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Considering Certified Naturally Grown for your farm?
Thanks for visiting Certified Naturally Grown, a non-profit alternative certification program tailored for small-scale, direct-market farmers using natural methods.
Nearly 500 farmers from 47 states are enrolled to use the Certified Naturally Grown label.
When USDA's Organic program was implemented in 2002, many farms earning more than $5,000 per year were forced to make a difficult choice: either pay high certification fees and complete mounds of paperwork to become Certified Organic, or else give up using the word "organic" to describe their produce and/or livestock.
Believing that neither choice was very attractive, some farmers created Certified Naturally Grown to provide an alternative way to assure their customers that they observed strict growing practices. CNG strives to strengthen the organic movement by removing financial barriers to certification that tend to exclude smaller direct-market farms, while preserving high standards for natural production methods.
CNG's Certification Standards are based on the highest principles and ideals of organic farming. CNG's Program Requirements are reasonable and affordable, and many farmers find the inspection process itself a valuable learning experience.
CNG's Certification Standards take as their starting point the USDA Organic Standards, but Certified Naturally Grown is an independent program not accredited by or in any way affiliated with USDA's National Organic Program.
CNG is nationally recognized and endorsed, and it thrives because of enormous volunteer efforts. If you'd like to help out, visit our help wanted page.
CNG is a grassroots effort that runs primarily on free-will donations from farmers and supporters. Please join the small farms at the heart of the movement and make a donation today!