Requirements

Have you completed Step 1?

Submitting your application is the first step to become Certified Naturally Grown.

After you submit your application…

  • Watch for a followup email from CNG’s Certification Specialist because we may have questions about your application. If you don’t receive our email, remember to check your Spam or Junk folder, or reach out to us.
  • When CNG notifies you that your application has been accepted, you’ll have three more steps to complete before becoming officially Certified Naturally Grown. Each step is described in detail under Annual Requirements below.
    1. Inspection
    2. Declaration
    3. Membership Dues

While you are working on these steps, you are welcome to share with your customers that you are in the process of becoming Certified Naturally Grown. Please refrain from using the CNG logo in your marketing until you are notified that your certification is complete.

After your certification is complete…

  • See below to complete steps 4 and 5 over the next year.
  • To continue your certification, complete steps 1 through 5 annually. You do not need to submit a new application.

We are here to guide you every step of the way, so please reach out if you have questions!

Annual Requirements

1. Inspection

The primary purpose of CNG inspections is to verify that your inputs and practices meet our standards.  Inspections are conducted by a variety of local producers and agricultural professionals, rather than paid inspectors, and you are responsible for choosing the inspector — but we’re here to help! The first inspection is due prior to becoming certified, and then inspections are due annually, once per calendar year.

2. Declaration

Your signature on the Declaration confirms that you understand and accept the terms of participating in the CNG program. The Declaration has been added to the inspection worksheets, so you can complete both at the same time. Or, when you log in you’ll see a link on your Dashboard to sign the Declaration.

3. Membership Dues 

We’re building a movement—together!

Certified Naturally Grown is powered by the commitment of our members, donors, and allies—not by corporations. To keep certification accessible while covering the essential costs of running our grassroots organization, our annual dues are requested on a sliding scale.

Dues may be paid as a one-time annual fee or in monthly installments:

  • We recommend annual dues of $300 per year, but you decide what’s right for your operation. Pay what you can — every contribution helps sustain our shared mission. The minimum is $250.
  • Monthly dues can be paid using a credit card or your bank’s Bill Pay service. We recommend $25 or $30/month. The minimum is $21/month.

Some members qualify for assistance and waivers:

  • Farmers may tap the Grassroots Fund for dues assistance if they’re facing unusual hardship or just getting started.
  • Beekeepers must pay some amount, but the minimum amount is waived to accommodate hobbyists.

First year dues are due prior to becoming certified, and annually thereafter by the end of January. When you log in, your Dashboard contains a handy link to pay dues.

4. The Work Requirement: Conducting a Peer Review

CNG is powered by the active participation of our members. In addition to receiving an annual inspection, certified producers are required to conduct a peer review inspection annually. This is an aspect of CNG that many farmers and beekeepers appreciate most. The work requirement is waived if there is no CNG producer within an hour’s drive who needs an inspection. (Note: It is prohibited to “trade” inspections with the person who inspected your farm or apiary within two years.)

You can use the searchable map to find out which members near you, of the same certification type, are due for an inspection, so you can reach out and fulfill your work requirement. We encourage new members to observe a remote inspection, rather than conduct an inspection. Observing enables you to learn the ropes and also fulfill the work requirement. Upcoming remote inspections are highlighted in our monthly newsletter.

5. Record Keeping

This is something that you should do in your own way. The observations you record today will help you plan tomorrow. We simply ask that you maintain records of the following items in one convenient folder for your inspector to quickly and easily access. Copies should not be sent to us.

  1. Receipts and orders of the following: seed and transplant orders; any purchased soil amendment items (off-farm compost, rock powders, pre-mixed organic fertilizers, etc.); and any purchased botanical and biological pesticides (Bt, sulfur, insecticidal soap, etc.)
  2. An updated copy of your application. This was emailed to you when it was accepted by us, or updated by you.
  3. Farmers that use chelated micronutrients to correct a soil deficiency must have soil tests from within the past twelve months that specifically note the deficiency.
  4. Producers with Mushroom or Aquaponic certification will have additional record keeping requirements, which are defined in the standards for those programs.

 

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

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