NE IA Farmers focus on Food Safety

By Teresa Wiemerslage, ISU Extension Program Coordinator
wiemer@iastate.edu, 563-794-0599.

8/24/10
Little did I know when I started writing this column last week that one week later, the country would be in the middle of a voluntary recall of over 380 million eggs from two Iowa farms.

Everyone has a responsibility for food safety –from farmer to consumer.  Some fruit and vegetable farmers in northeast Iowa take that responsibility seriously.  This summer, ISU Extension has collaborated with the NE IA Food & Farm Coalition, Cornell University and the USDA to offer the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program, which trains farmers in ways to prevent pathogenic contamination of their food crops.  These farmers know that preventing contamination at the farm is essential to food safety.

The GAP program educates growers about specific handling practices that minimize the risks of food-borne pathogens in the finished product.  These practices include specific techniques for field preparation, harvesting, packing and distribution, and worker hygiene.  Careful documentation of proper procedures is a crucial part of the program, making it possible for farmers and distributors to "prove" the steps they have taken to ensure a safer product.

While Good Agriculture Practices remain a voluntary measure for farmers, they are increasingly important for growers seeking to bring their products to the larger market.  More and more, retail grocery chains and superstores are making GAP certification a requirement, and smaller producers are seeking to band together to cover the costs of the training and audits needed for GAP certification.   

In general, few farmers oppose the concept of food safety standards because they don't want their customers to get sick from their products.  But GAPs is considered a burden by many small farmers who are accustomed to complete freedom in how they grow and harvest.  GAPs certification requires written documentation of a food safety program, including standard operating procedures and logs of numerous farm chores such as worker training, bathroom cleaning, and container cleaning.

GAP certification can also be expensive.  USDA has developed a GAP audit program which charges $92 an hour for the inspection and audit, which can usually be completed in two to six hours, depending on size of the farm and number of crops covered.  Audit costs are particularly onerous for diversified small farms, as the certification requirements are by crop versus a "whole farm" certification.  Many of the GAP requirements, based on industrial forms of production and division of labor, are irrelevant to small producers.

Despite these obstacles, some northeast Iowa farmers have risen to the challenge.  This summer, Iowa farmers are piloting a new "whole farm" USDA GAP audit program.  These farmers are currently developing their farm safety plans and putting the documentation in place to complete a GAP audit this fall.  If all the farms are successful, there will be seventeen farms in northeast Iowa that can add the claim of "GAP certified" to their product.   Now, that will be a statement!