Certified Producers Certification

A certified producer is an individual or entity whose farming activities have been verified by the county agricultural commissioner of the county where the agricultural products are grown. Inspection of the production location(s) is necessary to verify that the producer has practiced the agricultural arts and produced the fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables, shell eggs, honey, nursery stock, and cut flowers. After the inspection, the producer is issued a Certified Producer's Certificate (CPC), which authorizes the transportation and sale of certified agricultural products at Certified Farmers Markets. Each CPC shall list the name, variety, amount (ie acreage), harvest season and estimated production for each agricultural commodities grown.

Obtaining a Certified Producers Certificate in Solano County

Please follow the following process to apply for a CPC in Solano County. Some of the documents below are listed for you to download:

1. Complete and submit the following documents to our office:

• Checklist for all Certified Producer's Certificate Applicants:  2018 CPC Checklist This form must be completed and signed for all CPC applications;
• Authorization for Direct Marketing Sales by Certified Producers: CPC Authorization 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;
• A completed and 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. Leases must be submitted prior to planting annual crops or bloom or orchard crops. Click the link to download a Certified Producer Lease Agreement 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;
• A map of the production site(s): This can be hand drawn or you can use a website such as Google Maps. 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;
• Please check our Fee Schedule and make checks or money orders payable to Solano County Agriculture Department. 

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.

Please call our office at (707)784-1310 if you have questions or need assistance regarding the CPC application process.

What Products Can Be Sold With a Valid Certified Producer's Certificate at a Certified Farmers Market

A certified producer can sell fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables, shell eggs, honey, flowers, and nursery stock listed on their CPC at a Certified Farmers Market. Fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables listed on the CPC may be sold directly to consumers exempt from size, standard pack, container, and labeling requirements. However all products sold in closed consumer containers must 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.

The producer may also sell "non-certifiable agricultural products." These are 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 the producer. A processed product that originated from a fresh certifiable product must have the fresh product listed on the CPC.

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 acceptable to the State Department of Health Services to ensure sanitary conditions were followed during processing. For processed fruits, vegetables and juices, jams and preserves, contact your local Environmental Management Department, Environmental Health Division.

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.