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Certified forage is a shortened term for “certified noxious weed-free forage or straw.” Through the governing body NAWMA (North American Weed Management Association), states have come together and determined what weeds they deem as noxious; each state agriculture department inspects fields within their state for noxious weeds and will certify the field as noxious weed free if it meets the criteria.
When manufacturers participate in this program, they are required by law to provide certain types of labeling on their noxious weed-free products. All of our NWFFS (Noxious Weed Free Forage Straw) baled forage or straw has a yellow band with purple writing, with the ID Dept. of Ag logo and the letters NWFFS. Our certified bagged products have the labeling required on the bottom left-hand corner of our packaging. We do not send out certificates to individuals or to retailers, as we are required by law to provide labeling on our noxious weed-free products. Certified does not mean forages are weed free; it means they are free of “noxious” weeds. Always feed your animals noxious weed-free products at least three days prior to traveling to areas requiring certified forage.
Standlee Premium Western Forage® offers several certified noxious weed-free forage options. “Certified” means that a forage product is free of any noxious weeds. A majority of certified noxious weed-free forage programs are based on weed-free forage standards set by the North American Weed Management Association. NAWMA provides a list of noxious weeds found in North America, and many states start with that list and add other noxious weeds found in their states as qualifying factors. Many states accept these minimum standards.
The benefit of feeding these products is that certified forage products can be fed in protected national and state lands without the risk of spreading unwanted noxious weeds, which squeeze out other naturally occurring vegetation. Certified noxious weed-free products are required by federal and state authorities in protected areas. Each state’s requirement on noxious weed free forage differs, so please check with your state’s Department of Agriculture for specific details.
Learn more about Standlee Premium Western Forage’s certified noxious weed-free products here: http://bit.ly/2NzWhtm
1 Comment
Good information! Just so you know, the North American Weed Management Association is now called the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA). They still have a weed-free forage and gravel program.