Aquaponics combines aquaculture (raising fish or other aquatic animals) with hydroponics (growing plants in water) in a bacteria-mediated symbiotic, closed-loop, system. The waste produced by aquatic animals is converted by beneficial bacteria into nutrients that the plants can abosorb. In turn,…
Poultry must have at least 5 square feet per bird of free-roaming space outdoors, or 2 square feet per bird if poultry is penned and is moved to fresh pasture each day. When kept indoors overnight or during extreme weather,…
All animals must have access to the outdoors, as well as shade, shelter, fresh air, and direct sunlight, except in cases of inclement weather. In particular, ruminants should spend most of their time on pasture for 120 days or more…
Most conventional veterinary medicines are not allowed under CNG standards (vaccines are an important exception). When necessary to prevent animal suffering and death, CNG requires producers to use the most effective veterinary treatment available –whether synthetic or natural. Preserving certification…
If your feed is certified organic, then it meets CNG standards. If your livestock are pasture-raised and don't receive supplemental feed then you're probably good to go, so long as you don't add synthetic fertilizers to your own fields! If…
It is not sufficient for the feed to be non-GMO. That's important, but the feed ALSO must be grown without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. If your feed is marketed as non-GMO, but not certified organic, then it very likely is…
Yes, just be clear on your application about which animals you're wanting to get certified, and which will be excluded from certification. You will need to submit a feed declaration for each type of livestock for which you seek certification,…
No matter how enthusiastic a beginning beekeeper may be about using natural practices, the learning curve is very steep. We don't accept applications from beekeepers with less than one year of experience. Instead, we encourage you to review and rely…
You can't! That's why the management practices of beekeepers is so important.
While we recommend you rely on a CNG beekeeper if you can, it often isn't possible to find one within an hour's drive. So instead you may rely on a beekeeper in your area who uses natural methods, even if…