Veganic Standard

1.0 The land
The farming system should strive to increase biodiversity of the given area through cultivated plantings as well as re-wilding and ideally be situated:
a. away from any wetlands or watercourses by at least 50 feet and ensure that no soil erosion from the system is allowed to enter.
b. with an adequate boundary or buffer, such as hedgerow from any other type of farming system (unless veganic) to discourage unintended contamination of the farming site.
c. on former farmed land, deteriorated land or lands of low plant biodiversity.
The practice of creating new farming systems on already biodiverse native floral lands is prohibited.

2.0 The soil, soil organic matter, soil fertility, pH (power of Hydrogen) and health
Soils are the essence of all life and the veganic growing system must ensure the maintenance of soil organic matter, soil health and fertility. If farms are losing soil organic matter (SOM) then they are not in-line with the veganic concept.
a. Soil organic matter (SOM) should be tested before certification and re-tested every three years to ensure SOM is maintaining original levels or increasing with records kept.
b. Farms should strive to create on-site fertility through the use of cover-cropping, on-site compost making and in-bed composting.
Soils can be built with the use of: (If off-farm input, must show receipt or attestation to provenance)
*Plant-based composts (no requirement necessary for time or temperature attained)
*Live mulch
*Leaves
*Chipped branch wood
*Hay
*Straw
All animal inputs are prohibited, including manure, urea, animal bedding, blood meal, bone meal, worm castings, fish emulsion and fish meal.
c. If soil tests reveal a nutrient deficiency, soil fertility can be increased with the use of plant based, or rock-based amendments only.
*See permitted and prohibited practices and inputs list
d. If a pH test reveals high acidity:
*wood ash or dolomite lime can be used to makes soils more alkaline as highly acidic soils can have a caustic effect on plant growth, such as aluminum toxicity
e. For the health of the soil, shallow cultivation, minimal or no-tillage should be utilized.
Beds are highly recommended to be permanent.
The growing space should be covered as long as possible during the season to encourage all seasonal microorganisms with:
*mulch (dry and green)
*live mulch
*live plants eatable
*live plants cover crops (green manures)
*plant detritus
*snow
f. Spring tillage is allowed, as well as deep, double digging, as long as the practice is timed accordingly with seeding or planting.
g. Deep tillage in the fall is prohibited as fields should remain covered as outlined above over winter.

3.0 Seeds, plants and seed-starting medium
a. Seed and plants should be non-treated, non-GMO, with a focus on open-pollinated and heirloom varieties from local and/or small-scale artisanal growers. Hybrids are allowed on a case-by-case basis, such as, lack of availability of OP’s or Heirlooms or for ease of growing. Certified organic is not a necessary requirement as costs can be exorbitant and not always readily available. Furthermore, the organic standard has deteriorated over the last 10 years with the allowance of a multitude of harmful sprays and conventional animal inputs.
*Veganic seeds are preferred where available.
*Seed saving on farm is a highly encouraged practice.
b. Seed-starting mediums must ensure there are no animal inputs in the mix. Allowable materials for seed starting only are (but prohibited as field amendments):
*peat moss
*coconut coir
*vermiculite
*perlite
*colloidal soft rock phosphate
*potting mixes with humus, peat moss, perlite and dolomite lime
*A seed-starting mix of completely regenerative materials is preferred, like: leaf mold, composted chipped branch wood and plant-based composts. But because in the United States and Canada these sources are not always available regionally, the above six materials can be used to formulate seed and plant propagation mixes.

4.0 Crop Rotations
a. Rotations are a highly recommended practice, allowing four rotations before crop families return to the same piece of land for mitigation of potential soil bacterial and fungal pathogens as well as underground insect pressures. However, they are not a definitive requirement as many of the crops that are grown as annuals are in fact self-seeding annuals, biennials and perennials. If a rotation is not practiced it is a recommended practice to underseed crops with clover (for example) or mulch so that fertility and microbial activity is realized.
*For certification the farmer will need to explain why a rotation is not used, simply lack of space will not be a valid enough reason.

b. Planting a diversity of plant families can be natural controls by increasing insect densities and encouraging the entire cycle of faunal life.
c. The placing of nest boxes for native bees, birds and bats is highly recommended.
*Spraying of any insecticide is prohibited as they all indiscriminately kill non-target insect species-must transition from plant-based insecticides within three years for established farm; chemical insecticides are prohibited.
*Traps, lures, methods of injuring or killing or use of released beneficial insects are prohibited for the control of insects as all of these can be highly disruptive to the insect realm.

