Certified Producers
Certified Producer Certificate Program
A Certified Producer's Certificate (CPC) gives you (the grower/producer) the right to sell fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables, shell eggs, honey, flowers, and nursery stock directly to consumers at Certified Farmers Markets, without the usual size, standard pack, and certain container and labeling requirements.

A CPC must be obtained annually from the County Agricultural Commissioner's office for each county where crops are grown. You will be required to list each product, the variety grown, acreage, # of trees planted, harvest season and estimated amount to be produced. You do not need to own the land you grow your produce on, however you must be actively working and responsible for the land you lease, rent or sharecrop on. The Agricultural Commissioner's office will verify which crops you are growing at each site with a farm visit and your right to farm leased land through submission of a notarized lease.
Helpful Tips for CPC Holders to Remember
1. You and/or anyone authorized by you and listed on your CPC to sell your produce on your behalf, must prominently display an embossed copy of your CPC while selling at a Certified Farmers Market.

2. All produce offered for sale must be listed on your CPC. Contact your Agricultural Commissioner's office to revise your CPC as needed.

3. Any producer selling organic produce must include copies of their Organic Registration and/or Certification. This certificate must also be prominently displayed at the Market. You cannot commingle organic and non-organic produce; you must clearly separate these items when displaying them for sale. If you sell more than $5,000 annually, you must be certified by a USDA accredited certifying agency.

4. All fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables sold in closed consumer containers should be labeled with the name, address, and ZIP Code of the producer, with a declaration of identity and net quantity of the commodity in the package.

5. If you plan on producing and selling wine or approved processed produce, please contact your Agricultural Commissioner's office for further information to maintain compliance with governing regulations.

6. If you are producing and selling nursery stock, you must obtain a Certificate to Sell Nursery Stock. If your total sales during a 12-month period will be less than $1,000, you can obtain a Fee Exempt License to Sell Nursery Stock from your local Agricultural Commissioner's office. They can also provide the appropriate application to be sent in to the state.

7. If you are producing and selling eggs you must register with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

8. All scales used to sell produce must have a current seal from a California County Sealer of Weights and Measures.

9. Any chemical and/or substance applied to your crops to control pests or disease must be reported to your local Agricultural Commissioner's office on the appropriate pesticide use report by the 10th of the month following an application.
What Products Can Be Sold With a Valid CPC
A grower/producer with a current, valid CPC can sell fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables, shell eggs, honey, flowers, and nursery stock that they grow on their land or leased land.

The grower/producer may also sell "non-certifiable agricultural products." These processed products such as fruit and vegetable juices, shelled nuts, jams and jellies, and wine. Though these products are not certified, they must have been produced or derived from plants produced by you. A processed product that originated from a fresh certifiable product must have the fresh product listed on the CPC.

These processed agricultural products may include, or have added to them, a limited number of ingredients or additives which act ONLY as preservatives or are essential in the preparation of the product. Examples include pickles and cucumbers in a brine or vinegar solution for curing or pickling; flavorings added to shelled nuts which do not change the visual identity of the product; sulfites added to dried fruits and vegetables, and sugar, fruit juices, and pectin added to fruits to make jams and jellies.

The processing and storage facility must be under regulation by an authority acceptalbe to the State Department of Health Services to ensure sanitary conditions were followed during processing. For processed fruits, vegetables and juices, jams and preserves, this is your local Environmental Health Department.
Solano County CPC Requirements
The following documents must be provided to the Solano County Department of Agriculture before a CPC will be issued:
1. Completed Certified Producer's Certificate Application;
2. Completed and signed  Checklist for all Certified Producer?s Certificate Applicants;
3.  Authorization for Direct Marketing Sales by Certified Producers. Please complete for each producer authorized to sell for you.   Additionally, if you are selling for other certified producer(s), you must provide a completed Authorization from each producer. Do not complete this form for employees and/or family members;
4. Completed map of the production site(s). The map should show the nearest street(s), reference points and approximate locations and identities of crops present at each production site. You may need to submit more than one map;
5. Pay the current annual fee.  Make checks or money orders payable to:  Solano County Agriculture Department.
6. Notarized copy of your current lease, farming partnership, share cropping, or similar agreement. You will need to submit a new lease agreement if your unexpired lease does not contain all of the required information. A  Lease Agreement Form is available for your reference and/or use. These agreements must include the information set forth in Title 3, Sections 1392.9.1 and 1392.9.2 of the California Code of Regulations.

Once all necessary documentation is received, an appointment will be scheduled for a production site inspection. Crops listed on your CPC MUST be growing at the time of the site inspection. Your CPC will be issued in sections if some crops will be planted later in the season. For example, if you have an orchard and plan on planting squash, we can issue the appropriate pages on your CPC listing the orchard crops in January; thereafter, the CPC pages listing squash will be issued once planted and a follow up site inspection is performed.