Proof, not attendance.
Five levels. Each one takes a test, evidence anyone can check, and two people who sign off. No one certifies anyone alone, and everything is public. Sitting through a class earns a badge. Doing the work earns a level.
The ladder
You can't start a level until the one below it is certified. Level 1 has no prerequisite.
| Level | Test | Evidence | Approval (two keys) | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Practitioner | Level 1 exam: 60 questions drawn from 130, 80% to pass | One Bed, Six Weeks: one bed, from the soil foundation drench through six weeks of growth, photographed every week | An instructor (Level 2 or up) and a second reviewer | None |
| 2 Manufacturer | Tasting: every solution you make is tasted by a verifier, in person or on video | Make the Nine: every solution made by hand and recorded, from Food to Foundation Microbes | A Level 4 instructor and a second reviewer | None |
| 3 Mentor | Read the Plant: six cases from your own crops, each with what you prescribed and what happened | Teach-back: a recorded lesson of 20 minutes or more, with three students' feedback | A Level 4 instructor and a committee member | Every 2 years |
| 4 Instructor | A public scorecard in good standing | Five students taught to a level award, at least one of them to Level 2 | Two Level 4 peers and the committee chair | Every 2 years |
| 5 Director | — | — | A resolution of the board, on the governance record | — |
Three proofs
1. A test
Show you know it: the exam, a tasting, reading a plant. Each level has its own.
2. Evidence
Show you did it: a practical, entry by entry, with photos and numbers. Approved entry by entry.
3. Approval
Two people sign off, neither of them you. Only then is the level certified. Anything missing, and it's provisional.
Two keys
No one certifies anyone alone. Every level, and every specialty, needs a second approver who isn't your instructor. A share of approvals (20%) is drawn at random for a second look. Teachers are judged by their students: every instructor has a public scorecard showing who they taught, what they approved, and how it held up on audit.
Founding reviewers are the members of the Membership & Certification committee, seated by the board. Until 3 people are certified Level 4, they stand in for Level 4 reviewers. Then the bootstrap ends on its own.
Everything is public
Every practical entry, photo, taste and review is on the record, with who approved what and when. Approved evidence can't be edited: a change makes a new version that needs approving again, and a level already awarded needs two fresh keys. Any member can flag an entry that looks wrong, and the certification committee audits it. Your email and phone are never shown.
Specialties
Alongside the ladder, not rungs on it. Each one takes its training badge and a results practical, approved with two keys: every entry approved, then a second reviewer looks over the whole thing. Master Cho's rule: the certificate comes after you've raised the birds.
- Nutrient Cycle: the Master Cho on the Nutritive Cycle badge, plus a badge from one of Hilo 2016, Papaikou 2017, Hawaii 2018.
- Orchard and Fruit: the Korea 2017 Fruit badge.
- Poultry: the Korea 2017 Poultry badge.
- Swine: the Korea 2017 Swine badge.
- Tasting and Verifying: Level 2 certified, plus 10 audited tastes of other people's solutions.
Training badges
Watch one of Master Cho's recorded trainings, then pass its quiz: 10 questions, 80% to pass, retake as often as you like. You earn "Attended virtually" for that training, with a code anyone can check. A badge is attendance, not a level, but it counts toward specialties and renewal. Quizzes are for members (membership is $60 a year).
Renewal
Levels 3 and 4 last 2 years. To renew, earn a training badge in that window, and a committee member records the renewal. You get a reminder 60 days out. Miss it and the level shows as lapsed on your record until you renew. Levels 1 and 2 don't expire.
How to check a certificate
Every certificate prints a 10-character code and a QR code. Type the code in at pureknf.org/verify to see who holds it, at what level, who trained and approved them, and whether it's current. Or look someone up in the directory. The old knfcertification.org record (2017–2021) is in the archive.
Start with Level 1
Take the exam and start One Bed, Six Weeks. Pick an instructor; everything you post is public.