You will see several farm stands at the market with one certification or another. Here’s a quick look at the certifications you are likely to encounter. A living document describing terms, practices, and other farming and food related jargon is maintained by Foodwise, an organization that educates about sustainable agriculture. Click the link to access their glossary.

ORGANICALLY-GROWN/CERTIFIED ORGANIC:

All products sold as “organic” must meet the USDA National Organic Program production and handling standards. Certification is mandatory for farmers selling more than $5,000 of organic products per year. Certification includes annual submission of an organic system plan and inspection of farm fields and processing facilities to verify that organic practices and record keeping are being followed.

TRANSITIONAL:

Farmers must practice organic methods for three years on a given piece of land before the products harvested from that land can be sold or labeled as organic. “Transitional” as an unofficial term means that the farmland is in the midst of that transition period towards organic certification.

CERTIFIED NATURALLY GROWN:

Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) products are certified by an independent nonprofit organization (not USDA) as having been produced in approximate accordance with national organic standards, a program involving fewer paperwork requirements and lower certification fees for farmers than the USDA’s National Organic Program.

CONVENTIONAL:

Refers to standard agricultural practices that are wide-spread in the industry. It may, but does not necessarily, include use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, “mono-cropping,” antibiotics, hormones and other chemical approaches. Conventional farming in the U.S. may also include the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE:

This term refers to a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. Several organizations offer regenerative certifications, but there is no single, central standard as in the case of Organic and Certified Naturally Grown certification.