Farm Food Safety
It’s a good idea for all farmers to be familiar with what a food safety plan is and make one for their farm. A food safety plan is a written document that details how a farm is reducing your food safety risks. A food safety plan has sections on animals, health and hygiene, employees, land use, soil amendments, traceability, water, and more. Having a food safety plan will help you determine what areas of your farm to prioritize taking food safety actions because they will provide the greatest return on risk reduction.
Good Agricultural Practices (also known as GAPs) are about understanding the potential food safety risks associated with your operation and practical practices that farmers need to adopt/adapt in order to minimize the risk of contaminating the food they produce. (Note there is no such thing as “Zero-Risk.”) Good Agricultural Practices cover the following main areas: 1) water, 2) manure/compost and chemicals, 3) land use and animal access, 4) equipment, tools, and buildings, and 5) employee health and hygiene.
Farmers wishing to sell through NCGA's Harvest Hub are required to submit a farm food safety plan. Farmers selling at NCGA farmers' markets are encouraged but not required to create farm food safety plans.
Good Agricultural Practices (also known as GAPs) are about understanding the potential food safety risks associated with your operation and practical practices that farmers need to adopt/adapt in order to minimize the risk of contaminating the food they produce. (Note there is no such thing as “Zero-Risk.”) Good Agricultural Practices cover the following main areas: 1) water, 2) manure/compost and chemicals, 3) land use and animal access, 4) equipment, tools, and buildings, and 5) employee health and hygiene.
Farmers wishing to sell through NCGA's Harvest Hub are required to submit a farm food safety plan. Farmers selling at NCGA farmers' markets are encouraged but not required to create farm food safety plans.
Resources
Our partners at CAFF (Community Alliance with Family Farmers) have produced a series of useful videos and downloadable resources related to farm food safety.
Find CAFF's entire extensive food safety plan resource page here, or view the select food safety resources below:
Food Safety Plans
Food Safety Plan Template English
Food Safety Plan Template – Spanish (Google Doc)
Farm Risk Assessment (Google Doc)
Fact Sheets & Training Documents
GAPs Outline Handout (Google Doc)
Employee Training Topics (Google Doc)
Sample Employee Training Template (Google Doc)
Policy & Standard Operating Procedures
Standard Operating Procedure How to create Sample Document (Google Doc)
SOP Sample Template (Google Doc)
*Videos english and Spanish are expected in July/August 2024
Do you have further questions?
NCGA - Contact Megan Kenney, Director of Cooperative Distribution, to discuss your farm food safety plan questions in preparation for selling through NCGA's Harvest Hub. [email protected]
CAFF Online Farmer Services - weekly office hours on Mondays (except holidays) from 3:30-4:30. Any farmer or technical service provider can join and ask any food safety questions. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88386524057