Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks. U-Pick Operations U-PICK OPERATIONS

Transcription

1 Food Safety Begins on Farm: A Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks U-Pick Operations U-PICK OPERATIONS

2 U-PICK OPERATIONS U-Pick Operations Pick your own or U-pick operations offer agricultural experiences children adults alike. These operations provide food, fun, education even exercise. U-pick farms also play an important role to agriculture, connecting local community to farmers. These operations attractive to farmers because customers provide labor needed to harvest crops. As indicated in previous worksheets, much eft hard work has taken place to ensure quality safety of crop long bee customers enter field. However, customers can carry spread microbial pathogens like any or farm worker. Encouraging customers to wash ir hs prior to after picking sends a positive message about farm stewardship reduces microbial risks. Providing clean, accessible restrooms hwashing essential, along with posting signs encouraging visitors to use se. Animal control in all produce fields is important reducing microbial risks. Pets or or domestic animals, such as goats, chickens or geese, should never be allowed in U-pick fields. Limiting wild animal traffic in fields will reduce crop losses caused by opportunistic feeding. Both domestic wild animal feces can transmit human pathogens, so keeping m out of produce fields is important. If straw or or mulch is used weed suppression or to line rows u-pick customers, be sure it is clean free of animal fecal material. Do not use straw that was previously used as animal bedding or may have been contaminated with animal manure in some or way. There many ways to reduce microbial risks at pick your own operations. Several outlined in this assessment should be simple to implement. These practices can help keep U-pick image wholesome, fun safe. The important thing is to provide safe, high quality produce that will keep u-pick customers coming back to farm. Providing clean, accessible restrooms hwashing essential, along with posting signs encouraging visitors to use se.

3 Good Agricultural s s Requiring Attention Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks U-Pick Operations 1 U-Pick Operations Adjustments Minor Needed Exist; Concerns Examine Improvement: Needs Here Changes Prioritize Location of h washing hwashing readily use customer available walk). minute 5 (within hwashing 5 a than farr walk. minute hwashing or s No available customers. cleaning Maintenance hwashing of hwashing Toilet daily, soap water, clean provided towels paper stocked regularly A cleaning hwashing. indicating kept is record individual date, time, work. permed who times 2 monitored not but week per y Sometimes daily. water soap, with stocked not h towels paper washing. hwashing only weekly. monitored hwashing when about complain customers status. quality Signage h washing. mark clearly Signs request locations hs ir wash customers to prior, using after bee fields, entering display Signs eating. h proper instructions in written washing of language(s) customers. marked, clearly h request signs no but washing. ask to have Customers h s where located. as washing hwashing or s No available customers.

4 U-Pick Operations Good Agricultural s s Requiring Attention Minor Adjustments Needed Concerns Exist; Examine Needs Improvement: Prioritize Changes Here Mulches between U-pick crop rows Mulch used between rows is clean straw, that has not been used previously as animal bedding. Mulch used between crop rows has previously been used as animal bedding, may contain animal manure. Wild animal restriction from production fields irrigation ponds Wild animals excluded (as much as possible) from U-pick fields irrigation ponds using fencing or active deterrents at all times. Wildlife near irrigation ponds is discouraged by limiting weeds or attractants during season. Wild animals excluded as much as possible from U- pick fields irrigation ponds during harvest, using trapping or or means when feasible. No efts have been made to exclude wild animals from U-pick fields irrigation ponds during harvest OR wild animal presence is encouraged as part of entertainment farm. Domesticated animals farm on Pets, including farm animals, never permitted in produce fields, or adjacent fields that may have water or manure runoff into produce fields. Pets farm animals excluded from produce fields, but allowed to graze or roam in adjacent fields. Pets farm animals roam produce fields freely during growing season. Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks U-Pick Operations 2

5 U-Pick Operations Action Plan Date: Reviewer: Field or Commodity: Minor Adjustment Concerns Exist Prioritize Changes Here Your Plans to Reduce Risks Action Person Estimated Target Improvement Responsible Cost Date Location of hwashing Maintenance cleaning of hwashing Signage quality hwashing Mulches between U-pick crop rows Wild animal restriction from production fields irrigation ponds Do not remove. Photocopy this master evaluations. U-Pick Operations Action Plan 1 of 2

6 U-Pick Operations Action Plan Date: Reviewer: Field or Commodity: Minor Adjustment Concerns Exist Prioritize Changes Here Your Plans to Reduce Risks Action Person Estimated Target Improvement Responsible Cost Date Domesticated animals on farm Do not remove. Photocopy this master evaluations. U-Pick Operations Action Plan 2 of 2