Certified Naturally Grown farmers and beekeepers share a commitment to work within the natural biological cycles that are necessary for a truly sustainable farming system - a system that works in harmony with micro-organisms, soil flora and fauna, pollinators, plants and animals. 

CNG offers certification of the following types of operations:
 Produce (including maple), Apiaries (for honey), and Livestock (including poultry and eggs).

A set of internationally accepted standards and practices for organic agriculture exists, but there's always discussion around the edges of what should officially be considered organic. We took the USDA's Organic standards as a starting point for our produce and livestock programs, to minimize confusion. As a private non-profit organization, we have the freedom to set our own standards, and we've chosen to do so in particular instances (clearer access to pasture and living conditions requirements, for example). CNG's apiary standards were generated "from scratch" (the NOP doesn't define standards for beekeepers) but in keeping with organic principles.