Lots of folks have been struggling to find organic onion transplants, but thanks to a tenacious CNG farmer, we have a new organic source to refer you to: Sunbelt Transplants. Check ’em out!

It’s come to our attention that lots of CNG growers are purchasing onion transplants from Dixondale or Johnny’s Seeds (which sources their onion starts directly from Dixondale). These transplants are conventional. As onions are annuals, only organic/CNG transplants may be used. If you are using Dixondale or other onion starts that are not clearly organic, please contact CNG. You’ll need to label your onions as “not CNG” and make a plan with the certification specialist.

For more details, please see our How to Source Planting Stock Like a Pro blog and our Seeds & Seedlings page. And, of course, reach out to the certification specialist anytime: certification@naturallygrown.org. We are here to help!

Farmers choose to foray into value-added production for many reasons—waste reduction, product diversification, season extension, or just a plain old passion for pickles. Whatever the motivation, this type of processing opens up a whole new can of worms, and farmers must consider all kinds of additional factors from FDA and CNG compliance to label design and recipes. Producing value-added goods is not for everyone, but we’ll try to guide you through the ins and outs so the barriers to entry feel less intimidating.

Value-added producers add monetary value to a raw agricultural commodity through some form of processing. So honey is a raw commodity, while lavender-infused honey would be a value-added version. Same goes for peppers vs. salsa, wheat vs. bread, cabbage vs. kraut, milk vs. cheese, etc. The term is extremely broad and some government entities even consider organic production itself to be “value-added.”

For our purposes, we’ll consider value-added goods as those that require the producer to cut, dry, cook, can, culture, smoke, or otherwise process their raw product.

Food Safety

Compliance with FDA, Cottage Food, and other food safety regulations is often the biggest barrier to entry for folks with big value-added dreams. Regulations vary widely state to state, but for most smaller operations, a good place to start is your state’s Cottage Food laws. These laws allow small-scale producers to process low-risk foods in their home kitchens and sell them, with a bare minimum of regulatory oversight. This is why your great aunt can sell her homemade blueberry jelly at the farmers market. Most states’ Cottage Food laws only apply to producers with gross annual value-added product sales under a certain amount. These laws allow only certain types of products, usually non-potentially hazardous foods like jam, jellies, baked goods, and dried herbs. Higher risk foods are those that require specific processing times and temperatures to be considered food safe, like those containing meats, raw dairy products, and many cooked vegetables.

For farmers who are looking to produce larger amounts of products or process higher risk foods, commercial kitchen space will be necessary. Some farms build their own commercial kitchens onsite, while others rent space in community kitchens and restaurants. Local agricultural extension agents can be a great resource for more in-depth info about your state’s Cottage Food laws and what commercial kitchen options are available in your area.

Remember to contact your farm insurance agent and let them know that you’re getting into value-added production. Often additional coverage needs to be added onto standard product liability policies.

Packaging and Marketing

Often the main allure of value-added production is the prospect of extra income, especially during times when other farm production is low. Having shelf-stable products can be a great way to supplement farm stand and CSA options and add diversity to your farmers market and online offerings. With most market channels, packaging your product attractively and inline with regulations is key. Design and print professional, clear, enticing labels on appropriately-sized, affordable packaging. Think about compostable and recyclable packaging options. Depending on this size of your operation, consult your state Cottage Food laws or FDA regulations regarding required label information, including ingredients, farm name, date, etc. Traceability and UPCs could be important labeling considerations as well.

Don’t skimp on good-looking packaging. The product can’t speak for itself until folks try it and it’s very likely that your prices will have to be much higher than grocery store prices.

Samples at market can be an invaluable marketing tool, just make sure you’re following your market’s food safety guidelines.

CNG Labeling

CNG certifies raw agricultural products and minimally processed products like honey and maple. We’ve set the following policies to address questions about labeling from members who create value-added products from their CNG crops.

The CNG label may only be used on products where the majority of inputs by volume are CNG certified ingredients. Common examples are sauerkraut, pickles, and jams.
If the majority of ingredients are not CNG, then the CNG logo may not be placed on the packaging, but the member has the option to indicate which of the product’s ingredients is Certified Naturally Grown. For example, a tomato sauce where only the basil is CNG, but not the tomatoes, may not use the logo but the ingredient list may indicate Certified Naturally Grown basil, or use an asterisk to indicate which ingredients are CNG certified.

Some value-added products require major ingredients that aren’t available in CNG certified form, like oils and alcohol, in which case there’s more flexibility with using the CNG label.

Tinctures: May use the CNG label if the majority of plant ingredients are CNG, and the alcohol is certified organic.
Salves and Infused Oils: May use the CNG label if the plant ingredients are CNG, and the oils are certified organic. Honey and beeswax should also be from a CNG apiary.
If a particular plant ingredient is sometimes organic, and sometimes CNG, then the specific situation should be discussed with CNG. If a particular plant ingredient is sometimes CNG and sometimes conventional, then it may not be indicated that the ingredient is sometimes CNG.

