Preparation Pays

We recognize that time is likely your most valuable—and limited—commodity. We also know you would much rather be out managing your fields and livestock than sitting at a computer screen!

But when it comes to preparing for your annual Certified Regenerative by AGW audit, investing a few extra minutes getting organized may save hours of time in the long run. Let’s take a moment to walk through the annual Certified Regenerative by AGW requirements and set you up for a smooth and successful renewal audit.

A change in plan

If you are familiar with the Certified Regenerative by AGW program, you probably know the foundation of certification is centered on the regenerative plan. While the Certified Regenerative by AGW standards were specifically written to enable farmers to write individual plans that are meaningful to their individual operation, the annual regenerative plan review is not a step that can be bypassed. In fact, submitting annual regenerative plan updates is an essential program requirement and the onsite audit cannot be scheduled until the review process is completed.

Information request

The review process begins with an email requesting the information the AGW review panel requires to perform your renewal audit. You have 30 days to submit your plan changes, results, records, and so forth. All changes must be submitted on the regenerative plan template supplied. This not only helps to streamline AGW’s review but gives farmers and reviewers a clear idea if the regenerative practices employed are improving the farm’s selected assessment metrics.

Helpful tip: using a different color font when making updates to your plan will make any amends  easier for the panel to spot and will help speed up the review process.

Tracking your changes

We recommend getting into the habit of tracking all inputs, maps, fossil fuel usage, equipment inventories, and management practices on the regenerative plan template on a regular basis, rather than trying to do it all last minute! (Remember, too, that restricted inputs must be approved by AGW’s technical team.)

Practices should cover soil, water, air quality, livestock, biodiversity, wild harvesting, cropping, infrastructure, and social factors. While this may sound daunting, the template has detailed prompts outlining what information is required in each section. Don’t forget to submit any accompanying reports and test results for review.

Remember: failure to submit your annual regenerative plan changes can lead to a “critical non-compliance,” so be sure to meet the 30-day deadline!

30 day CAP

After the review panel finishes verifying your plan updates, they will outline any further information required or non-compliances in a new corrective action plan (CAP), just like our other certification programs. You then have an additional 30 days to return the CAP with any information or records required; however, please reach out if you need more time to compile documentation.

Once the review panel approves your annual updates, an auditor will contact you to schedule the onsite audit and the certification renewal process will continue.

Author: Caitlin Aguilar is AGW’s Director of Quality

Originally published in the Summer 2024 issue of AGW’s Sustainable Farming magazine.