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MUSHROOMS

Hearts of Harvest Farm Mushrooms Application

Farmer:
Farm: Hearts of Harvest Farm

Website: www.heartsofharvestfarm.com/
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Application Date:

City: Arnoldsville, GA

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program:
We want to be part of a grass roots movement based on peer evaluations and high end ethics as it pertains to our farming operation. Also, the farmers market and association we want to sell with require a CNG or a USDA OG certification and we feel more drawn to the CNG mission.

Are you currently third-party-certified for your produce operation by any other organization (Organic, Biodynamic, etc.)?
No
If yes, please note which certification and agency:

Have you held any certification/s in the past that you don't currently hold?  No
Note which agencies and dates:

Have you ever been denied certification? No
If yes, please note which agencies, and reasons for denial:




Do you have additional physical locations for this farm?

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program: We want to be part of a grass roots movement based on peer evaluations and high end ethics as it pertains to our farming operation. Also, the farmers market and association we want to sell with require a CNG or a USDA OG certification and we feel more drawn to the CNG mission.

Are you currently third party certified for your mushrooms operation by any other organization (Organic, Biodynamic, etc.)? No

If yes, please note which certification and agency:

Have you held any certification/s in the past that you don't currently hold? No

Note which agencies and dates:

Have you ever been denied certification? No

If yes, please note which agencies, and reasons for denial:

How long have you been growing AND selling your mushrooms?

How did you learn to grow mushrooms? What has prepared you to grow successfully according to CNG standards?

Check all types of mushrooms you intend to certify. Please include any types you intend to grow or harvest in the coming 24 months.: shiitake

Other types you'll be growing, not listed above: N/A

Are there any mushroom types you grow or harvest for which you are NOT seeking certification? Please list all such types, and explain why you are not seeking to certify them. N/A

Please check all markets you grow for (this will be displayed on your farm profile to help potential buyers find you).: markets, stands, restaurants, csas, coops, stores, groceries, regn_wholsal, local_harvest

 

Please Specify Other Markets:

Shiitake (Lentinula) Various hardwood logs, untreated hardwood chips from storm fallen trees and arborists. Sawdust spawn from Field and Forest.

Oyster (Pleurotus) n/A

King stropharia, garden giant, wine cap (Stropharia) N/A

Reishi (Ganoderma) N/A

Enoki, velvet foot (Flammulina) N/A

Maitake, hen of the woods (Grifola) N/A

Butterscotch mushroom (Nameko) N/A

Lion's mane, pom-poms (Hericium) N/A

Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus) N/A

White button, portabella (Agaricus) N/A

Other (please specify)

Did you remember to indicate, for each of the substrates and supplements noted above, the sources of these materials? You may use this space to say anything else about the substrates you're using or may want to use in the future.

Do your substrates include corn, soy, cotton seed hulls, or other byproducts of crops that are grown commercially in GMO form? No

How have you confirmed that these substrates are not byproducts of a GMO crop?

Do you use logs as a substrate? Yes

Do you adhere to all state or local quarantines for forest products that there may be in your region?

Please describe any steps you take to ensure that the logs you use are harvested according to a forest management plan that will maintain or help improve the overall health of the forest.

What do you use to seal logs after inoculation?

If you use wax, how do you confirm that it does not contain ethylene-propylene co-polymer, synthetic colors, or perfumes?

Do you use wood chips, sawdust, sawdust blocks, or wood pellets? Yes

Have you confirmed that these are not chemically treated, nor contain glue or other adhesives?

Do you use any of the following items as substrate: cardboard, paper, clothing, municipal compost, wood from rare trees harvested for mushroom production? No

Do you use manure as a substrate in your mushroom operation? No

Have you confirmed that the manure is from animals that were not given GMO or other conventionally grown feed?

Has the manure been either (i) pasteurized, or (ii) composted through a process that established an initial C:N ratio of 25:1 to 40:1 and maintained at a temperature between 131-170F either for for 3 days using an in-vessel or static aerated pile system or for 15 days using a windrow composting system and turned 5 times? Please elaborate.

Please describe all sterilization or pasteurization procedures and materials you use. (If none, please put N/A) N/A

How do you dispose of or re-purpose used substrate? Please indicate current practices as well as any plans you have for how the used substrate may be put to further productive use. We will add to our compost piles.

How do you ensure that nutrients from used substrate do not leach into waterways? Our compost pile is protected from runoff and away from waterways. We take good care to pay attention to our log and bed areas so that we eliminate any old logs or beds that are ready for removal.

Please describe the racks and beds used in production (if any). What are they made of? We have constructed A-Frames from untreated wood that we use as a lean-to system.

