The Cedar Chest Farm Produce & Flowers Application

Application Date:

City: Blacksburg, VA

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program:
I believe that growing food is one of the most beautiful things we can do for our community, and growing with an intentional commitment to sustainability is critical to doing it well. I grow my produce and flowers with sincere focus on soil health, cultivating ecosystems, and avoiding synthetic inputs. I'd love to be CNG so that my customers have tangible proof of the growing practices I purport to follow.

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:

How long have you been growing and selling your products?
1 year
How did you learn to farm? What has prepared you to farm successfully according to CNG standards?
I have been gardening for about 9 years, and decided in 2020 that I wanted to grow for market. That summer, we began preparing our front yard for a 1/4 vegetable field. 2022 was my first season "farming" in earnest, and my farming experience has been a deep and intense dive into practical application of the books, podcast, and youtube learning that started in 2020. Being connected to a vibrant local community of growers (many of whom are CNG) has been a huge asset to my farming successfully. I have no shortage of experienced farmers in my corner! Plus, being a CNG employee has given me access to an even broader network, and I learn so much from the farmers we work with.
Total number of acres you want listed as CNG: 1
Do you have other acreage in "Conventional" Agricultural Systems? No
How many acres are in conventional agriculture?
List what you are growing conventionally and explain why these crops are excluded from certification.

General Listed Acreage Breakdown

Of the acreage that you want listed as CNG, list the number of acres you have in each crop category.

Vegetables: 0.75
Fruit:
Cut Flowers: 0.25
Hay:
Grains:
Dry Beans:
Sugarbush:
Other Acreage:

Specify other items:

Specify other primary crop:
Specify any other items you'd like listed as CNG:
List any crops you grow that will not be listed as CNG, and explain why you’re not seeking to certify them.
Sunflowers-- I grow these in a large planting block that's only about 5ft from a shared fence line, which my neighbor sprays with glyphosate. I will indicate with appropriate signage at market that these are not CNG.

Specify other markets:

Farmland Management & Practices

Describe how you prepare your ground for planting.
I use silage tarps to clear sod from new areas of planting. Once the ground is clear, beds are formed with a generous layer of compost and broadforked. I do occasionally use tillage to prep ground (almost exclusively in the sunflower patch, which is tilled with a neighbor's tractor), but this is a rare occurence.
Do you use Cover Crops? Yes
List the cover crop species you use:
Buckwheat, oats, field peas, winter rye, clover.
Do you use Compost? Yes

Describe your on-farm composting process.

