Article published in Organic Authority
Written by Jen Wallace
Sept 10, 2024

Have you ever asked at the farmers market “Is that organic?” and been told “No, but it is Certified Naturally Grown.” Wondering what in the world that means? Well, read on.


What is Certified Naturally Grown (CNG)?

CNG is a grassroots-led alternative to the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) for small-scale farmers who distribute their products through local venues like farmers markets, community supported agriculture subscriptions, restaurants, roadside stands and through grocery stores with local produce initiatives.

But, it’s also for shoppers trying to reduce their environmental impact by choosing locally-grown produce and farm products. Recent studies have shown that choosing locally-grown produce is a better choice with less environmental impact than organic produce that has been shipped around the world.

But what’s the difference between Certified Naturally Grown and the USDA National Organic Certification Program? In a word, it’s cost. The cost of becoming certified under the USDA’s program is prohibitive for many small local producers. The USDA’s program is better suited to medium and large commercial growers who can afford the fees and have a large enough staff to handle the paperwork requirements. The Certified Naturally Grown program is appropriate for farms selling directly in their local communities.

And lest you think that Certified Naturally Grown is something that consumers must “settle” for, according to the CNG website the standards they utilize are just the same, if not better than the USDA program. CNG farmers must commit to not using synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, hormones, or genetically modified organisms. To ensure that farmers are following their standards, CNG utilizes what is called a “participatory guarantee system” model in which inspections are typically carried out by other farmers, which promotes sharing and is more of a community approach:

“The CNG Standards and growing requirements are based on the USDA National Organic Program rules.  They are no less strict- in fact CNG farmers are constantly improving their soil and striving to increase the sustainability of their farming operations.  The primary difference between CNG and the USDA Organic program is cost to farmers and paperwork requirements”

The next time you are at the farmers market, or you stop by a roadside stand in front of a local farm, don’t ask “Are you certified organic?”, instead ask if they are Certified Naturally Grown.
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Read the original article here.

Hi, friends!
 
You may have noticed changes happening at Powder Keg Farms of late—and you’d be right. The farm has transitioned back into my care, and I have exciting updates to share about our new direction. 
 
First, we are currently welcoming community members to help with farm tasks in exchange for wholesome food. We’ve already had wonderful folks working with us in this friendly, shared effort that has always been the backbone idea of “community supported agriculture.” If this interests you, please inquire directly for more details. 
 
Second, we are pleased to announce we are working with Eukarya Christian Academy to teach their students and faculty Farming God’s Way. This simple way of farming equips agricultural communities to combat poverty and food scarcity and is described as a “well-balanced biblical, management and technological solution.” 
 
Powder Keg Farms is the first and only model demonstration farm for Farming God’s Way in the country, and we intend to share this method and our experience as it unfolds. 
 
As most of you know, we leased the farm for the past 18 months to Tyler, who continued farming our land and running the year-round CSA we began. He recently began his own venture—Pine Hollow Farms in Wardensville, WV—and we sincerely wish him success.

Leasing the farm gave us an incredibly beneficial hiatus. I got a much-needed rest and the opportunity to reboot my health, but also clarity and perspective about what matters to me. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back in my gardens and greenhouses and chicken coops, but also to take our farm in a new direction that directly embraces my values of teaching others about responsible, wholesome farming methods, especially when it can help them take care of themselves, and feeding folks the bounty we grow.
 
“Our roots run deep,” is not just some throwaway tagline. I grew up caring about how food was grown, how it affected the earth, and how it could solve food scarcity. (The pandemic certainly showed us how beneficial those skills can be, as have other events in our history.) I’ve practiced these principles all my life and always will. Hence, these two directions for the farm are right in line with who I am and what matters to me: nourishing each other with wholesome food, grown responsibly, and accessible to all, with a teaching component that fills my heart.
 
As for Brian, he’s embracing his own passion with the creation of LaMaster Arms.
 
And we have goats. That’s a cool new addition too.
 
That covers all the tomatoes . . . that’s all the dirt for now. ​😊

This video offers a compelling explanation about the current state of health and its link to modern farming. While none of this may surprise you (although it should be sobering), it is important to understand these connections so you can make informed choices about what you eat.

​We are thrilled to announce the addition of Jason Smith, baker extraordinaire and horticultural guru, to the PKF team. He’s lived in the area ten years, and his education and background includes molecular biology, botany and horticulture with a doctorate in the mix. He’s spent decades exploring food and baking. Now he’s bringing all that harmony to PKF as our baker (and CSAers are scoring a taste this week with his gorgeous and delicious cinnamon rolls!). He’s a welcome addition to our team.

P.S. We also scored a helpful industrial 20-quart mixer after we burned out the ones we had and overheated another making these melt-in-your-mouth sweet rolls, all thanks to a real group effort (but that’s how we...roll!).

P.S.S. CSA shareholders will see these cinnamon rolls more often on our available list. Woo-hoo!

#PKF #PKFCSA #eatyourcinnamonbuns #andyourveggies

​Bhikkhu Jayasara (Bhante J) wrote about his time with Powder Keg Farms, Vassa, and our efforts to create new robes as part of monastic tradition. It’s a wonderful article with pictures that is worth the read. We are also delighted Bhante J will be back with us in March for 6 to 8 weeks!

Read the blog HERE.