Please describe any containers used for sterilization, and/or pasteurization. What are they made of? N/A

Please describe any containers used for production. What are they made of? If you don't use containers for production (as for log-based production) you may answer "n/a". N/A

Were the containers purchased new or repurposed? If re-purposed, please describe how the containers had been used previously, and how you confirmed this with the supplier(s). N/A

In your operation, do any of the following materials come into direct contact with any substrate or fruiting bodies?Plastics that contain BPA, polystyrene, treated wood, railroad ties, containers that previously held toxic materials, re-purposed containers that had an unknown prior use. No

Are any of the mushrooms you sell wild harvested (or "wildcrafted")? No

What types of wild mushrooms do you harvest and sell?

Please describe what measures you take to ensure that you do not over harvest these mushrooms, and that there will continue to be wild mushrooms of that variety in the locations where you found them.

Since CNG doesn't offer certification for wildcrafted mushrooms, you must agree not to market any wildcrafted mushrooms (or products made from them) as Certified Naturally Grown. Please indicate you agree to this requirement by typing your initials here.

What water contamination experts have you consulted to identify which contaminants are typically found in area water, and determine the tests that should be conducted? Local Oglethorpe County Ag Extension, local NRCS (Jason Wheatley) and our local well servicing company.

Do you use well water to mist or irrigate fruiting bodies? Yes

Please note CNG mushroom standards require you test well water used to mist or irrigate fruiting bodies at least once per year for E. coli, and the results must be negative with no E. coli detected. Have you tested your well water for E. coli within the past year? What was the date of the most recent test? What were the results?

Do you use surface water to soak logs or to irrigate non-fruiting substrate? No

CNG mushroom standards require you to test surface water used to soak logs or irrigate non-fruiting substrate at least twice per year for E. coli, including at the beginning of the season and in the middle of the season, and E. coli levels must fall below 235 cfu/100ml. How often do you test for E. coli? What was the date of the most recent test? What were the results? If you haven't tested recently, by when can you have your surface water tested?

Will you agree to test according to the required schedule if you are a part of CNG?

Do you ever use surface water to mist or irrigate fruiting bodies? No

Do you purchase spawn or produce your own or some of each? (If purchased, please list the supplier). Purchase from Field and Forrest

CNG mushroom standards prohibit for spawn production the use of adhesives, byproducts of GMO crops, or other materials prohibited for use as substrate. Are you confident none of these materials were used as a growing media for the spawn? Yes

Describe your primary insect challenges AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual pest challenges and/or LIKELY challenges, and you must ALSO indicate how you manage (or would manage) them. If you indicate a product, also specify how often it's used. Slugs and gnats are our primary challenges. Consistent crop observation followed by hand removal of slugs when problems arise. Sticky traps for gnats or flying insects. Food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Proper harvesting techniques help to deter any gnat problems that may persists. Shade cloth row cover is used for fruiting and insect prevention. Compressed air and vacuuming are used as needed.

Describe your primary disease challenges AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual disease challenges and/or LIKELY challenges, and you must ALSO indicate how you manage (or would manage) them. If you indicate a product, also specify how often it's used. We have not encountered any diseases in our outdoor growing environment.

Is your operation either partially or entirely INdoors? No

Please describe neighboring land uses to the north, south, east and west of your INdoor operation. Include buffer widths.

Do these adjacent land uses pose a risk of drift or contamination? If so, please describe.

How does your ventilation and air filtration system prevent possible contamination?

If you share space with other producers, please indicate whether they use synthetic chemicals, and if so, how do you protect your production area from potential contamination?

Is your operation either partially or entirely OUTdoors? Yes

Please describe neighboring land uses to the north, south, east and west of your OUTdoor operation.

Do these uses pose a risk of drift or contamination?

What is the distance between your outdoor production area and the nearest sources of possible contamination?

What other factors mediate the risk of contamination? (Prevailing wind patterns, windbreaks, method of spray, etc.)

Has your outdoor production area been treated with prohibited substances within the past 36 months? If so, by what was it treated, and when?

What measures have you taken to conserve energy, improve energy efficiency, and/or use energy from renewable sources? (This could include system design, siting, insulation, lighting choices, and more). We are preparing for solar powered deer fencing and prep station, spring fed pond and rain water irrigation.

Please use this space to highlight any other measures you take to reduce the environmental impact of your operation or to make it more sustainable in other ways. Composting our production waste to reuse on our farm.

Are you a part of a network (informal or formal) of mushroom producers in your geographic area? No

Please tell us about your network. Does it have a name? Roughly how many members, and what geographic area does it cover?

Can you name one or two potential inspectors who you could ask to conduct your inspection? We are new and do not know anyone in the area yet.

What qualifications do they have to conduct an inspection of a mushroom operation? N/A

I will not label, or in any way lead consumers to believe, that a farm product not raised in accord with CNG standards is Certified Naturally Grown. 1

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 will abide by the trading and repeat rules within the CNG Inspection Guidelines. 1

I have reviewed the Certified Naturally Grown Mushroom Standards. I understand them and I will abide by them. I understand that if I have any questions I may contact CNG for clarification. 1

You may use this space to tell us anything else you think we should know about your operation:

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