Apiary Certification

Our apiary standards outline best beekeeping practices that support honey bee health. They steer beekeepers away from harmful chemical treatments, and toward natural practices that result in thriving colonies and happy bees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are beekeepers required to pay the full certification dues if it's just a small operation? There is no minimum dues requirement for apiary certification. We recommend $200 per year for those who can afford it, but we only require that each CNG beekeeper give some amount, as they can, in recognition of the fact that natural beekeepers are playing an important role protecting honey bees, and very few are deriving any significant income from their apiary. We want beekeepers to be able to participate and highlight their commitment to natural practices so more people understand and appreciate why they should be choosy about where they get their honey - and all their food!

There aren't any CNG beekeepers near me. Can I participate? How would I get inspected? While we recommend you rely on a CNG beekeeper if you can, it often isn't possible to find one within an hour's drive. So instead you may rely on a beekeeper in your area who uses natural methods, even if they're not part of Certified Naturally Grown.

How can you be sure the honey bees only touch organic land and crops? You can't! That's why the management practices of beekeepers is so important.

I just started keeping bees. Can I get my apiary CNG certified? No matter how enthusiastic a beginning beekeeper may be about using natural practices, the learning curve is very steep. We don't accept applications from beekeepers with less than one year of experience. Instead, we encourage you to review and rely on our Handbook for Natural Beekeeping as you set out to keep bees as naturally as possible. Note we recommend you not harvest any honey from your first-year apiary. The bees will need it all!