A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) ...?

Has any one had any dealings with this non-profit organization...or know any thing about them ?

http://www.naturallygrown.org/

I emailed them several days ago, asking if they had any guidelines or certification regarding aquaponics. So far, I have recieved no reponse (?)

It would be nice if they did. Some, may not want to pay the extra cost, for the certification for 'organics'

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Green Acre Aquaponics on June 5, 2011 at 6:33am

Hey Dave, we have researched this a little too. Although it is not 'organic' certification, it would still be nice to have some kind of certification or stamp of approval so to speak. The conference we are working on producing will be the launching point more or less for the non-profit organization we will be creating called the Aquaponics Association. With this association, we hope to eventually create an aquaponics certification that would be something like the process for O cert, but that is specifically for ap farms. Our thoughts on this is that there wouldn't be any rules and regs for ap farms, just an optional, reasonably attainable certification that would insure that only NSF materials are used and safe practices employed that will help build consumer confidence in AP products. Of course it will take some time to facilitate and we hope to have a good respresentative sampling of individuals willing to help create it. Along with this there will have to be quite the marketing campaign to bring about consumer awareness, and that is where grants will have to come into play for funding. I hope you plan on attending the conference. One of the Sunday am sessions will be just for discussing the new association.

Permalink Reply by Joel Townsend on June 5, 2011 at 7:01am

I had a couple of phone conversations with them. They exist as a lower-cost alternative to the USDA NOP. CNG very carefully mimics the Certified Organic program's guidelines. They were completely uninterested in discussing anything that might be out of the mainstream. As you can tell, I was a bit disappointed. I hope your conversations go better than mine.

Permalink Reply by David Hart on June 6, 2011 at 4:52am

Green Acres....It would be nice to have our own certification. I hope I can make it to the conference.

Joel.....Thanks...too bad they are not interested. That may explain why I've haven't heard back from them.

WARNING...toatally off topic...just an old guy venting...

About 'not hearing back'....it'll only make sense 'if' you can remember before we had 'email'...

Remember when you used to take the time to write a letter to a company and they would respond, whether they could help you or not.

I'm talking putting paper into a typewriter, putting an address on an envelope, needing stamps, getting it into the mail.

Now, it only takes a few seconds to respond to an email.....just hit 'reply', type a few words and hit send. ...but yet, companies and organizations now... don't even bother, to respond.

I guess 'professionalism', and 'common courtesy' is a thing of the past.

Sorry...I've been running into this more, and more often. Of course, to be fair, lots of companys are under staffed.

Permalink Reply by Two Jay on June 25, 2011 at 10:22pm

I emailed CNG about 10 months ago, never received a reply. I vote to create our own certification.