Describe how you verify with your supplier that their compost is properly composted and does not contain prohibited ingredients like biosolids. The website of my compost supplier explicitly states that they do not contain biosolids.
Describe your "other" source of compost.
List your compost application rates. Give a specific amount or range. For new beds: 4" application. For bed flips: about 1"
Do you use Manure? No
List your general manure sources:
Please list application rates. Give a specific amount or range.
What time of year do you apply the manure?
Do you apply any manure within 120 days of edible crop harvesting?
Please list any other brought in fertility sources that you use (rock powders, lime, alfalfa meal, fertilizer mixes, etc.) For each product, list the full name, manufacturer, and OMRI status. Harmony Ag Organic Fertilizer - OMRI listed Worm Castings, Mountain Gate Organics - OMRI listed Feather Meal, Mason City ByProducts Inc - not OMRI listed, but NOP compliant Neptune's Harvest Liquid Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer - OMRI listed EM.1 Microbial Inoculant - OMRI listed Exceed Garden Combination seed inoculant - OMRI listed BioGenesis III Seed Treatment, Tanio Biologicals Inc. - OMRI listed Fort Light potting mix, Vermont Compost - OMRI listed Pro-Mix Organic potting mix - OMRI listed
How do you decide which inputs (fertilizers, pest/disease control products, etc.) to use on your farm? How will you determine if an input is allowed for use in CNG production? Prefer OMRI listing. When unavailable check ingredients list to ensure it is compliant with the CNG allowed and prohibited substances list.
Have any chemical fertilizers been applied to the fields you are seeking Certification for in the last three years (36 months)? No
According to CNG guidelines, it is acceptable to apply OMRI-listed, chelated synthetic fertilizers to correct specific micronutrient imbalances only if micronutrient deficiency is documented in a recent soil or tissue test. Does the application of this fertilizer meet those requirements?
Specify types, amounts and application dates:
Have any non-acceptable pesticides and/or herbicides been applied to these fields in the last three years?No
If yes, then please specify type and most recent application date:
Do you use Professional Soil Testing services? Yes
In detail, describe your primary weed problems AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual weed 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.
Lambsquarter and ragweed is ABUNDANT in our seed bank. They are the most pervasive weeds I deal with, along with grasses, plantain, dandelion, and dock. My preference is to tarp an area sufficiently before planting so that the weeds are significantly inhibited. After planting, I use a scuffle hoe and colinear hoe (and my hands!) to remove weeds in open-soil beds. If a bed gets out of control, it will be tarped before the next bed flip. I use woven landscape fabric on beds that contain single-stemmed veggies and flowers as weed prevention. The perimeter of all fields and high tunnels is also surrounded with a 4' width of landscape fabric to prevent weeds from creeping in.
In detail, 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.
Harlequin beetles are my worst pest. I remove them manually into a bowl of soapy water. If a bed gets completely infested, it will be burned. This year I am experimenting with removing all brassicas from the field by July 1 to provide a break in their food supply before beginning fall plantings (per Dan & Janet's advice!). My high tunnels have insect screening on the sidewalls to prevent pests like cucumber beetles and tomato hornworm. I also use barrier prevention in the form of insect netting on field brassicas to protect from flea beetles and cabbage moth. I plant lots of insectary plants around the farm to encourage natural populations of predatory insects.
In detail, 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.
The only significant disease problem I've struggled with is bacterial wilt, introduced from cucumber beetles. Preventing the beetles is my biggest form of disease prevention. Whenever I have diseased plants, they are removed from the field and burned to prevent further spread. I try to practice good sanitation as another means of prevention, as well as keeping plant pruned for appropriate airflow, and using drip irrigation to prevent soil splashing.
Please list any weed, pest, or disease products that you use (insecticidal soap, horticultural vinegar, copper, etc.). For each product, list the full name, manufacturer, and OMRI status. Surround kaolin clay crop protectant - OMRI listed (haven't used it yet but have on hand) DiPel DF BT - OMRI listed (haven't used it yet but have on hand)
Please list the water source you use for crop irrigation. If source is public river, pond or lake, please note the name: Private well
Are there any known contaminants in the irrigation water? No
If yes, please explain:

Microgreens & Sprouts

Please fill this out for your indoor operation only.

Provide a brief description of your operation. (square footage? in a greenhouse or other indoor setting? etc.)
Large table inside hoophouse (outdoors, natural sunlight)
Are any of your crops sprouted and/or grown without soil or substrate? Use the link below to view our guidance on sprouts vs. microgreens. No
For sprouts, we require that all seeds are organic or CNG. If you grow or decide to grow sprouts, will you purchase only organic and/or CNG seed for your sprout crop? Yes
What media are you using to grow your microgreens and/or sprouts? 

If you purchase potting mix or soilless media, list the product name, manufacturer, and OMRI status. If you make your own, list the ingredients.
Fort Light, Vermont Compost - OMRI listed
Describe the mats or other substrate you are using. Provide product names.