The take home point is, as with all things CNG, transparency is the key!

Ask yourself…

Adding processing and product-making to your never-ending farm list is no small matter. Some farmers and educators counsel value-added hopefuls to consider their farm and their processing enterprise as two separate businesses. Just like starting a farm business, consider carefully and start small. Test your recipes and production process on a small-scale first. Talk to other farmers and producers who have tried value-added production. Research, research, research — talk to agricultural extension agents and food safety educators and make sure you know the compliance hoops before you try to jump through them.

Here are some other questions to ask yourself:

Are there raw products on my farm that are currently wasted?
Do I like spending time processing?
What will I have to charge for my product to make a profit? (Make sure you include your TIME)!
Do I need a shelf-stable product to sell when farm times are lean or during the off-season?
When will I need to process and do I have enough room in the farm schedule? Will I need to hire additional help?
Is there a demand for my product? Is anyone locally already selling it? How will you differentiate yourself?
What is my tolerance for FDA compliance and inspections?
Will my product be considered “high risk”?
Will my product need to be made in a commercial kitchen or do Cottage Food laws apply?
How much money will I need to get my value-added business started? Do I need to source off-farm funding?
Am I interested in selling my products online? What about shipping costs and logistics?

Is Value-Added Right for Me?

Value-added production can be an awesome option for lots of farms and there are a plethora of reasons to jump right in.

Alternatively, too many enterprises can be the doom of a small farm, so don’t worry if becoming a processor is not for you. Consider meeting your goals in other ways; whether you dial in your production plan to ensure you don’t produce too much or you extend your growing season in order to extend your market season.

Partnerships with other farmers and local processors can be a great way to participate in value-added production without doing your own processing. Whatever you decide, make sure you have the time, interest, and resources to implement it, without adding too much strain on your business, family or yourself!

Resources

Legality

Farmer’s Legal Guide to Value-Added Products, Farm Commons

Add Value Not Legal Liability video, Farm Commons

State By State Review of Cottage Food Laws, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Business

Beyond Fresh: A Food Processing Guide for Farmers, ATTRA — A useful workbook that guides farmers through value-added enterprise planning. Includes cost calculators and sample spreadsheets.

Adding Value to Farm Products: An Overview, ATTRA — Farm business resources for food and non-food products.

What is Value-Added Agriculture?, AMRS — Scroll down for an extensive list of state and regional research centers devoted to the development of value-added business and processing resources.

Value-Added Producer Grants, USDA Rural Development — The main grant funding source for value-added producers.

Processing & Packaging

National Center for Home Food Preservation, University of Georgia — Food-safe recipes for canning, freezing, fermenting, drying, curing, and pickling.

Uline — A great place to start for your packaging needs.

The Art of Fermentation, Sandor Ellix Katz — Recipes and methodology for kraut, kimchi, yogurt, and more.

The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer, Jeff Carpenter — For those interested in drying and processing medicinal herbs and flowers.

Local Resources

Agricultural Extension Agents
Small Business Development Center Consultants
FDA and Food Safety Inspectors

Farmer Contacts

We recently held an online farmer meet-up for folks interested in value-added production, hosted by two experienced CNG farmers. These two have graciously offered to field questions regarding their products and processing logistics.

James Radnich, Cultivate Farms, Oregon — Produces a wide variety of topnotch products including salsa, hot sauce, infused vinegar, and soaps. Contact here
Michael Torbett, Terra Vita Farm, North Carolina — A tried and true sauerkraut specialist! Contact here

Just Ask!

Have a value-added resource suggestion or a question for CNG? We’d love to hear from you!

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A fresh vegetable farm outside Morgantown was awarded the West Virginia Conservation Farm of the Year award at an event in Sutton.

The Mountain Harvest Farm is located on the grounds of the Owl Creek Farm on Goshen Road and is operated by Mary Oldham and Chico Ramirez. Oldham and Ramirez rent the ground from the Yoder family and have been in operation and growing for the last 10 years.

As part of the win, Oldham and Ramirez will get a $1,000 cash prize, 200 hours, or three months of use of a John Deere tractor from Middletown Tractor Sales in Fairmont, with the option to purchase at a 10-percent discount.

“We’ve found this community is really supportive of what we’re doing,” Oldham said. “We grow all certified naturally grown vegetables, so that’s using organic practices, and the community has been very supportive.”

The natural process includes rotating crops from year to year to preserve the fertility of the soil, contour farming, no-till farming, and water conservation methods like drip irrigation. When it comes to additives to the process, they all must be natural.

“Fostering a good ecosystem here at the farm,” Oldham said. “We don’t use any synthetic pesticides, and we try to have a lot of pollinator habitat for bees and other pollenating insects that help our crops.”

The Mountain Harvest Farm regularly brings things like fruits and veggies, meats, breads, baked goods, eggs, and honey to the Morgantown Farmers Market and also participates in the Winter Market at Mylan Park on select weekends.

“We’re actually able to do it now and survive on it full-time; our business is growing and we have several employees, and that still seems like a dream,” Oldham said.

