To reduce loss and improve the storage quality of high-value crops, consider adding a forced-air cooling system or pre-cooler. Although forced-air technology has been a staple for larger operations dealing in fruits and vegetables for decades, it isn’t often presented as a practical tool for smaller-scale growers. But with a few simple pieces of equipment, almost any grower can add forced-air cooling to their post-harvest process.
Read Jay Dunbar’s expert tip: Forced-Air Cooling Is Economical & GAP-Friendly.
Are you thinking of adding a post-harvest produce washing station to your farm’s infrastructure this upcoming year? If so, here are some things to consider.
Food safety can seem like a maze of rules and regulations. If none of your buyers have demanded that you get GAP (“Good Agricultural Practices”) certified, then maybe you haven’t tried to untangle that maze. You may know that the law governing food safety—the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—is different from GAP certification, but you may also assume your farm is too small to have to worry about FSMA rules.
No matter the size, it is a good idea for all farms to be familiar with FSMA’s basic produce safety rules. Remember that your status under the law can change if you sell more or shift a significant portion of your sales to wholesale. Also, business owners have to stay on top of industry trends to protect their business investments, and FSMA outlines most of the best practices in fresh produce food safety.
Continue reading about readiness reviews, and use this tool that CFSA created to clarify whether you are too small for FSMA rules to affect your farm.
The beginning of the calendar year is the best time to prepare for your GAP audit, even if you don’t get audited until the fall. In this expert tip, we go through some of the initial annual steps needed for a successful and stress-free audit.
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification for produce farmers is a lengthy process, but it can be a rewarding experience. The standards are ever-evolving to ensure consumers are getting the healthiest product. This article will take a brief look into whether your cleaning agents for food, contact surfaces, and produce washing is safe.
The Label is The Law
You and your team have just completed a fresh fruit and vegetable harvest. Now it’s time to wash and prepare your produce for consumers. You fill up your wash sink with water and grab the Clorox.
Read Keisha Rainey’s expert tip: Farmers: Are You Using Safe Products for Food-Contact Surfaces & Washes?
When we think of farming, we rarely associate our farming practices with potentially life-threatening allergens.
Many of the farms I visit are undergoing preparation for their Harmonized GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification, and it is necessary to ask if allergens are present on the farm as part of the standard requirements. I often ask this question to my produce farmers while standing next to a chicken coop brimming with eggs or a picture-perfect peanut field. Commonly, I hear back, “no, no allergens on the farm.”
This is not surprising; many do not realize that six out of the top eight allergens can easily be found on a diversified Carolina farm.
Continue reading Kim Butz’s expert tip: Cross-Contact: Food, Farming, & Allergens
Winter is a great time to reflect on how your last season went and make plans for the upcoming growing season. It’s a good time to develop or review the fertility management plan for your farm. Providing the correct amounts of all the nutrients crops need when they need them most takes planning. Animal-based fertilizers are usually a key component of a sustainable farm’s fertility management plan. They can provide critical plant nutrients; depending on the source, they can also help build organic matter in the soil.
There are many different options when it comes to sourcing these fertilizers. You may already be factoring in cost and availability when choosing your fertilizers, but have you thought about food safety?
If you grow produce, which includes fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms, food safety is something you should keep in mind when using animal-based fertilizers because of their potential to contaminate produce with microorganisms that can make people sick. These include pathogenic E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria, all bacteria associated with animal manure.
When assessing the food safety risks of your fertility management plan, you should think about four broad questions.
Keep reading Sara Runkel’s expert tip: How to Minimize Food Safety Risks When Using Animal-Based Fertilizers
Is your local food business covered by FSMA? Use our interactive guide to find out! This online assessment guides you through key questions to determine if you are exempt, partially exempt, or fully covered by the FSMA’s rules on manufacturing, handling and transporting human food, and explains how to learn more.
Is your farm or business covered by the FSMA Produce Rule? Use our interactive flowchart to find out! This online assessment guides you through key questions that determine if you are exempt, partially-exempt, or fully covered by the Produce Rule, and explains how to learn more about the Rule’s requirements.
