Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] New Cooler Construction

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: KAKerby AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] New Cooler Construction
  • Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:02:46 -0500 (EST)

Interesting - when I attended the meeting for GAP a few years ago, the presenters said that it applied to all branches of food production.  While meats and dairy were already fairly well covered by their own rules and regs, and GAP cert. would bring veggie production "into the 21st century of food safety rules" (their words), the presenters said that GAP guidelines applied to any form of food production.  No distinction made in the workshop between folks producing veggies and those producing other edibles.  Folks producing meat and eggs certainly weren't told to go home because it didn't apply to them.  If anything, the presenters said that GAP would streamline a farm's various food safety methods such that all products met newer, more stringent guidelines.  While eggs might not be quite as prone to food safety issues as other foods, because they're cooked first, they certainly aren't immune from such issues.
 
As for our own plans, we did eggs this year but planned to expand to other products in 2013 for that particular food hub.  We already have our egg handler license from the state, but I wondered if offering more products would open us up to needing the GAP cert.  Sounds like there's a good chance it would.
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA
 
In a message dated 12/21/2012 7:49:08 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, artisanfarms AT gmail.com writes:
GAPs is for produce, not eggs. 

I wasn't required to become certified.  I did it as a way to force me to improve my documentation and training procedures.  I hire several people each season and wanted to become more consistent in how they are trained. 

In my area, Central NY, customers are moving towards requiring a harmonized GAPs audit.  This is also the direction the USDA is taking with the GAPs program.  The goal of the harmonized program is to address multiple certification programs within one audit.  Here is more information on the Harmonized GAPs initiative:  http://www.unitedfresh.org/newsviews/gap_harmonization .

Andy

On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 8:55 AM, <KAKerby AT aol.com> wrote:
Andy, I don't recall if you said so earlier, but was this GAP certification voluntary, or do your customers require it?  I know some folks are facing markets where it's not required per regulatations, but as Richard was saying it's getting to be a requirement for some buyers.  Just curious.  We started selling eggs to a regional food hub this past year and planned to expand our offerings in 2013, but I wonder if GAP certification would be a requirement down the road if we took that particular road.  I suspect that it will be, even if it never becomes a regulation.
Kathryn Kerby
Snohomish, WA
 




_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page