivator
Do you use Cover Crops?	yes
If yes, please list:	winter rye
Do you use Compost?	yes
If yes, please note general sources (on farm, purchased complete, local grass clippings, local dairy, etc.):	Indian Summer Recycling. When previously in the process of getting organically certified I inquired about this compost and was told that it was organically ok to use.
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".	30-90 yards per year
Do you use Manure?	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.	None
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.	cultivation, hand hoe, tilling.
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.	Not many, but cabbage worm. Going to use Bt this year, but in past have hand picked.
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.	Not much
Please list the water source you use for crop irrigation. If source is public river, pond or lake, please note the name:	My farm pond
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")	none
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.	Farmer to my south behind hedgerow about 60 feet away, and to the south of him field corn or soybeans. TO my west is a vacant 5 acres with some woods, to my east is my neighbor with a barn and a few small horses, to my north is the road and my neighbors grass.

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:	I am a small family farm on which my 6 and 8 year old girls work with me. We are the only workers on our farm. My girls are a huge reason I do not use chemicals because they pick and eat what we produce. I provide a few local resturants with veggies and winter greens. I have 2 cold frame greenhouses that I use for season extention. Other than that I just love farming and love my clinetel who trust me in my practices.