“It’s been a road.” That’s how Jeff Miller, owner of Willie Green’s Organic Farm, a diversified 85-acre farm in western Washington, described the three-year process it took to get a “certified thumbs-up” for the strict food safety practices he has put into place for his salad greens and baby leaf spinach. 
In doing that,…
Farmers Market Vendors, Managers Get Up To Speed on Food Safety ABCs
No one wants customers to get sick. That was the message that University of Vermont Extension food safety specialist Londa Nwadike used to start off her recent webinar presentation about food safety tips for farmers market vendors and managers. With an eye toward the benefits of following good food safety protocol at markets, Nwadike was…
Should Farmers Market Vendors Carry Product Liability Insurance?
You’re there at your favorite farmers market. As always, you stop by one of the farm stands where you regularly shop to buy some fresh veggies and fruit. The farmer greets you with a welcoming smile and asks how you liked the food you bought from him last week. Giving him a strong affirmative nod,…
Food Safety Wins Thumbs-Up in 2012 Specialty Crop Grants
It’s a green light for food safety from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 specialty crop grants, with 8.4 percent of the total number of grants going to food safety projects – among them research, education, training and initiatives. The focus of many of these grants is directed toward smaller-scale farms. Specialty crops are…
School Kids Chowing Down on Healthier Foods, But Who Are the Food Safety Cops?
The good news for kids this year is that they’re getting healthier foods in the meals they eat at school, thanks to new USDA standards that include a call for more servings of fruit and vegetables, some of which will likely be fresh produce from local farms. But with recent media reports peppered with stories…
Colorado Changes Its Cantaloupe Growing Practices
The few Colorado farmers who grow the same brand of cantaloupe implicated in last year’s Listeria outbreak — the most deadly outbreak of foodborne illness in the U.S. in decades — are falling into line with growing and packing reforms that originated in California.
The California-centered U.S. cantaloupe industry is bending other growing areas to …
Creating a Food Safety Plan for Local Growers
The popularity of farmers markets and direct farm-to-market sales, such as Community Supported Agriculture, is growing nationwide. The mission of the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to “strengthen local and regional food systems.”
It’s working. According to the USDA, the numbers of farmers markets across …
Sprouts Pose a Unique Danger, EFSA Says
Following the massive European E. coli outbreak linked to sprouts grown from contaminated seeds this spring, the European Commission requested that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conduct an analysis of the specific threats facing the safety of sprouts and how best to combat them.
Last week the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released the …
Bridging the GAP: Bringing Big Food Safety Regulations to Small Farms
For large farming operations, food safety audits are commonplace. Many buyers require them before purchasing produce. However, small farms are rarely inspected by auditors, because the cost of implementing a safety plan can be too expensive.
That’s where Bridging the GAPs – a program designed to help small and mid-sized growers find a way to…
GlobalGAP Conference in Atlanta Oct. 17-18
The GlobalG.A.P. Tour 2011 conference Oct. 17 and 18 in Atlanta will bring together fresh produce industry-leading speakers and delegates to discuss safety and sustainability in the context of Good Agriculture Practices next week.
Among the scheduled sessions are:
— GAP in a Global Perspective: How to Move an Entire Supply Chain Towards Safety and …