The farm now offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program where people pay a pre-season fee in exchange for weekly or bi-weekly boxes of vegetables from the farm during the season. Through the website, customers can select what they want, decline what they don’t like, and have access to recipes and cooking ideas.

“We have grown up to 40 different things, and we offer recipes and suggestions of what you can do with the items to get to try new things,” Oldham said.

Oldham wants to serve more people, not just with the CSA program or at a farmers market, but to host them at the farm and share their farming practices.

“Educational tours, school groups, and things like that teach how we farm and what conservation practices we use,” Oldham said. “I think in the future we hope to expand that.”

Original Article by Lena Beck for Modern Farmer

Food labels can be difficult to understand and interpret, so we’ve created a glossary of some common ones that you’ll see at the grocery store.

Do you know what “cage-free” means? How about “free range”? “Pasture-raised”?

Some of the terms used on food labels are official certifications, enforced by the USDA or a nonprofit entity, and the presence of the certification means that the farming operation has been verified in some way for compliance. Other common terms or phrases refer to qualities that are not regulated at all. This means that companies can use these phrases on their packaging whether they conform to a consumer’s understanding of what that label means or not. To make things even more complicated, many certifications require a lot of labor, effort and expense on the producer’s behalf, meaning that small farms can be at a disadvantage when it comes to garnering these certifications, even if they meet the requirements.

As a consumer, it can help to understand what you are looking at and what it means. Below is a list of definitions for common phrases on food labels. But there are many more beyond the ones we have listed.

To help you evaluate their meaning, ask yourself these questions: If it’s a certification, who is the governing body and how do they verify compliance? If it’s not a certification, does the company clarify what it means by the term? Can I find additional information about the product separate from the words used on the label?

Certified and/or regulated

USDA Organic: You can find this certification on meats, dairy products and produce. This certification prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are also not considered organic. For meats with this label, synthetic growth hormones are not permitted, and the animals must have been fed a diet that is 100 percent organically grown. This certification requires inspection to verify that standards are being met. After certification has been granted, the operation must be inspected annually to maintain compliance.

Cage Free: This term refers to poultry that live indoors without cages and have access to food and water. The USDA does not define how big this indoor space must be. Verification of these parameters varies widely, according to the USDA. The Quality Assessment Division of the USDA will verify a cage-free operation during paid grade and certification services.

Free Range: This means that the animal spends part of its time outside, uncaged. However, there is no regulation of the amount of time that the animal may actually spend outside, nor how big the outdoor space is. The outdoor space can be fenced or netted in. Farms must provide proof to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service of free-range conditions.

Naturally Grown: This certification is an alternative to the “USDA Organic” label. The process to be certified “USDA Organic” can be cumbersome for farmers, so the “Certified Naturally Grown” label uses the same requirements but is verified by a team of CNG farmers, not the USDA. Be aware—this is different than when the word “natural” or “all-natural” appears alone on a label. See the list of items not backed by certification or regulation for more information.

Fair Trade: The Fair Trade USA certification was developed to help ensure fair working conditions for farmers and growers on some commonly imported products such as chocolate, tea, coffee, honey, bananas and more. Fair Trade USA checks for things such as fair wages, safe working conditions, lack of child labor and ability to unionize. However, there have been multiple documented instances of companies achieving this certification without meeting labor standards.

Animal Welfare Approved: This certification is not administered by a governmental body but by the nonprofit A Greener World. Farms that receive this certification raise their animals in pasture or on range and allow the animals to behave and move in a way that supports their well-being.

Certified Regenerative: A Greener World also provides a certification regarding regenerative practices—farming intended to be better for the environment. But it is also worth noting that this is not the only certification program evaluating regenerative standards, and there is some debate in the industry about what exactly being certified “regenerative” should mean.

American Humane Certified: This certification is granted by American Humane to practitioners of animal agriculture. It claims to use a scientifically informed set of criteria to evaluate whether animals are being raised in suitable and healthy living conditions—everything from enough space to access to shade. However, animal welfare advocates have called the certification an example of humane washing because it still allows for practices such as caged confinement.

Grassfed: For grazing animals such as cows, the USDA defines “grassfed” as animals that have access to grass or other pasture forage during the growing season and derive the majority of their nutrients from this source. It does not set parameters for pesticides, growth hormones or antibiotics.

Non-GMO Project Certified: This certification is run by nonprofit organization the Non-GMO Project. It is granted to products that do not use genetic engineering.

Raised Without Hormones: This term is mostly for cattle, which are sometimes supplemented with growth hormones such as rBGH to make them grow bigger and faster. Operations must submit documentation to the USDA to show that they do not use hormones. The USDA does not allow hormones to be used for poultry or pork, so don’t associate this with a mark of quality on these items.

Raised Without Antibiotics/No Antibiotics: This term is used in animal agriculture to denote that the animal has not been raised with antibiotics, something that can help animals to grow bigger and faster. However, earlier in 2023, the USDA announced that it will begin an evaluation process to determine if more intensive verification is necessary.

