What does “Certified Naturally Grown” mean?
When USDA’s Organic program was implemented in 2002, many farms earning more than $5,000 per year were forced to make a difficult choice: either pay high certification fees and complete mounds of paperwork to become Certified Organic, or else give up using the word “organic” to describe their produce and/or livestock. Believing that neither choice was very attractive, some farmers created Certified Naturally Grown to provide an alternative way to assure their customers that they observed strict growing practices. CNG strives to strengthen the organic movement by removing financial barriers to certification that tend to exclude smaller direct-market farms, while preserving high standards for natural production methods. CNG’s Certification Standards are based on the highest principles and ideals of organic farming. CNG’s Certification Standards take as their starting point the USDA Organic Standards, but Certified Naturally Grown is an independent program not accredited by or in any way
