The Story of Good Natured Family Farms

How we Got Started

Family farm looking for new marketing opportunities

Mission

To bring high quality Local food and food products from sustainable family farms to

consumers, especially vulnerable communities.

GNFF Today

Alliance of over 100 farms & wide variety of products

Produce, Dairy, Honey, Eggs, Meat, Value-Added

Partnerships

SYSCO

Balls

USDA

Food Hubs - Distribution

Kansas City

St. Louis - 2016

Food Safety - GAP

Social Activities and Grant Funding

Vulnerable Communities (accessibility & affordability issues)

Problems that GNFF Can Help Solve

Transporation

Refrigerated Trucks

Growers Working Together

Aggregation

More Food Hubs, sensibly located

Distribution and Sales

STRONG, established PARTNERSHIPS and Connections

Food Safety - GAP Certification

Branding and Marketing

Competing Against “Bandwagon” Programs

Become Part of “Something Bigger”

Economic Sustainability

GNFF-BFBL Grower Criteria

1. Grow products within a 250 mile radius.

2. Grow on small family size farms.

3. Grow using environmentally sustainable methods with minimal use of

pesticides.

4. Raise animals free-range without the use of growth hormones and

sub-therapeutic antibiotics.

5. Use no genetically modified seed varieties or livestock breeds.

6. Process locally using traditional handcrafted artisan methods with

minimal/no use of artificial ingredients or preservatives.

7. Enhance the environment, reduce pollution, and practice social

responsibility.

8. Stimulate and support local and rural economies.

9. Use the breeds and varieties best suited to produce the highest quality

products for the KC metro area.

10. In order to provide product to

SYSCO, GNFF Growers MUST be

USDA Good Agricultural Practices

(GAP) certified.

USDA GAP Food

Safety CertificationUSDA GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) is the

Industry Standard in farm food safety systems,

designed to reduce microbial contamination

and other potential hazards. Good Natured

Family Farms is on the leading edge of GAP

and has been selected as a pilot program by

the USDA and by Primus, as well as a recent

grant recipient from the Wallace Center to

assist more small farms with this important

certification.

Just Announced: GNFF GAP

Manual Building Workshop in

Springfield Dec. 5th, 2015

You’ve heard and learned a lot about GAP…..

as well as FSMA, so…..

NOW WHAT?Manageable Options for Getting Certified

Why Become GAP Certified?

●Help Assure a Safe, Quality Product

●Increase Sales and Profits

○Access to Procurers

●Families and Employees

●Someday, it may be required

○Currently VOLUNTARY

FSMA vs GAP

https://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/expert-tip-im-

gaps-certified-am-i-also-fsma-compliant/

NO INTERNET - CLICK HERE

● Primus “Local Farmer” Program

○ culminates in USDA GAP certification

○ broken down into 5 manageable steps

○ culminates in USDA GAP Certification

○ inclusion into searchable database for procurers

● USDA - GNFF “Group GAP” Program

○ Shared Experience, Expertise, Resources, Workload, and Costs

○ Only a random sample of farms are externally audited

■ all farms are audited internally (by the group)

○ Same checklist for greenhouses and hydroponics

Same Forms & Manuals can be used for Both

Two Options from Good Natured Family Farms

Option One: Primus “Local Farmer” Program

● Get Started IMMEDIATELY if you choose this option

○ Limited Scholarships Available

● http://www.localfarmerprogram.com

● 5 Step Program○ 1 - online training

○ 2 - build your manual

■ templates available

○ 3 - Audit your own farm

○ 4 - Audit by “Regional Independent Verifier”

○ 5 - USDA Audit

● Procurer Database “Matchmaker”

○ Different level requirements for each procurer

○ SYSCO, Chipotle

STEP ONE: BASIC TRAINING

Personalized Food Safety Plan Development

● Apply knowledge already gained

○ workshops, etc…

● GNFF Online Class

○ Self-Paced

○ Grant Funded

● Take test and then Upload GNFF Certificate

I. Why a Food Safety Program?

a. Protecting Consumers

b. Protecting Farm Reputation and

Product Industry

c. Laws, Commodity Specific Guidelines

and/or Best Practices

d. Procurer Requirements (Market

Access)

e. What is the Return on Investment?