Not backed by certification and/or regulation

All-natural: The term “natural” on egg, poultry and meat products means that they are “minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients,” per the USDA. However, many other items carry this term that do not fall under the USDA category of meat, poultry or eggs. There is no standard definition of “all-natural.” Look for further explanation on the rest of the label or company website to find out what this means to the company. Seeing this phrase on a food label does not inherently convey meaning or guarantee anything.

Eco-friendly/Climate Positive: Many labels claim that their product is environmentally friendly, but these are not quantifiable terms. Look for additional information about how the product benefits the environment or sustainability in general.

Pasture-raised: This does not require third-party verification, so it’s hard to know what it means to the producer. It is best if you can find additional information to verify that the animal does indeed spend a significant amount of time in the pasture. If you’re looking at meat from a ruminant animal, “certified grassfed” will mean more than “pasture-raised.”

Local: The USDA defines local as within the state of provenance or within 400 miles of its production point. But this is a widely interpreted term and different producers/companies may have varying definitions of what this means.

Cover cropping is one of those farm practices that comes second nature to some farmers and, to others, feels like a nice idea, but never seems to get done. As both an art and a science, there is a lot to cover cropping, from the timing of both planting and termination, to selecting the right species and seeding rate for your context.

This post is meant to be a quick-start guide to cover cropping for folks who are struggling to implement this incredible stewardship and fertility practice on their own farms. (Hopefully there will be some hot tips for more experienced folks too)! The best advice we have is “give it a go!” Maximum biomass production takes some experience and finesse, but most folks can at least get decent soil coverage with some basic cover cropping knowledge. So let’s get started!

Species Selection

Which crops you choose to plant depends on what your goals are (i.e. what issues you’re hoping to address), along with your climate and time frame. The most common cover cropping goals are:

nitrogen fixation
increase soil organic matter
soil coverage and stabilization
beneficial insect and pollinator habitat
honeybee forage
weed suppression
compaction mediation
supplemental grazing

Then find crops that match your goals. We love using the Farm Seed Comparison Chart from Johnny’s Seeds to identify which species fit the bill. It’s also key to consider each species life cycle (i.e. are they annuals, biennials, or perennials), how long you’re hoping your cover crop will be in the ground, and when you can plant.

This can feel like an overwhelming decision-making prospect, but you can start simple. Pick one goal and a few crops that match your goal. Then determine which crop works best for your climate, planting timing, budget, etc. Here are some examples:

Goal: beneficial insect and pollinator habitat
Time frame: May – September
Zone: 6a
Other considerations: Budget is low, grower is inexperienced with cover cropping.
Potential species: medium red clover, buckwheat, phacelia
- While all of these crops provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators, medium red clover is a perennial and phacelia seed is very expensive, especially for a monoculture planting. Buckwheat is a heat-tolerant, fast growing crop that will establish well in early summer and be easily terminated in September.

Goal: increase soil organic matter
Time frame: August – June
Zone: 6a
Other considerations: Farm has salty, high pH soils. Hoping to seed a carrot crop in July following cover crop termination. Has limited seed options in their area. New to cover cropping.
Potential species: rye, winter wheat, triticale, sorghum, oats
- Sorghum and oats are both out as they would winter kill in this climate. Rye is a great, very common option, though mature rye can be tricky to kill. Winter wheat and triticale are both great options, but triticale is more tolerant of high pH, salty soils.

Cover Crop Mixes

The examples above demonstrated monoculture options, but mixing cover crop species can be an exciting, profitable endeavor. Purchasing a pre-made mix can be a great way to go because then you don’t have to worry about calculating the proper mix rate. Or, if you’re like me and like to just go for it and experiment, take your main cover crop monoculture seed and seeding rate, throw in some handfuls of other seed and see what happens!

Common cover crop mixes include:

rye/vetch—A truly classic mix; lots of biomass, weed suppression, and soil coverage from the rye, with nitrogen fixation from the vetch. Both are super cold tolerant, so a great option for fall planting. Add in a tillage radish for quick establishment and compaction mitigation and you’ve got a stellar fall mix!
oats/field peas—A great choice for a spring mix, the oats provide structure, and biomass, while the peas fix nitrogen. Both breakdown relatively quickly and are cold tolerant enough to be seeded in early spring. Hairy vetch is commonly added to this mix to add additional nitrogen fixation and a longer growth period, since vetch will tolerate high summer temperatures better than field peas.
cowpeas/buckwheat/sunn hemp—All of these crops love the heat, making this mix great for summer. Plant in early summer as a precursor to a fall crop. The cowpeas and sunn hemp fix nitrogen, while the buckwheat provides fast-growing soil coverage and attracts beneficials. This mix grows fast and suppresses those summer weeds well. Throw in some sunflower for extra biomass and insect habitat.

If you want to get a little more science-y about it and design your own mixes check out this video from Penn State: Cover Crop Mixtures: Calculating Seeding Rates.

Remember that any crop you’re growing as an input, not as a cash crop, is essentially cover crop. Have a bunch of old radish and sunflower seeds lying around after you dropped microgreens production? Too many bags of oats since you scaled back the animal side of your operation? Add them to your cover crop mix!