What type of trays are you using in your operation? shallow 10-20 trays (with holes, placed inside a solid tray for bottom watering)
What is your general irrigation set-up? Does water recirculate? What is the source of the water?
Watered with the hose from the well. Not recirculated.
Although pests and disease are certainly less common for microgreens operations, there are still issues such as fungal gnats and damping off. What measures do you use to prevent pest and disease pressures?
Watering appropriately, keeping adequate airflow, sanitizing trays.
How do you dispose of spent soil? Do you compost?
Into the "compost" pile, which is really just a small pile that I don't turn (but also don't use on any vegetables or flowers-- solely for landscaping or filling patio pots for decoration)
Is your operation fully indoors? No
Are you growing any crops outside in the soil? No

Maple

Are you a maple producer who seeks to certify your sugarbush?
Maple sap is considered a wild crop. CNG's Wild Crop Harvesting Standard states that wild crop must be harvested in a manner that ensures that such harvesting or gathering will not be destructive to the environment and will sustain the growth and production of the wild crop. Please briefly describe any steps you take to protect and ensure the sustainability of your sugarbush.

Do you use an organic de-foamer? custom_field:pf_dump_nearby$$
Over-tapping trees can stunt their growth. Do you (or will you) adhere to the Cornell Sugar Maple Research & Extension Program guidelines which state "trees 10-17 inches in diameter (31-53 inch circumference) should have no more than one tap. A tree 18-24 inches in diameter (57-75 inch circumference) should have no more than two taps. A tree larger than 25 inches in diameter (79-inch circumference) should have no more than three taps."
To maximize tree health and sap production, CNG supports Cornell's recommendation that all taps are 5/16" in diameter or smaller. Is this your practice, and if not, would you be willing to transition to 5/16" (or smaller) taps within the next three years? Please elaborate.

Seeds & Transplants

CNG certification requires the use of certified organic or CNG seeds whenever available. Please indicate the suppliers from which you source (or will source) your seeds. The CNG seed standard also applies to sweet potato slips, seed potatoes, day-neutral strawberry slips, and flower bulbs, corms, and tubers.
Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Keene Organics, Fedco
Please indicate, by typing your initials, that you will as a general rule purchase organically grown seeds, AND that you will only purchase conventional seed when the variety you wish to grow is not available in certified organic or CNG form. For each variety purchased in conventional form, you will identify (and keep records of) at least three commercial organic seed suppliers who do not carry that variety. EW
Do you purchase or grow using any Genetically Modified seeds? No
Do you use any chemically treated seeds in your operation? No
If yes, please list types:
Please note reason for purchasing treated seed:

Do you grow your own transplants? No
Do you purchase potting soil, or do you mix your own on the farm? 
What ingredients does your potting mix contain? If you purchase a mix, please also indicate which product.

Are all of your transplants grown according to CNG standards, without synthetic fertilizers or wetting agents? 
If any transplants are not grown according to CNG standards, please list them here. These products may not be marketed as CNG.

Do you source any transplants from off your farm? Yes
From which suppliers do you source transplants?
Banner Greenhouses (certified organic)
How have you confirmed with your supplier that the transplants are grown without synthetic fertilizers or wetting agents? yes
Please list any bought-in transplants not grown according to CNG standards. This produce may not be sold as Certified Naturally Grown (except, in the case of perennials, after twelve months of CNG cultivation).
Strawberry transplants were not organic, but are not allowed to fruit in the first year of planting (only harvested after 12+ months)

Chemical/Spray Drift and Buffers:

Is there any likelihood of Chemical/Spray drift contamination of your fields? No
If yes, please state the source (conventional farm field, golf course, neighbor's lawn, etc.) and any details you can provide (type of pesticide, fertilizer, herbicide used and/or what used for).

Do you have an adequate buffer to protect yourself from potential contamination? Yes
Please refer to the CNG Buffer FAQ below and explain why your buffers are not adequate.
Please describe your buffer. Be as specific as possible and include buffer widths. 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.
On south side: a low-traffic country road with hay field across the street. Field is not sprayed or treated, nor are the roads. Closest planting bed to road is about 15 feet, however the property is elevated about 5 ft above the road, so there is no runoff. On east side: neighbor who uses glyphosate along the fence line 1-2x per summer. Crops are planted 40 ft min (most more than 100 ft) from that fenceline, and a large block of sunflowers (15 ft wide) is planted as a barrier. On west side: neighbor's pasture. No chemicals used. On north side: neighbor's pasture. No chemicals used.

Agreements