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  • From: "William H Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] GAP
  • Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 10:43:06 -0600

Just a reminder, GAP is not law. Even though USDA has drawn up a GAP program, it does not have legal enforcement. Though give a lawyer an inch,….

 

It is a set of standards that are designed to reduce the risk of cross-contamination and deliver safe food. It must be adopted by all steps in the marketing chain to be successful. If buyers like WalMart, Costco and Sysco adopt it, the growers who sell to those companies must comply with it and have a third-party certifier certify that the FARM (not the crop) is complying with GAP. The GAP program can come from USDA or the private sector, like Primus Labs (visit their website). But if the market doesn’t require it, you don’t need to do it. So if you are selling to a farmers market and they don’t ask for it, don’t worry. If you are selling through your own roadside stand, you don’t need to do it. It is a market driven food safety tool.

 

HOWEVER, this is a model that responds to very real consumer concerns about food safety. You can gripe about the media or the science behind food safety all you want. But if your customers want some assurance that someone other than you says your food is safe, GAP is a good tool. Yes, it takes paper work and time to comply. But when you’re done, you can demonstrate that you made every effort to produce safe food. Plus, you have valuable records that allow you to monitor yourself. It can make a huge difference in your ability to learn from your mistakes, to figure out what you did, to make yourself more efficient, to make yourself more profitable, to ensure yourself that, yes, you are growing food as safe as possible. Let your significant other or someone else you trust take care of compliance.

 

But, the downside. Don’t think GAP will go away. How long will it be until your customers start asking questions? I’m very worried that this could hurt a lot of small market farmers who are already doing a good job but the “standards” will start creating questions in consumers’ minds. It could have a big impact on organic agriculture, which already has enemies that would love to see it disappear. It might be necessary some day for organic certifiers to ask if the market will respond to organic if it doesn’t comply with GAP. It could become messy. Keep your eyes open.

 

 

William H. Shoemaker

Sr. Research Specialist, Food Crops

University of Illinois - Crop Sciences

St Charles Horticulture Research Center

535 Randall Road, St Charles, IL, 60174

630-584-7254, FAX-584-4610

wshoemak AT illinois.edu


From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of John and Katy Ehrlich
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 11:26 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] GAP

 

DId I miss a previous post, but where is this GAP coming from?  It has come to our doorstep in Canada, but I do not have the time to attend another govt sponsored workshop, sorry. E coli on my veggies? Are you kidding me? Will they come and arrest me?

 

J

 

 

On 2-Mar-10, at 5:56 PM, Michael Meredith wrote:



Seems to me that a plow and manure spreader device could be built, to plant manure well into the earth, from which those ugly little ecoli beasties could not escape.....

Michael



Regarding the statement below about manure-to-harvest intervals, I'd

be curious to know how many folks on this list have attended GAP

training, and/or how many people are putting GAP into use.  When I

attended an intro session here last month, the recommendation is now

210 days between application of manure and harvest of ANYTHING -

roots, leaves, fruits, whatever.  That sure set us back.  We decided

that knowing the new guidelines, we couldn't in good conscience expand

into a field that would clearly fall between the old 125-day and new

210-day withdrawal period.  One whole field of production - removed

from consideration in 2010.  Anyone else weighing those options?

Kathryn Kerby

Frog Chorus Farm

Snohomish, WA

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John and Katy Ehrlich

Alderlea Farm

3390 Glenora Rd

Duncan, BC V9L 6S1

250 715-0799

 



 

 

 




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