Seeding Rates

The waters can get very muddied when you start talking about seeding rates, especially when you’re working with mixes, alternative seeding methods, or bed vs. acre scale considerations. The big take home point here is over-seed and don’t worry too much. (The caveat of course is, if you are managing a large operation, seeding rate is going to have a huge effect on your bottom line. Hopefully you have access to a drill and can precision seed at the recommended rates).

For the rest of us, a good rule of thumb, especially if you want lots of biomass and are on a smaller scale, is to double the recommended broadcast seeding rate. Some folks even triple it to ensure a nice dense stand. This will also help to combat establishment challenges due to less-than-ideal seeding method, insufficient irrigation, or poor seed-to-soil contact.

There are all kinds of resources on cover crop seeding rates and, once you figure out your system, you can fine-tune for your own conditions and technology. Managing Cover Crops Profitably is a great resource for finding the seeding rates of most cover crop species. Pay attention to the broadcast vs. drill seeding rate. The broadcast rate will be much higher and, in most cases, the one you should use unless you have a seed drill. Many cover crop seed suppliers will have rates posted and can provide consultation as well.

Seeding Methods

Lots of options here, so don’t be intimidated! Most cover crops like to grow and can be seeded in a variety of ways. Just like when direct seeding carrots, seed-to-soil contact and planting depth are important. The smaller the seed the shallower you need to plant and the more important seed-to-soil contact and frequent establishment irrigation will be. Larger seed is generally easier and more forgiving to establish, but don’t go too deep or too shallow.

Bed/field preparation is pretty flexible as well. Cover crops are meant to produce crop residue and biomass, so no need to go crazy creating the perfect fluffy, residue-free bed. I often just mow the previous crop and seed right into it.

These are a few of the most common cover crop seeding methods.

Broadcast

Broadcasting is often most accessible method of cover crop seeding, depending on your scale. Farmers broadcast seed from airplanes, tractor-mounted drop and cone spreaders, walk-behind lawn spreaders, bag seeders, and by hand. All of these methods work fine, but you’ll have the best results if you incorporate the seed following the broadcast either by raking or a shallow till/disc/harrow. Super tiny seed like clover may get buried too deep with incorporation though, so be careful. Sometimes just pressing the seed into the soil with your feet, an upside down rake, or a roller implement is enough for those tiny seeds.

Push Seeder

This is a great option for small-scale growers. I don’t use my Earthway seeder for direct seeding vegetables or flower seeds anymore, but I use it all the time for cover crops! I mow the previous crop, maybe rake a little residue out of the bed, and then, using the beet or radish plate with the depth set to 1/2 inch, I run three to five rows up and down the bed, in between the previous crop rows. With this method, it’s trickier to calculate an exact seeding rate, but you can start to nail down what plate and how many rows per bed works for which crop or mix. Because the push seeder method can be done on a single or even partial bed scale, I’ve found that it’s gotten easier to squeeze smaller cover crop plantings in throughout the season.

Other push seeders like the Jang and Plant Jr. will work for cover crops as well, you’ll just have to do some experimenting to find the best plates.

Seed Drill

Seeding with a drill will allow you the most precision and can offer you the best, most predicable results. It’s a great choice for larger growers and folks with access to equipment. The most common issues with drill seeding is planting too deep or improper drill calibration. Triple check your depth as you’re seeding, especially if your field isn’t perfectly level or has some contour changes. Calibration is key, especially if you’re trying to nail a particular seeding rate, and takes patience and precision. Certain seed mixes, especially those with a wide range of seed sizes can be especially challenging to calibrate and set the proper seeding depth. Look for a seeder with a legume box if you’re interested in seeding lots of diverse mixes.

Seed drills that can handle some residue like no-till drills or vineyard drills are nice if you prefer to do minimal field prep and minimize soil disturbance between cash and cover crops. Smaller-scale farms can check out the drills available as walk-behind tractor implements.

Undersowing

Bed space on small-scale and urban farms is often a big barrier to cover cropping since these operations are often using every available bed. Undersowing, sowing a cover crop underneath a cash crop while the cash crop is still in production, is a great option in these situations. Similar to intercropping, where two cash crops are grown in the same bed (i.e. basil under your trellised cucumbers), undersowing allows the farmer to get a head start on cover cropping a bed without losing production. A classic undersowing practice is sowing white dutch clover under broccoli, kale, or other taller brassicas.

Inoculation

If you take anything away from this article, let it be this—please inoculate your legume seed! Everyone loves legumes like vetches, peas, beans, and clovers because they fix nitrogen, turning atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available ammonia. But legumes cannot do this on their own—symbiotic relationships with Rhizobia bacteria are necessary for nitrogen fixation. It’s true that many species of Rhizobia exist is our farm soils, but these partnerships can only form between particular species. In short, the bacteria needs to match with the legume, hence why farmers should inoculate their legume seeds with the proper inoculant. It takes a bit more time, but is so worth it. Once you’ve calculated your inoculant amount, just a simple matter of adjusting the recommended ratio to your seed amount, dampen your seed slightly, distribute the inoculant throughout the seed and plant right away.