6.0 Native flora (weed) management
a. Weeding of native flora in the farming beds and paths is allowed by hand or the use of manual tools.
b. Planting a diversity of plant families, live mulching, cover cropping and under-sowing are all effective management techniques
c. Black plastic tarping is allowed to control native flora and aid in-bed composting.
d. Cardboard is allowed to control native flora and aid in-bed composting. *see 6.1
e. Tractor or tiller weeding is highly discouraged
*Flame weeding and herbicides are prohibited as there is an unknown toll on small insects, especially arthropods
*Permanent plastic mulch or geo-textile to grow cultures is prohibited.

7.0 Bacterial, fungal and nutrient deficiency management
a. Planting a diversity of plant families can alleviate many bacterial and fungal issues
*Spraying of fungicides is prohibited
b. Nutrient deficiencies can be rectified by targeted applications of plant-based or rock-based fertilization. *See approved input list
c. Crop rotation can be helpful in mitigating nutrient deficiencies

8.0 Harvesting/Post-harvest handling
Since all harvesting will be done with tools that are not used in association with animals or products thereof, contamination concerns are close to nil. However:
a. pocket knives, harvest knives and bins should be wiped cleaned regularly, especially for cut greens. At the commencement of the season a biodegradable soap solution can be used to wash bins as necessary.
b. Greens like mesclun and microgreens that are to be packaged and sold must be washed with a potable water source. *A water test must be furnished every three years, or purification plan of the water used if non-potable (i.e., Filtration, boiling, etc.).
c. To avoid risk of spoilage for all vegetables and herbs that are wished to be sold, a cool room, refrigerators or other method must be on site to ensure a recommended temperature of storage below 45F (7C).

9.0 Packaging
a. When and if possible, all packaging should be re-used or, of recycled materials such as paper bags, cardboard boxes, re-usable plastic bins.
*New, virgin plastic bags are discouraged but allowed when freshness is better maintained. However, they should be cleaned and reused as often as possible.

10.0 End of Season
a. Fields should be left with as much of the ground covered as possible, with:
*Cover crops (green manures)
*Plant detritus
*Native flora (weeds)
*Straw
*Hay
*Dry leaves
*Chipped branch wood
*Black tarps (less than 50% of the fields only)
*Cardboard (less than 50% of the fields only)

11.0 Farm Workers
Employees should only be hired if:
a. They are paid $10/hr. in the United States or the state’s minimum wage if higher.
They are paid $18/hr. in Canada or the province’s minimum wage if higher.
b. Provided access to health coverage while on the job
c. If housed on farm, have adequate housing including:
temperature controlled for both hot and cold, potable water, sanitation facilities and hot water bath or shower.
d. Interns and apprentices are allowed provided they are shown the entirety of the veganic farming operation and hours are limited to allow for adequate time for reflection
e. Bartering relationships are encouraged, as long as, they are of equal value. Equal pay for equal work.
*Woofers and work-exchange employees are discouraged as it is common that they are the most taken advantage of in observed farming systems. It would be more appropriate to consider them interns or apprentices (see item 11.0.d).

12.0 Record-keeping
Farms should keep records of:
a. Row feet, crop yields, harvest dates and crop sales
b. Soil organic matter (SOM) levels over time and all soil analyses
c. Potable water (if washing vegetables for sale)

Permitted and Prohibited Practices and Inputs List

2.1 For the Soil
To build soil organic matter and fertility, use of the following is permitted: *If off-farm input, must show receipt or attestation to provenance
Plant-based composts (sometimes called live-mulch compost)
Dry or fresh fallen leaves
Chipped Branch Wood
Straw
Hay
Live Mulch, Green manures, Cover crops
Wood Ash
Bio-char
Dolomitic Lime (to raise pH)
Plant-based fertilizers of:
Cottonseed meal (non-GMO only)
Soybean meal (non-GMO only)
Alfalfa meal (non-GMO only)
Kelp/Seaweed meal
Plant-based liquid or foliar feeds like:
clover, comfrey, horsetail, nettles, yarrow and others
*All mined rock dusts, sands and powders are discouraged as field amendments and are only to be used if testing reveals soils are deficient in a specific mineral.

Prohibited inputs:

Animal manures
Urea
Animal bedding
Blood meal
Bone meal
Worm castings
Fish Meal/ Shellfish meals
Fish Emulsion
Any other animal-origin fertilizer
Any chemical fertilizer or input
*The practice of spring deep tillage and double digging is allowed but must be timed accordingly with planting or seeding.
The practice of fall tillage is prohibited-established farms must transition within three years of certification.

