In this video, Tracy Potter Finns and Margaret DeBona from County Rail Farm near Huson, Montana, talk about why they became GAP certified and the process of developing their food safety plan. This is the first in a series of farm based food safety videos that feature farmer's approaches to food safety compliance. Keep watching for more....
Farm Safety Water Testing Now that the food safety regulations are being implemented under the Food Safety Modernization Act, many growers are confused about how the regulations apply to their farms. Regardless of whether a farm is exempt from the regulations or not, it is important to have an understanding of food safety risks on your own farm and apply simple food safety measures. These videos will show farmers approaches to implementing their food safety plans. Regular water testing is required for both Food Safety Modernization and GAP compliance. It depends on the source of the irrigation water. In this video Traci and...
Packing Shed Set Up and Wash Procedures Now that the food safety regulations are being implemented under the Food Safety Modernization Act, many growers are confused about how the regulations apply to their farms. Regardless of whether a farm is exempt from the regulations or not, it is important to have an understanding of food safety risks on your own farm and apply simple food safety measures. These videos will show farmers approaches to implementing their food safety plans. The packing shed and wash area is a critical area to practice food safety. See some simple and effective strategies for sanitizing and...
Field and Harvest PRocedures Now that the food safety regulations are being implemented under the Food Safety Modernization Act, many growers are confused about how the regulations apply to their farms. Regardless of whether a farm is exempt from the regulations or not, it is important to have an understanding of food safety risks on your own farm and apply simple food safety measures. These videos will show farmers approaches to implementing their food safety plans. This video features the pre-harvest safety procedures and food-safety considerations taken by County Rail Farm near Missoula, MT. This video is one of a series....
Food Safety -- Hand Washing Hand washing is a crucial part of any farm's food safety plan. This video shows the simple but effective hand-washing routine Tracy Potter Finns and Margaret DeBona have developed at County Rail Farm near Huson, Montana. Now that the food safety regulations are being implemented under the Food Safety Modernization Act, many growers are confused about how the regulations apply to their farms. Regardless of whether a farm is exempt from the regulations or not, it is important to have an understanding of food safety risks on your own farm and apply simple food safety measures. These videos...
Farm-based Food Safety Recordkeeping One of the more difficult aspects of implementing a food safety plan is the logs and recordkeeping. If you are certified organic there will be some overlap. See how Tracy and Margaret of County Rail Farm near Huson, MT, have developed a system that works for them and their farm. Now that the food safety regulations are being implemented under the Food Safety Modernization Act, many growers are confused about how the regulations apply to their farms. Regardless of whether a farm is exempt from the regulations or not, it is important to have an understanding of food...
Food Safety - A Farmer's Perspective In this video, Tracy Potter Finns and Margaret DeBona from County Rail Farm near Huson, Montana, talk about why they became GAP certified and the process of developing their food safety plan. This is the first in a series of farm based food safety videos that feature farmer's approaches to food safety compliance. Keep watching for more. Due to a rise in major outbreaks of foodborne illnesses from produce farms and facilities that process produce, Congress enacted a bill that expands food safety regulations to the farm level called the Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA....
This video will describe scope four in the GAP audit process. This scope can be included in an audit if a farmer chooses to do so or if a buyer requests it. This section includes many duplicates to scope 3. The video will show how an internal auditor will look at the farmer’s containers and pallets, pest control, refrigeration units, condition of transportation vehicles, worker health and hygiene, and traceability. It will also show how farmers are addressing these issues on their farms. The Internal Gap Audit: Scope Four, Storage and Transportation This video is part of a series made possible through...
This video covers Scope Three of the GAP audit, which addresses steps that take place in the packing facility. This video also will show how the internal auditor considers questions in this section. Questions will include subjects like washing/packing line procedures, packing house worker health and hygiene, general housekeeping, pest control, and traceability. Farmers will describe their packing processes and how they relate to the GAP program. This video is part of a series made possible through funding from from the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Services. The full list of videos in the series is here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
This video will describe and demonstrate the second scope of a GAP audit. This includes pre-harvest risk assessments, sanitation and hygiene in the field, and harvesting and transportation activities. Farmer describe their pre harvest food safety processes and how they address the area in this scope. The Internal GAP Audit: Field Harvest and Field Packing Activities This video is part of a series made possible through funding from from the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Services. The full list of videos in the series is here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
This video will address the components of the first scope of the GAP audit called the “Farm Review”. This section will look specifically at how farmers are approaching assessing water quality, sewage treatment, animals/wildlife/livestock, manure and biosolid management, soil content, and traceability and how this is handled by the internal auditor. Farmers will describe how they approach water testing, animal manure application and traceability on their farms. The Internal GAP Audit: Scope One, The Farm Review This video is part of a series made possible through funding from from the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Services. The full list of videos in the series is...