Most cover crop seed suppliers sell inoculant or provide pre-inoculated seed. Exceed is the most common inoculant company and provides some OMRI-listed products.

Seed Sourcing

Like vegetable, flower, herb, and pasture seed, cover crop seed falls under the CNG Seed Policy and should be organic whenever possible. Farmers should check with at least three sources before purchasing conventional seed. Keep an eye out for GMO seed (especially if you’re growing alfalfa or rapeseed) and make sure that all seed treatments and inoculants are OMRI-listed or confirmed to contain no synthetic or GM ingredients.

Cover crop seed is heavy and you’ll need a lot of it, so finding a supplier in your state or region will save you some freight cost. Keep in mind that shipping cost is not a justifiable reason for purchasing conventional seed if organic is available from another supplier. Some folks have good luck purchasing cover crop seed from their local farm supply store or direct from regional farmers and feed suppliers. You can save your own too!

Some stellar suppliers are: Albert Lea Seed, Fedco Seeds, Green Cover Seed, Johnny’s Seeds, and Pawnee Butte Seed. For even more suppliers, check out this comprehensive Seed Suppliers List from the Southern Cover Crop Council.

Resources & References

There is a wealth of knowledge out there on cover cropping that we encourage everyone to explore. These are the resources we’ve found to be the most helpful:

Managing Cover Crops Profitably, SARE — The OG cover crop handbook.

The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm, Daniel Mays — Amazing section on cover cropping in small-scale, no till production systems.

Cover Crop Mixtures: Calculating Seeding Rates, Penn State Extension YouTube — A great video that instructs how to calculate seeding rates when adding in additional cover crop species.

Smart Mix, Green Cover Seed — A super fun and informative online tool, allowing you to calculate custom cover crop blends for your goals and context.

Cover Cropping for Soil Health—Low and No Till Strategies, No Till Growers — So many hot tips on low/no till cover crop management from everyone’s favorite farmer podcasters.

Cover Cropping for Pollinators & Beneficial Insects, SARE — A great resource for all you beekeepers and pollinator stewards out there.

How to Design a Cover Crop Mix for Fall Planting, Green Cover Seed — Planting late? Read on to see what crops you can still get away with.

Peer review inspections are the foundation for the Certified Naturally Grown certification process. These inspections facilitate robust local farmer networks as they provide opportunities for knowledge exchange and community building, and are most often performed by CNG members. However, in communities where a smaller CNG network is available (let’s say a producer is the first certified in their area), peer review inspections are often carried out by other members of the agricultural community. Certified organic farmers, extension agents, non-certified farmers using ecological methods, and others are qualified to perform a peer review inspection.

We interviewed two non-CNG farmers who recently performed an annual inspection for a farm in their community. Read on to hear their perspective on our Peer Review model, both before the inspection and after.

Ida Vandamme [IV] is a USDA-certified organic farmer at Honeyside Farms in Parrish, FL. She inspected Peach Pit Farms in Lithia, FL in September 2023.

Jamie Nadler [JN] is a farmer and co-founder of Dancing Greens Farm in Great Barrington, MA. She follows sustainable growing practices, and the farm is not certified. Jamie inspected Elizabeth Keen of Indian Line Farm in Canton, MA in September 2023 (featured photo).

CNG: Tell us about how you found out about this opportunity — who was the farmer that asked you to inspect, what was your relationship to them prior to the inspection… that sort of thing!

[IV]: Jeff and I are both vendors at our local Farmer’s Market. We haven’t interacted much other than hello, good morning, complaining about weather/slow markets, and I occasionally purchase items from him I don’t have (he grows some very unique exotic crops, whereas I grow your generic everyday vegetables).

[JN]: I have worked at the farm that I inspected. Elizabeth at Indian Line has been a great boss and an excellent farmer. She has been so incredible to learn from and I was honored when she asked me to do her inspection.

CNG: Had you ever conducted a CNG inspection before this one? How did you feel about it? (You can be very honest!)

[IV]: I have never conducted a CNG inspection before and to be very honest, I had my doubts. I have a USDA certified organic farm and we have very serious, accredited inspectors come to our farm, spend half a day here, and it’s a nightmare of complex paperwork (for the inspector) even if you are well prepared. It costs us several hundred dollars an inspection, and that doesn’t include the annual renewal fee.

So I thought this CNG inspection might be some joke. They want me, some random farmer, to conduct an inspection? But I respect Jeff, and I want all Farmers to do well so I went along. And I was excited for the opportunity to see his farm and connect more deeply.

[JN]: I have never conducted a CNG inspection before. I was very excited about it. As a new farm, I am learning everything I can about sustainable practices and how to communicate to the public about those practices. I have a learned a lot about different certifications and worked on farms with different certifications. I was excited to see what CNG certification was like and how it is implemented.

CNG: Tell us a little about the inspection! What did you do, how long did it last, what was it like?