3.1 For seeds, plants and the seed-starting medium
Seeds must be non-treated, non-genetically-modified and procured in order of preference: veganic, organic, conventional, hybrid (hybrids will be allowed on case-by-case basis)
Planting stock can be veganic, organic, conventional and/or hybrid, for once planted in a veganic system they are then veganic by default.
The following seed-starting mediums are permitted:
Plant-based compost (*if using municipal compost, the practice is prohibited if the municipality collects bins that include animal products.
Leaf mold
Composted chipped branch wood
Soil humus
Peat moss (seed starting only, prohibited as field additive)
Coconut coir (seed starting only, prohibited as field additive)
Seed-starting mixes, must ensure there are no ‘natural fertilizers’, which are mostly of animal-origin (prohibited as a field additive)
Potting mixes, must ensure there are no ‘natural fertilizers’, which are mostly of animal-origin, (prohibited as a field additive)
Vermiculite (seed starting only, prohibited as field additive)
Perlite (seed starting only, prohibited as field additive)
Colloidal Rock Phosphate (seed starting only, prohibited as field additive)
Kelp Meal
Soybean Meal (non-GMO)
Alfalfa Meal (non-GMO)
Cottonseed Meal (non-GMO)
Neemseed Meal
Mycorrhizae
Prohibited are all products of animal origin as outlined in For the soil section above
Prohibited are all chemical inputs

4.1 For Crop Rotation
Crop rotations are highly recommended with four rotations between crop families, but not necessary if the grower can prove that an under sown green manure, mulch or snow layer was been enough to act as a rotation.

5.1 For integrated insect and small mammal management
The following practices are permitted:
Hand-picking
Insect screens
Row covers
Scarecrows
Pulsating night-time lights like ‘Predator-eyes’
Native bee, bird and bat houses
Exclusionary fencing, *Electric fencing is prohibited, however.
Trapping is allowed for relocation on property only when fencing is not adequate but is a highly discouraged practice. Habitat modification for small mammals is allowed.
Lures, traps and methods intended to harm or kill are prohibited.
All insecticides, purchased or on-farm created, intended for elimination or deterrent of insects are prohibited.
Release of predatory insects is prohibited.

6.1 For native flora (weed) management
The following practices are permitted:
Hand tools and hand pulling of competing native flora.
Black plastic and cardboard (*must ensure that the cardboard has not been treated with chemical sanitizer) for controlling native flora and in-bed composting is allowed. (No more than 50% of the fields at one time)
Biofilms and geo-textiles for growing cultures is prohibited.
*Tractor or rototiller weeding is a discouraged practice.
Flame weeding is prohibited.
All herbicides are prohibited.

7.1 Bacterial, fungal and nutrient deficiencies
The following are permitted:
All farm made plant based foliar feeds or fertilizations to aid plant vigor and counteract nutrient deficiencies.
For example, teas or fermentations like: clover, comfrey, compost tea, horsetail, nettles, yarrow
*All mined rock dusts, sands and powders are discouraged as field amendments and are only to be used if soils are deficient in a specific mineral (must be proved by soil test.)
All fungicides are prohibited.

8.1 For harvesting/post-harvest handling
Packaged greens must be washed in potable water as recorded by a once per three-year water test or purification method, which would include:
Filtration or boiling
All harvest storage receptacles should be wiped clean during season and prior to the season commencement washed with a biodegradable soap solution.
If rescued animals are kept on site, harvest bins are prohibited to be used for their feed or bedding.
All chemical cleaners are prohibited.

9.1 For packaging
Recycled and re-used boxes and bags (paper and plastic) for the sales of produce are allowed if certain they were not used to package products of animal origin.
*New, virgin plastic and paper bags are discouraged and should be limited.

10.1 For end of season
All fields should remain with as much of the ground covered as possible. The use of the following is permitted:
*Cover crops (green manures)
*Plant detritus
*Native flora (weeds)
*Straw
*Hay
*Dry leaves
*Chipped branch wood/wood chips
If using black tarps or cardboard (no more than 50% may be covered in this manner)
End of season tillage to incorporate plant materials is prohibited.

11.1 Farm Worker Rights
All United States and Canadian employees must be paid fairly, provided health insurance and have access to adequate on-site housing and facilities, if appropriate. And, very importantly treated with dignity and respect.
Having quality internships is highly encouraged.
Day laborers paid fairly in goods or services (bartering) is encouraged.
*Woofers and work-exchange employees are discouraged.