Certified Naturally Grown

“Farmers who had proudly described their produce as organic for decades could no longer do so after 21 October 2002 unless they obtained certification from a USDA accredited agency. Today, most farmers who grow organically are not certified by the USDA. That ought not to be decisive, except that the law states a farmer may not describe or label a product as ‘organic’ not even as ‘uncertified organic’ unless they are certified by a USDA approved agency.”

Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) is a certification program for produce, livestock, and beekeeping in the United States, created for organic producers who sell locally and directly to their customers. CNG was founded in 2002 by organic farmers Kate and Ron Khosla. It was designed as a simpler and more affordable alternative to the USDA National Organic Program. CNG operates as a nonprofit based in Brooklyn, New York.
According to founder Ron Khosla, CNG was established in response to organic production rules adopted in the United States in 2002:
“Farmers who had proudly described their produce as organic for decades could no longer do so after 21 October 2002 unless they obtained certification from a USDA accredited agency. Today, most farmers who grow organically are not certified by the USDA. That ought not to be decisive, except that the law states a farmer may not describe or label a product as ‘organic’ not even as ‘uncertified organic’ unless they are certified by a USDA approved agency.”

Certification process
CNG growers must agree to an annual inspection and pay an annual fee. In contrast with the National Organic Program, where inspections are carried out by USDA accredited agencies and independent inspectors, CNG farms may be inspected by other CNG farms, farms that are not part of CNG, outside agents, master gardeners, and customers. Inspection procedures and forms can be downloaded and completed from the official CNG website. All CNG farms are subject to unannounced reviews and random pesticide residue testing.

CNG operates in the United States and Canada. A sister organization, the Wholesome Food Association, in the United Kingdom, promotes similar standards for locally grown food, although it does not operate a certification scheme.