Good Ag Practices

Good Ag Practices. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Good Ag Practices or GAP could be a big boost for local orchardists, farmers and ranchers. Mike Louisell with the Washington Department of Agriculture talks about what GAP is.

LOUISELL: Practicing good agricultural practices for small farms can really help them open up markets that they otherwise might not have because they could become certified that they’re operating their farm in a manner that minimizes the risk of food borne pathogens getting on food products.

WSDA has recently been collaborating with Tilth Producers of Washington and Washington State University’s Small Farms Program to discuss the benefits and accessibility of a GAP audit.

LOUISELL: We have been involved in G-A-P as they are called, GAP audits for the potato industry and some fruit growers since the early part of the last decade. However for small scale farmers it’s a new item. It’s coming into vogue more and more as food safety remains on the minds of people. We’re using some of our auditors and from our fruit and vegetable inspection program who are used to auditing big farms, we’re taking them to some of the smaller farms.

GAP is a completely voluntary program.

LOUISELL: Now is it worth it to them? That’s an individual question farmers are having to ask themselves. Some are. They see it as a way to attract attention to the quality of their farm operations; the safety of it and that means a lot to certain buyers.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.