[IV]: And connect we did. What ensued was several hours of wholesome farmer to farmer conversation. We talked about our agricultural practices, ecology, climate change, labor, politics, generational differences (he and I are 2 generations apart), where we get our information, and even finances.

I have much greater respect for Jeff now and am delighted to know such a program as CNG exists. I have since been following CNG on social media and reading blog posts and thoroughly enjoying seeing happy farmer related content. Farming is tough and it’s nice to see the bright side.

[JN]: The inspection was a few hours long. We walked through the farm and also sat as we worked our way through the questions. Elizabeth shared all parts of her farm, as well as giving me a history of different practices she has used in past years. Additionally, we talked about goals she has and how she hopes to achieve them. It was both a conversation as well as an inspection.

CNG: What was one thing that you really enjoyed or impressed you about the CNG farm you inspected?

[IV]: We’re from Florida, and a lot of your average vegetable crops don’t grow as well here. Certain exotic/unfamiliar species do much better here. Jeff does a great job of educating his customer base about these different foods and how to use them. He has really created his own little niche market.

[JN]: It is impressive to me how much Elizabeth uses cover cropping as a tool on her farm. She lets a lot of her land rest every year in order to ensure fertility. Elizabeth also has a goal of planting a pollinator garden. This is a very exciting project that she has already done for the town of Egermont, MA.

CNG: Did you feel equipped to perform a thorough inspection?

[IV]: Accredited inspectors go through rigorous training, so I felt ill-equipped comparatively. I wasn’t sure how it would go. But I did feel confident that my practical knowledge of organic regulations would help.

[JN]: Yes I felt equipped to perform the inspection. I have been fortunate to have learned a lot about different sustainable practices and was able to dig deep into the inspection instead of treating it like a checklist of questions.

CNG: What would you say to other non-CNG farmers who might be asked to perform a peer inspection for a CNG farmer in their community?

[IV]:This is a great opportunity to get to know your neighbor-farmer and help your entire community get access to high-quality produce. CNG is basically the same as organic but allows small farms to participate. The vibe is much friendlier and personable, and honestly, there’s just as much reason to trust CNG as organic because there is plenty of talk of fraud in the organic community. So, a friendly neighbor can go a lot further than a stranger inspector backed up by the big organizations.

There’s no need to fret about qualifications; CNG provides a very straightforward inspection worksheet and you basically just have to check yes or no. There is sufficient background information incorporated in the worksheet to get anyone up to speed. And it’s still a rigorous, thorough, 15 page process. It’s a great framework for recognizing the work of small, well-intending farmers.

[JN]: I would say it is an excellent way to learn about what different farms are doing and different sustainable practices. It is always good to meet and discuss with other farmers. The inspection can help think outside the box as well. After the inspection I have been thinking a lot more about how to implement more good practices on my own farm. I want to plant more native plant species and increase the amount of cover cropping I do.

Original article in CLFN Chronicles by Carteret Local Food Network

Written by Catherine Elkins, CLFN’s Board President and Founder.

For those of us who seek well-grown foods, the adjective “organic” serves a useful purpose. The USDA is the only agency charged with certifying that a farm follows certain standards.

Farmers pay over $2,000 for an inspector’s travel and investigation of the farm, learning about record-keeping, integrated pest management, weed control, storage of materials and crops, fertilizers, waste, and sanitation. This is an annual cost and covers the entire farm. Farmers may use sprays and inputs if allowed; home gardeners may also purchase OMRI-approved products (Organic Materials Review Institute) at their local garden center.

“Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) provides affordable, accessible means of certification for farmers using ecological production methods.” CNG respects the standards set by the USDA but also respects the knowledge and care of our local CNG-qualified peer-to-peer reviewers and farmers.

In Carteret County, only one farm has met CNG standards – Ocean Natural Farm in Bogue/Newport. Here farmer Michael Murdoch practices his craft on sandy soil in the center of Carteret County. The initial inspection involved Cooperative Extension agent Shawn Banks in 2021.

Now farmer Murdoch stands ready to ‘pay it forward’. That’s how CNG works – farmers helping and reviewing other local farmers. His off-the-grid, 100% solar attitude reinforces his commitment to farming sustainably and to nurturing our environment.

We all know that organic certification means compliance with certain standards. “These methods integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.”

Soils and crops get the most scrutiny, but the record-keeping must be very detailed and can be very onerous.

Where was organic seed purchased, stored, and planted?
What additives were applied when and at what rate?
When and how was the crop harvested?
How was the crop stored (temperature, sanitation, label)?
Who purchased the crop for resale?

Not all farmers who describe their farm products as organic are certified organic. If a farm’s gross annual sales are under $5,000, they may claim they are organic, but not claim certified organic. Many farmers use the terms organically grown or no spray or spray free; no real definitions are universally accepted, so please ask them what that phrase means to them.

I personally do not deny the organic farmers their due – to satisfy the requirements of the USDA is a very difficult effort and when our farmers achieve this, more power to them! But please learn and appreciate Certified Naturally Grown; which is good for all of us!

