Good Ag Practices Part 2

Good Ag Practices Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Many large ag operations have discovered that being a part of the Good Agricultural Practices program can benefit their bottom line. Mike Louisell with the Washington Department of Agriculture says lately they have been reaching out to the smaller ag operation.

LOUISELL: We’re talking them to some of the smaller farms, giving advice to a farmer. Giving them a - you could call it a pre-audit view of their farm operations, making sure for such things as they have good product traceback efforts. They are able to manage their manure in an adequate way to prevent contamination. We’re looking at worker sanitation issues to make sure it’s not an employee who is causing a food borne outbreak down the road.

He says farmers are responding to it.

LOUISELL: Washington State Department of Agriculture has a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture under what we call the specialty crop area where fruits and vegetable producers particularly and other specialty crop growers can learn from us; get a pre-audit at no cost to learn more about what are these food safety guidelines at farms and how can farmers address food safety from farm to market.

It’s up the individual farmers whether or not they want to then pay to have a full Good Ag Practice audit and become a certified GAP operation. If you’d like more information on this, contact the Washington Department of Ag.

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