The CNG website reads:

"Thanks for visiting Certified Naturally Grown, a non-profit alternative certification program tailored for small-scale, direct-market organic farmers.
Nearly 500 farmers from 47 states are enrolled to use the Certified Naturally Grown label.
When USDA's Organic program was implemented in 2002, organic farms earning more than $5,000 per year were forced to make a choice that for many was difficult: 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 organic growing practices. CNG strives to strengthen the organic movement by preserving high organic standards and removing financial barriers that tend to exclude smaller farms that sell locally and directly to their customers."

The farming community knows that a labeling system must adhere to strict rules in order to gain and maintain the trust of the general public. Yet the idea of farmers themselves, and the citizens themselves, taking things into their own hands without government control seems to be spreading worldwide. "The certification model used by Certified Naturally Grown, called a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS), is now internationally accepted as an alternative to USDA-type Organic certification," Alice said. "There are now thousands of small farmers in programs like Certified Naturally Grown all over the world. In January, the founder of CNG, Ron Khosla, was hired by the United Nations FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) to help India start a PGS program as well."

About the word, "natural"

"The term "natural" means nothing in the labeling world," said a small certified organic rancher who raises crops far beyond organic, with humane treatment of animals, addition of all the earth's trace elements, green grass and sunshine year-round throughout the entire life of the animal, connection to the local community, and who must also pay $5000 a year to the US government to remain certified organic.This is troubling to many, considering that the US government is reported to subsidize large chemical farms with some of the money it receives, and a new labeling system that returns any fees directly back to the organic community could be beneficial.

But the choice of word "natural" in a new labeling system, even if certified, does have some wondering. It meant everything in the 60s. Then it came to be overused, and abused. Until now, it was a voluntary description with very vague meanings. If salt and sugar are injected into produce, can that produce be labeled natural? After all, salt and sugar are not chemicals, they are products of the natural world. One can't help but wonder why the term "sustainable, biological and socially just, ecological," or "regenerative" weren't used instead. People can be suspicious of such labeling using this term, thinking it's created by the bad guys trying to fool the public by once again, abusing the term "natural." But as Kipp Davis, co-owner of Island Meadow Farm in Washington State pointed out, words that have been "taken away" and abused, such as "natural," can be restored again. With education, citizens can come to understand what Certified Naturally Grown really means. Plus, there is a movement to make those who use this word more accountable, which could turn out positive, or also have a negative impact as has happened with the word organic.

I asked Alice what drew her to CNG and how she became involved. "I want to be actively engaged in helping to protect our environment," Alice said. "I'm concerned about our nation's health and eating habits, and one of my personal passions is delicious, fresh and local food. I have lots of experience organizing issue campaigns and directing projects, and CNG was particularly attractive because it meant pro-actively doing something positive and creative, instead of struggling to fight the 'bad guys'. It's a great fit."

The USDA Certified Organic Program serves many farms who seem happy with it, and can be a good choice for farmers who grow just one, or only a very few, crops each year, and sells them to one or two large markets in the USA. But for the farmer who grows many varieties of crops, and sells them directly to many customers (online, farmers' markets, local restaurants, CSA and roadside stand, for example), the fees and paper trail required for every seed and every pound of crop sold to customers in order to be USDA certified can be an impossible energy drain to a small sustainable diversified farm. These farms sometimes grow 100s of different varieties of crops-herbs, flowers, seeds, nuts, fruits, eggs, vegetables-derived from a wide selection of organic seed sources, helping to maintain diversity in our seed and animal supply, and to strengthen local food sustainability. Some fear that the original ideals set forth by organic farming practices before government takeover, such as protection of the local environment and diversity of crops and animals, have been, or may be, watered down as the years march on in order to accommodate the needs of very large corporations who are now becoming owners of huge organic factory farms. There is fear that pressures, such as the allowance of genetically modified organisms, may continue year after year until the USDA finally gives in. CNG reports that the biggest organic food companies are now owned by Dole, Kraft, General Mills, Unilever and even Coca Cola.

CNG, however, is a non-profit, and much of it is operated by farmers. "CNG was founded in July, 2002 as an alternative to the USDA Organic Certification program," Alice said. "CNG was intended to be a regional marketing label for small direct-market organic farmers in the mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State, but the program received quite a bit of national publicity and quickly expanded into a national program. Today there are nearly 500 CNG farms in 47 states." The program's advisory board consists of sustainable farmers from around the country. The advisory board has extensive experience in sustainable agriculture and many have administered or served on the boards of other certification agencies.

Donations are accepted from farmers who become certified ($50 - $150 is encouraged), but there is no required fee for certification, only the requirement to do a physical inspection of another farm in your area each year.

To be CNG certified, farms are expected to follow the same growing practices required by the current USDA National Organic Program. Certification requires a farmer to pass a yearly physical inspection, a grower's declaration, and complete an online application. The inspection reports, declaration, and application are then made available online for the public to see, allowing the public and farms to be transparent and direct with each other and build trust. While CNG cuts back on fees and paperwork, they have an added element of requiring farmers to allow tissue sampling for pesticide residue. The testing is random, not all farms will become involved each year, but it is another element that can build farmer/community trust without adding more paperwork for the farmers. And the farmers selected don't pay for the tests, CNG does.

Farms that become certified are listed on the website, and those that are not able to maintain correct standards are removed and not allowed to use the CNG logo. "We will also advise that farmer on how to come back into compliance," Alice said. "Unlike the USDA organic certifying agencies, we are allowed to offer advice and answer questions about best farming practices." Alice described the growth of CNG as being the product of the dedication of many farmers to the ideals of self-reliance and true sustainability. Farms that are now CNG certified include diversified CSAs, humanely and sustainably produced meats, and even a non-profit food farm.

The USDA certification program has and does serve even smaller farms, such as a very small-acreage part-time garlic farm in Washington State. But now there is a choice. And having choices is very empowering to private citizens. My own observance is that CNG reflects the result of large enough numbers of citizens who can see the bigger picture, and operate on deep, ethical values for the common good: a major ingredient, in my opinion, to maintaining a free society, the original ideals America was built upon.

For more information, contact CNG in the USA: www.naturallygrown.org, Certified Naturally Grown, 205 Huguenot Street, New Paltz, NY 12561, 845-256-0686.
CNG in the UK: www.wholesome-food.org.uk, Wholesome Food Association, Ball Cottage, East Ball Hill, Hartland, Devon EX39 6BU, 01237 441 118.