Every GAP audit will have a section on general questions that relate to the food safety practices on a farm. This is the first set of questions in the audit. The general questions will be both broad and specific with questions like “are employees and visitors following good hygiene/sanitation practices?” and “are readily understandable signs posted instructing employees to wash hands?” Although farms may choose which scopes of a GAP audit they want to include (this may be based on their buyer’s specifications) the general questions will always be part of an audit. The Internal GAP Audit: General Questions This video is...
In this video, our narrator, David Wise, will fill us in on the Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA, its history and the different compliance levels for farmers. He will also talk about the USDA GAP program and the difference between GAP and FSMA. David will also outline the GAP audit process and the function of an internal GAP audit. This video is part of a series made possible through funding from from the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Services....
In this podcast, we hear from Tammy Howard, agriculture specialist at NCAT's Rocky Mountain West office in Butte, Montana, and David Wise, certified Produce Safety trainer and consultant. They talk about a new tool to help farmers navigate the complicated food safety regulatory environment. The Farmer Regulatory Toolkit helps farmers understand the different regulations that might apply to them based on their size and markets. It also provides an additional tool to conduct a quick food safety self-assessment. This innovative tool will create a document that can be used to present to buyers or any markets that may be requiring...
In this episode, NCAT community foods outreach specialist Daniel Prial, and Andy Pressman, director of NCAT’s Northeast Region office in Keene, New Hampshire, talk to Atina Diffley, author of Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works, a 2013 Minnesota Book Award winner. Both Andy and Daniel work with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable agriculture program. Atina is a Minnesota organic farmer and public speaker. Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works is a memoir based on Atina’s life running the Gardens of Eagan organic vegetable farm. Her advocacy has addressed the pressures of suburban development, and she successfully led a legal and citizen campaign...
In this episode, Rock Woods, director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Gulf States Office in Jackson, Mississippi, talks with Dr. William Evans concerning Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards. Dr. Evans is the director of horticulture with Up in Farms LLC. Up in Farms is a food hub located in Jackson. Up in Farms coordinates production schedules with farmers based upon the demand by regional buyers, such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and commercial distributors. It Up also provides support and training necessary to deliver high-quality products on time and at a sustainable price. Additionally, the hub aggregates produce directly...
In this episode, Internal GAP Auditor David Wise talks with Dylan Strike of Strike Farms near Bozeman, Montana, about strategies for keeping rodents out of fields....
In this episode, GAP Internal Auditor David Wise talks with Dylan Strike of Strike Farm near Bozeman, Montana, about his operation's water-safety procedures. The talk is part of a video series, which is available on the ATTRA Youtube Channel, here: Farm-based Approach to Food Safety - The Internal GAP Audit....
In this episode, Traci and Margaret of County Rail Farm near Huson, Montana, discuss their approach to water testing from their irrigation ditch. Organic certifier Jonda Crosby also joins the discussion. This discussion is an excerpt from the videos series Farm-Based Food Safety, which is available on the ATTRA YouTube Channel, at Farm-Based Food Safety....
In this episode, Dylan Strike of Strike Farms near Bozeman, Montana, talks with GAP internal auditor David Wise about the farm's strategy for keeping wildlife and other unwanted animals off the farm....
In this episode, Tracy Potter Finns and Margaret Debona from Country Rail Farm near Huson, Montana, talk about why they became GAP certified and the process of developing their food safety plan. This podcast is also available as part of a video series – Farm Based Food Safety video series. Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. You can get in touch...
David Wise is a farm food-safety consultant in Montana. He currently works with farmers throughout the state on helping them with their GAP certification and doing internal auditing of farmers' food-safety plans. In this episode, Tammy Howard talks with him about the internal audit program and different food safety certification programs throughout the state....
For Texas growers who want to sell to grocery retailers and major distributors, a written farm food-safety plan is mandatory. This webinar, "Food Safety for Organic Growers in Texas," addresses the basics of a farm safety plan and how to get GAP certified. It also provides an update on revisions to the Food Safety Modernization Act. Presenters are Susie Marshall, President of the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) and Dr. Juan Anciso, Extension Specialist in Vegetables and Citrus, Texas A & M University. The webinar was being funded by USDA-Rural Development....
Jan Tusick, Director of the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, discusses GAP, HAACP, and other food safety regulations during the "Entering the Institutional Food Market" conference at the National Center for Appropriate Technology in Butte, Montana, on April 25, 2014....
Answer: Grazing chickens in orchards is mutually beneficial to the birds and for fruit production. Orchards provide shade and food, while chickens control pests, insects, and weeds; eat dropped fruit, which prevents fungus and insect infestations; and…...