Certified Producer

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Once a Producer is ready to market their product, they should contact the County Department of Agriculture (County) to arrange for an on-site inspection of the growing grounds. The crops must be growing in the ground before the inspection will be conducted. At the time of inspection, you will need to provide a list of the crops grown that includes variety, amount planted, harvest season, and estimated harvest amounts. A Certified Producer Worksheet is available below for your convenience. A detailed map of the growing grounds must also be provided. This inspection will verify that the products listed on the CPC are in fact grown by the Producer. Follow up inspections may need to be conducted for late season crops, as well as additional site inspections by County inspectors to verify compliance with the Direct Marketing Program throughout the growing season.

If you are leasing the property upon which you are growing the items listed on your CPC, you will need a valid, notarized, lease which provides control of the property prior to planting and/or bloom, and throughout the growing season. A Form Lease can be found below. You will also need to review and sign the County CPC Forms, which acknowledge understanding of the Direct Marketing Rules, as well as submission of all appropriate documentation needed to obtain a CPC.

If you will be selling for another Certified Producer, or another Certified Producer will be selling for you, you must complete a Certified Producer Agreement. Title 3, of the California Code of Regulations (3 CCR), Section 1392.4(a)(1) allows a certified producer to sell the certified agricultural products of up to two (2) other certified producers during their 12-month certificate period. Section 1392.4(e)(8) requires that a documented agreement be in place, which must be signed by both certified producers, before a certified producer can begin selling on behalf of the other certified producer. This agreement meets those requirements and shall remain in place until revoked by either respective certified producer. In order to add the secondary producer to the primary certificate, a current copy of the secondary producer certificate must be presented to Sutter County Agriculture Department each year the agreement is in place. You must include the producer’s name, certificate number and date declared on your CPC. The other certified producer must also have your name, certificate number and date declared listed on their CPC as well.

Certified Producer Agreement

When selling on behalf of another certified producer at a CFM, the certified producer must:

Conspicuously post each valid CPC and the respective sign or banner
Not sell the same commodity, variety, or product on the same day, at the same CFM
Separate each certified producer’s agricultural products

The County will issue embossed copies of the CPC after the inspection. An embossed CPC is required to be displayed at the CFM sales location. CPCs issued by the County are valid for twelve months and must be renewed annually. CPCs are valid for participation in all CFM's throughout California.

It is the responsibility of the Producer to contact the appropriate CFM operator(s) and apply for membership to sell at their markets. Contact information for local CFM's is available by calling the Sutter County Department of Agriculture. Producers may also wish to visit the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) website to obtain information on additional CFM locations and contact information.

The majority of produce is sold by weight. It is the responsibility of the Producer to obtain a scale that is certified for this specific commercial use. Scales must be registered and sealed annually by the County. For registration fees regarding Producer-owned scales brought into the County office, please see the link below for the current fee schedule.

Weights and Measures Fee Schedule

If any product sold at a CFM is pre-packaged in bags or other containers, it must be properly labeled with the Identity of the product, the contact information of the person who has Responsibility for the product, and the Quantity of product in the container. This is known by the acronym-IRQ.

If a Producer plans to produce and sell nursery stock, they will need to obtain a License to Sell Nursery Stock. There are two options for a License to Sell Nursery Stock: the Fee Exempt License for those selling under $1,000 of nursery products annually or the regular License to Sell Nursery Stock which has a minimum annual fee of $150.00. Nursery license information is available at the link below.

CFM's are governed by State regulations which are enforced by the County. The respective CFM Boards of Directors have also developed rules to govern the members of their particular markets. It is the responsibility of the Producer to comply with all State and CFM Board rules. A copy of the current Direct Marketing regulations is available below.

Direct Marketing Food and Agricultural Codes

Direct Marketing California Code of Regulations

Herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides are all different types of pesticides. Producers who use any type of pesticide (including organic pesticides) must obtain a Pesticide Operator Identification Number from the County prior to the purchase and application of pesticides. Use of all agricultural pesticides must be reported to the County by the 10th of the month following use.

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