Program Requirements and Costs

Registration/Certification Cost
CNG was created to keep certification costs affordable to direct-market farmers using natural methods. We rely on free-will donations to help pay for testing, public outreach, mailing costs and overhead. We strongly encourage donations of $50 to $150 to help keep us running and growing. You may use the donate button on the bottom of our Home Page or send us a check (CNG, PO Box 156, Stone Ridge, NY 12484). Thank you!

Work Requirement
There is a work requirement of at least one inspection of another farm in your area. Inspection forms and guidelines are available online. This requirement is waived if there is not another CNG farm within a 1 hour drive of your farm. You are encouraged to inspect the farms of friends whom you know and trust and have worked with for many years. To help maintain the integrity of the program, you may NOT inspect the same farm that inspected you.

On-Farm Inspection Requirement
All farms must arrange their own on-site inspection, which should take place within 6 months of having signed up for the program (or by July 15 for those farms that signed up in the fall). Inspections are done by volunteers for free, ideally by other CNG farmers. Detailed inspection options are mailed to you once you are accepted into the program.

Pesticide Residue Testing
Each year, a percentage of CNG farms are randomly selected to be tested for pesticide residues at no cost to the farmer. Pesticide residue tests take place at unannounced times during the growing season.

Meeting the Standards
CNG farms must adhere to CNGs Certification Standards. They are not complicated, and they are nothing new, as they are primarily quoted from the USDA National Organic Program Final Rule.

Paperwork Requirements
Record keeping is something that you should do yourself, in your own way. The observations you record today will help you plan tomorrow. We do not have specific record keeping requirements other than these listed below.

  1. Maintain and have available receipts and orders you have of the following items to show to the person who inspects your farm.

    • Seed and transplant orders
    • Any purchased soil amendment items (off farm compost, rock powders, pre-mixed Organic Fertilizers, etc.)
    • Any purchased organically acceptable botanical and biological pesticides (Bt, Sulfur, insecticidal soap, etc.)

  2. Maintain and have available recent soil tests. Farmers that need to use chelated micronutrients to correct a soil deficiency must have soil tests from within the last one year that specifically note the deficiency.
  3. Complete the ONLINE Certification application This public document should be updated with new information as needed.
  4. Sign the Grower Declaration (we'll mail it to you once you're accepted) stating that you meet and agree to all the Certified Naturally Grown standards for the year that you are registering. The Grower Declaration must be signed annually to remain in good standing.
  5. The inspector you arrange to have visit your farm should complete the Inspection Forms and mail the Inspection Report back to us.

    6. Paperwork requirements listed in items 1, 2 and ideally 3 should be maintained in one convenient folder for your inspector to quickly and easily access. Copies should not be sent to us, other than the Grower Declaration and Inspection Report.

That's it! Now you can get back to the REAL work of running your farm!