Original Article by Nooga Today.

Editor Kristen here. Back in July, I experienced my first taste of gourmet mushrooms at a local food competition and was absolutely blown away by how delicious they were. The mushrooms used were all grown by business and life partners, Emma Riegel and Gabriel Harrison of Gowin Valley Farms.

Gowin Valley Farms is a small family farm in Rocky Face, GA (a ~30-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga) that has been in operation since 1964. The 122-acre farm was started by Emma’s late grandfather, who specialized in small vegetable and fruit production.

During the pandemic, Emma and Gabriel moved to help out on the farm, which was just temporary at first. While exploring the property, they noticed a large amount of golden chanterelle mushrooms growing along the trails of the farm. This led them to get their foraging certification and sell the mushrooms locally.

From there, the door to growing gourmet mushrooms opened. When deciding whether to pursue a change of careers and transition to permanently living on a farm, Emma said her grandfather gave her some advice: “Never let someone tell you you can’t do what you want.”

Fast forward to now, Gowin Valley Farms has a new focus on sustainable indoor + outdoor gourmet mushroom operations — and all of the mushrooms are certified naturally grown (think: no GMOs or any synthetic chemicals used).

The farm received a grant and is working in partnership with Kennesaw State University + Cornell University to conduct indoor mushroom-growing research. They received a mushroom cultivation chamber (inside a 40-ft shipping container) equipped with systems to automatically regulate the growing conditions of the mushrooms.

Now, the farm is able to grow and isolate wild cultures of over 20 gourmet mushroom species like lion’s mane, turkey tail, shiitake, oyster, and chestnut. The growing process is pretty incredible — you can learn more about that on the farm’s website.

So, where are these mushrooms going exactly? To local chefs and potentially to your plate. The farm delivers its mushrooms to local spots like St. John’s Restaurant, Cashew, and Whitebird Chattanooga.

Bonus: If you’re a local chef or restaurant owner looking to add some local mushrooms to your menu, you can reach out to Emma via email about ordering.

Want to try out some of the mushrooms for yourself? Gowin Valley Farms is set up at the Chattanooga Market on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Make sure to follow them on Instagram for other pop-ups, educational opportunities, and visits to their farm.

Additionally, you can shop their products online. Check out some of the tinctures that are produced in-house, growing kits, and other supplies.

Boulder County Farmers Market: At the Market: Nourish skin with products made from locally grown herbs

You’ve heard of farm-to-table. Now, let us introduce you to farm-to-skin.

Colorado Aromatics is a natural skincare company that creates its products from herbs they farm themselves. As the owner and founder of Colorado Aromatics, Cindy Jones plays equal parts scientist and farmer. After obtaining her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, she spent years doing cancer research, medical writing and teaching classes. But after a while, she began to crave a career that offered more balance as she raised her children.

She and her husband, George, purchased a farm in Longmont and set off on an entirely new venture: founding their own herb farm and creating a skincare company that honors nature. As a biochemist, Cindy knew the research behind the beneficial properties of herbs and how to use the principles of chemistry to bring them to their fullest potential. She traded her lab coat for overalls as she began Colorado Aromatics, which is home to an entire catalog of herbs that includes fields of lavender, lemon balm, parsley and some tulsi she is experimenting with.

While these herbs are grown to support Colorado Aromatics, Cindy sees the ecosystem her farm creates as equally important as its final products. Colorado Aromatic’s farm is Certified Naturally Grown, a grassroots and peer-led certification process awarded to farms and producers whose farms operate in harmony with nature. Last summer, they cataloged 87 wildlife species on their property, including insects, birds and mammals that seek refuge at their farm. “Farms are more than just food,” Cindy noted.

Because of this, Colorado Aromatics pushes the envelope on what “natural skincare” can truly be. Cindy harvests, dries, distills and extracts her herbs on the farm before taking them to her processing facility to turn them into their signature moisturizers, face mists and other beauty products.

Just like you might choose to feed yourself healthy, locally grown foods, Colorado Aromatics allows you to treat your largest organ — the skin — with the same attention to detail. Plus, since all products are grown and made in Colorado, their body care line caters to our local climate (yup, we mean dry skin) and the active lifestyle many Coloradans are accustomed to.

Read the full article at Daily Camera.

This page will be updated regularly. If you are a CNG farmer who is presenting at a Farm Conference, please let us know so that we can add you!

Carolina Farms Stewardship Association (CFSA) Sustainable Agriculture Conference

November 11-12

Who was there?

Michael Torbett, Terra Vita Farm (Castle Hayne, NC) – CNG Microgreens for Retail and Wholesale
Elliot Seldner, Fair Share Farm (Pfafftown, NC) – Hiring, Retaining, and Managing Employees
Zachary Rierson, Rierson Farms & Piedmont Fresh (Thomasville, NC) – Utilizing Technology to Ensure Sales and Convenience
Erin Worrall, CNG Staff & The Cedar Chest Farm (Blacksburg, VA) – tradeshow

Future Harvest