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  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Market-farming GAP/spinach
  • Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2006 20:55:57 -0400

OK, I take back the comment about the audit trail. Since then, I've seen reports to the effect that a) some of the trouble identifying the source was because some of the ill people, while they remembered eating bagged spinach, didn't remember what brand it was or where they bought it (a problem no audit trail will fix, at least unless the audit trail recordkeeping is also inflicted on the final customer, who is unlikely to put up with this, or so I hope); and also that b) at least some of the infected spinach was organic.

If the problem was indeed caused by use of fresh manure on a greens crop for human consumption, they're in violation of the organic standards, which prohibit this, and should be decertified immediately (though don't hold your breath on the USDA permitting the certifying agency to decertify any operation of that size, for any reason). However, as near as I can tell, those blaming manure use are leaping to confusions (yes, that's the word I meant). I don't know whether the source of the pathogen is actually known yet. I heard this morning at market (from a reliable person, though I forgot to ask for the cite as to where she saw it) that the problem had been traced to one packing house, and that both organic and conventional spinach bagged there was implicated. This, if so, might well imply that in addition to their other problems the facility may not have been properly segregating the organic and conventional packing lines; but I suppose they might have a systemic problem with, for example, their wash water. Another poster on this list suggests that the problem may be from polluted floodwaters in the Salinas Valley; if it's that, I would presume that more than one packing operation will wind up being connected with the operation; at least unless all the Salinas spinach in industrial distribution all goes through one plant.

Twenty or thirty people must have said to me this morning at market, "Too bad you don't have any spinach to sell"!

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale


On Sep 16, 2006, at 11:20 AM, Tradingpost wrote:

It appears the problem is in bagging moist greens in airtight bags, an
obvious invitation to pathogen growth, rather than safe use of manure in
the field.

paul tradingpost AT lobo.net
Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.
--Henry David Thoreau
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 9/15/2006 at 7:54 PM road's end farm wrote:

On Sep 15, 2006, at 1:58 PM, nancy a parker wrote:

Will these rules apply to the Farm Market producers also? \Our market
just got in the WIC program so I assume certification will be required?
Nancy, Sulphur Hill Farm garden
_______________________________________________

The WIC program (I think you mean the FMNP coupons, which at least in
New York are available both through WIC and to many senior citizens) is
a different sort of thing entirely. As far as I know GAP certification
isn't required for this, or for any farmer's market sales.

I coordinate FMNP for our market, and am on New York's Ag and Market
mailing list for this; so I think I would know if they were requiring
it. I'll post on the list (after I bounce off the ceiling) if they tell
me it's necessary.

That said, wash your hands and test your produce wash water. It's a
good idea.

Sure wish I had some spinach to sell right now -- it would be a great
chance for one version of the why-to-buy-locally-grown rap. Somebody
somewhere in the mass market food system didn't wash their hands or
didn't test the wash water and now there are people sick in eight
states and the headlines are telling everybody not to eat bagged
spinach. They don't know where the contaminated spinach came from, at
least so far; only organic growers have to do audit trail. (Sigh.)

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale





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