By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

We're proud to announce we just mailed our latest issue of Growing Above and Beyond, our new publication to help tell the incredible inside stories of CNG farmers and their communities. Read on for a sneak peek of the articles, and learn how to snag your very own copy.

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

Seared cobia over indigo grits topped with lady pea salad finished with red pepper coulis at Georgia Sea Grill

We're proud to welcome Georgia Sea Grill as Certified Naturally Grown's very first restaurant Business Ally!

The establishment has been a pillar of Saint Simons Island since 1997, and in recent years the restaurant has honed in on sourcing ingredients as locally as possible. In fact, they even own a farm that has been Certified Naturally Grown since March of this year! Their Potlikker Farm on Blythe Island grows Southern staples like North Georgia Candy Roaster Squash, red peas, and peaches as well as tropical crops like bitter melon, dragonfruit, and turmeric.

Farmer Samuel McPherson, Chef Timothy Lensch, and owner Zack Gowen at Potlikker Farm

We are thrilled to welcome them into the CNG Business Ally community, and wish we could take a field trip to Saint Simons to savor some stunningly-plated CNG ingredients!

Read on to learn more about Georgia Sea Grille from owner Zack Gowen to explore the restaurant's history and mission.

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

Crescent City Farmers Market, New Orleans, Louisiana

Farmers markets are a feast for the senses, and so much more. They stimulate local economies, preserve farmland, promote rural resilience, and increase fresh food access. And members of our Guide to Exceptional Markets (GEMs) take it one step further by recognizing and preferring farms that verify their ecological practices.

We would be delighted to add your neighborhood market to our roster. The perks are plenty! Just click the button below, and #PitchYourMarket.

Learn more about markets across the country that recognize and prefer CNG in our Guide to Exceptional Markets (GEMs).

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator


Rob Cain with a watermelon grown using SEA-90

Sometimes, even crops grown in the rich soil of a Certified Naturally Grown farm need a boost. 

SeaAgri produces SEA-90, a combination of minerals and trace elements from natural crystals produced multiple times per year from sea water trapped in retention ponds located in a pristine estuary on the Sea of Cortez in Mexico (also known as the Gulf of California) This combination can help stimulate, feed and enhance micro flora populations in soil for healthier and tastier harvests. 

We spoke with company president Rob Cain to learn all about how elements from the sea can support the land. Welcome to the CNG Business Allies community, SeaAgri!

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

Texas Eco Farms keeps cool with the help of a CNG hat

Farming is never an easy job, but when both the temperature and humidity approach 100, growing food can feel even more challenging.

Because there's a lot of wisdom out in those hot CNG fields, we polled our community to learn some of their best tips for staying cool, staying sane, and getting it all done.

If you're feeling a little sweaty and overwhelmed, fear not! Plenty of local CNG farmers are here to commiserate, and offer lots of ideas to get through August and beyond.

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator


Some of the Southland Organics team at work

Southland Organics in Bogart, Georgia supports natural farmers with solutions for soil fertility, weeds, pest pressure, and more. They also offer products for home lawns, chickens, and waste.

We are excited that they are not only a Business Ally, but Southland Organics' farm, South Miner's Eden, is now certified by CNG! "We strive to understand the challenges farmers face," says Sales and Marketing Specialist Brittany Kokalp. "We thought the best way to do that is to become one." 

We recently caught up with Brittany to explore the company's history, mission, and product lineup.

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems at Nelson and Pade, Inc.®, Montello, WI

It's always a treat to speak with someone who truly adores what they do!

Nelson and Pade, Inc.'s passion for aquaponics really comes across in our conversation with co-founder and co-owner Rebecca Nelson. Her near essay on her company's origin story reflects Nelson and Pade's dynamic history and sustained enthusiasm for innovation.

Rebecca Nelson and John Pade serve on our Aquaponics Advisory Council, whose expertise helped us meticulously develop our Aquaponics Certification in 2016. They are longtime allies in the truest sense, so we're thrilled to welcome them in our esteemed community of Business Allies.

Read on to discover more about the company's long history, wide reach, and to learn what Rebecca would do if she had a magic agricultural wand!

With summer just around the corner, you'll want to get in on this offer:

All cap orders will come with 10 free CNG tattoos until July 31! 

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator


Lettuce trial field perfection at Osborne Quality Seeds in Mount Vernon, Washington

The seed is the start of it all.

At Certified Naturally Grown, we require that our farmers' seeds are free of GMOs, not chemically-treated in any way, and that they are Certified Naturally Grown or certified organic whenever they are commercially available. Because of our thorough requirements, we are always glad to link up with the folks who are working hard to produce such high-quality essentials for any produce farm.

So it's exciting for us to welcome Osborne Quality Seeds as Business Allies of CNG! With well over 200 certified organic seed varieties to choose from, this Skagit Valley company can help round out your seed stock for your fall crops this year and seasons to come.

We caught up with Osborne Quality Seeds' Ted Bartlett to learn all about the past, present, and future of this Business Ally.