If you take a year off farming to live in Japan, you might just encounter a tool that small-scale diverse vegetable farmers in the United States would find extremely useful. That's what happened to John Hendrickson, founder of Small Farm Works. 

Paper pots and paper pot transplanting equipment were originally pioneered by a major Japanese sugar company growing sugar beets more than 30 years ago. Since then, other types of paper pots and transplanters have evolved. Since John began importing the Chainpot Transplanter, many a farmer's jaw has dropped when they first witness this incredibly efficient approach to putting seedlings into soil.

We spoke with John about his company and some additional farm tool innovations he'll be introducing to American farmers. Welcome to the CNG Business Allies community Small Farm Works!

Flashback to another time (Autumn, 2019): Two farmers inside a tunnel completing a peer inspection, without masks 

When we asked the Certified Naturally Grown membership how we could better support them during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the number one request was for flexibility with CNG's peer inspection requirement. People were concerned about the health risks posed by such a contagious virus. We wanted to help keep our members healthy, so we've granted flexibility with inspection deadlines as a stopgap solution.

But for the long run, it was important to investigate alternative, safe approaches to conducting peer inspections - ones that would protect the health and safety of our members. It seemed very unlikely the pandemic would just disappear in a few months. So we began to explore the option to conduct remote inspections via video call, where the farmer receiving the inspection gives a live virtual tour of their farm and fields questions from their peer inspector who is at another location.

Farm Brigge connects farmers, eaters, farm workers and farmer's markets through an online platform full of educational resources and communication and marketing tools. Right now, there are thousands of farmers, farmer markets, eaters and more than 500 farmer's markets participating in this thriving online community. We recently had a chance to interview co-founder Troy Rice about the story behind Farm Brigge and its many angles. Thank you for joining our Business Allies program, Farm Brigge!

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

We are so excited to share a fresh series of videos about the Certified Naturally Grown community!

With extraordinary editing and videography help from Steve Merkel of Vegetable Power Farm in Pennsylvania, along with a handful of other outstanding CNG producers, we've compiled videos of different lengths to share what Certified Naturally Grown is all about: peer-review certification, ecological practices, transparency, and advocacy.

They're a great resource to introduce your community to our grassroots group and share your pride to be a part of this participatory certification.

Can you help us share these clips throughout your network?

• Share the videos on Facebook to tell your community you're #CNGproud
  • Share the 8 minute video (our favorite!)
  • Share the 60 second video
  • Share the 30 second video
• Embed the videos on your website to introduce your customers and others to your certification
  • When watching on YouTube.com, click the SHARE button on the lower right side of the video screens then click Embed to copy and paste the code for your site. Email us if you have any questions about this process, as it's a bit high-tech (but very effective!). 
• Share the video links by email or text message with farmers who would be a good fit for the CNG community, or anyone else who's new to Certified Naturally Grown: your farmers market manager, your CSA members, your employees, your local faith leader, your mother-in-law, your barber...you get the idea!
  • 8 minute video link (again, it's our favorite!)
  • 60 second video link
  • 30 second video link
• Email us to receive the raw video files to share as Instagram posts

Endless thanks to the following producers who poured their time, energy, and enthusiasm into creating their community-sourced footage for these clips:
A Gardens Glory, FL
Bee Boys, HI
Caribe United Farm, GA
J and L Farm & Stables, GA
New Way Aquaponic Farms, TN
Tooth of the Lion Farm and Apothecary, PA
Valhalla Organics, OR
Vegetable Power Farm, PA

You can watch all of the videos after the jump.

Don't forget to share!

Help power the impact of peer inspections for hardworking farmers! 

Boost learning for CNG growers like Tooth of the Lion Farm!

You know as well as we do that farming is a knowledge-intensive occupation, and insights shared by experienced farmers can significantly boost the odds of success. Helping farmers to connect with their equally busy peers is quite challenging - but it is invaluable.

It’s also central to CNG’s peer review certification model.

Your special gift will help to enhance the ease of connecting hardworking farmers with peers for inspections, and the value of those interactions when they happen. 

We are starting to pair the most experienced farmers with newer members, while providing more guidance on how to deliver a top-quality inspection, and incentivizing peers to conduct multiple inspections annually.

Can you chip in to help create even more impactful inspections through our new Mentorship program?

When you give, you'll support CNG inspections that:

Build Community	Boost Knowledge	Create Critical Networks	Grow Profits with Values
CNG inspections are about more than checking the boxes of our high growing standards. They are crucial pathways for farmers to find community.	Farming is a knowledge-intensive occupation, and insights shared by experienced farmers during inspections can significantly boost the odds of success.	Peer inspections go far beyond paperwork: they help connect like-minded farmers who choose to grow in harmony with nature.	Growing food is a labor of love. With the technical and community-based support of enhanced CNG inspections, farms will see greater returns on their hard work.

By way of thanks, we'll send new monthly sustainers two hand-drawn CNG bandanas, festooned with seasonal roots, oyster mushrooms, seeds, and crisp greens. (Designed by our own talented Aly Miller, of course!)

Because of you, our group of community-minded growers will have the best chance of success.

Thank you for your support!

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

One of the main reasons farmers join Certified Naturally Grown is to highlight a commitment to producing food for the local community without synthetic chemicals or GMOs.

And one of the main ways we help them do that is by giving each CNG producer a free profile on our website!

Once farmers get certified, they instantly gain a profile on our searchable map!

By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator

Kevin Prather of SCG Market Garden inspects Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, MO

We are thrilled to announce the first nine CNG inspections conducted with Community Observers!

Community Observers are those who participate in the CNG certification process by witnessing a farm's annual inspection. Just about anyone can serve as a Community Observer! From farmers market managers to school crossing guards, postmasters to pitmasters: if they want to have a healthier and more resilient local food system, they're a good candidate.

Community Observers all over the country are starting to join the CNG movement, connecting on a deeper level to their local food system and those who help it thrive.

Farmers are benefiting by developing stronger ties with local community members, while some gain flexibility around our "No repeat inspectors" rule.

Read on to hear from the pioneering cohort of growers welcoming Community Observers to their Certified Naturally Grown farms!