II. Four Elements to a Good Program

a. Creating Farm Policies and

Procedures

b. Training Family and Employees

c. Keeping Records of Food Safety

Activity

d. Conducting a Self Audit

III. Creating a Personalized Food Safety Plan

(PFSP)

a. Learning to use Audit Checklists to

your Advantage

III. continued…

b. Manual Development Toolkits

c. Logging and Recording Examples

d. Putting it all Together in a PFSP

Manual

IV. On Farm Training

a. Extending Your New Knowledge and

PFSP to Family and Employees

b. Combine Logs

c. Make Logs Easily Accessible

V. Assess Further Needs of Participants

a. Mock Audit Experience

VII. Local Farmer Program Continuation

a. Completing the Program

b. Using the Website

c. Promoting Your Progress – The

Progress Tracker

d. Success in Networking

VIII. What’s the Next Step?

EXAMPLE TRAINING OUTLINE

Water Sampling

● Corrective Measures for

Unsuitable Testing

Results

● Blood Contamination

● Bathroom Cleaning

● Discarding Products that

hit the ground

● Cleaning of Grading and

Packing Tables

● Food Safety Training

STEP TWO: Manual Development

Say What You Do!

examples

● Risk Evaluation of

Animal Grazing

● Soil Tests on Flooded

Areas

● Compost Use records

● Biosolid Use

● Compost Supplier

Certificate

● Water Inspections and

Treatments

Crop Protection Products

● Bathroom Cleaning

● Reusable Container

Cleaning and Sanitation

● Harvest Tool

Maintenance

● Harvest Tool Cleaning

● Self Audit

STEP TWO: Manual Development

Do What You Say & Keep Records

Manual Development Toolkits

Toolkits are available and

designed to help you help

farmers create policies and

records needed by

providing simple generic

pre-made documents ready

to edit and adapt for each

farms often unique

requirements.

http://intranet.primuslabs.com/Tool

kit/User/Default.aspx

https://onfarmfoodsafety.org/loginr

edirect_to=http://onfarmfoodsafe

ty.org/create-a-food-safety-

manual

http://extension.psu.edu/food/safet

y/farm/how-do-i-write-a-food-

safety-plan

http://extension.umass.edu/nutritio

n/programs/food-

safety/programs/good-

agricultural-practices/gap-

manual

ROBUST RESOURCES ON THE LFP WEBSITE

Verify it!

You will GAP audit yourself, and keep all

records and documents from the audit.

Use the USDA GAP/GHP Checklist or the

Primus Checklist

STEP THREE: Self Audit

● Primus has a growing network of “Regional

Independent Verifiers. Contact them when you

are ready to have your farm audited for Step 4.

● There is a fee involved

● GNFF will be hosting a workshop to train local

verifiers

○ More Accessible

○ More Familiar

○ More Affordable

STEP FOUR: Independent Audit

●Can be USDA or Primus

●Reimbursement

○90% in Missouri

○50% in Kansas

STEP FIVE: External Audit

Procurer Requirements (Market Access)

●“Matchmaker” Service

○Current Procurers

■SYSCO

■Chipotle

■Institutions

■Local Stores & Restaurants

Mobile Ap

● Linking LFP Growers with Buyers

○ Buyers have varying requirements within the 5 steps

■ for example, SYSCO will buy at Step 4 (one step

below full USDA GAP Certification for ONE year,

then graduate to step 5)

http://www.localfarmerprogram.com/Farmers.aspx?HeadOptI

d=1&IdCall=3#Id=3

Option Two: USDA GNFF “Group GAP”

What is “Group GAP”

● Pilot Program conducted by the USDA

amongst 12 groups across of small farms

across the country (pilot ends in 2016)

○ QMS

○ Collaborative Manual Building

○ Internal Audits on All Farms

○ External Audits (USDA) on Selected

Farms (approx. 20%)

● After successful External Audits on the

sample farms, all farms in the group

receive full USDA GAP Certification.

NEW!

GNFF will Now Have Two “Groups”

● TWO Groups

○ Amish Methods

○ Modern Methods

● Geography no longer matters

● Greenhouses and hydroponics will follow

the same USDA checklist as other farms

GNFF Group GAP Requirements

● Annual meeting

○ Communication

○ Manual Building

○ Program Improvement

● All farms follow the system (QMS) and maintain

records

● Annually

○ 1 unannounced internal visit (less formal)

○ 1 internal audit - scheduled

○ 20% of farms receive USDA audit - scheduled

○ NOTE: internal means someone from our group

■ member farmers & GNFF staff can be trained as

internal auditors to spread out the workload

● Sell to GNFF

○ NOT exclusive nor contractual

What is a GAP Manual

● Notebook stating your farm’s policies to address the

items in the USDA GAP/GHP Checklist

● Can be modelled after GNFF or LFP Templates, but

each farm will customize to match their operation

○ Manual Building Workshop in Springfield on

December 5th

■ Primus and GNFF Certified Trainers

○ Annual Workshops for each of the two GNFF

Groups

■ Amish Methods Group

■ Traditional Methods Group

● Can be handwritten or computer generated

Required Forms & Records(varies by farm)

● Each farm will have a record keeping system

accessible by auditors (internal & external)

○ Notebook

○ Clipboards

○ Whatever Works

● Farms will post required signs (provided) - especially

in packing area

● Current List of GNFF Group GAP Forms & Records

● Samples of Forms

● Samples of Signs

Questions???

Q: I already have a manual started (or completed), can I use that one?

A: YES! It will need to be aligned with the GNFF QMS and the USDA

Checklist.

Q:

A:

Summary

● Primus Local Farmer

○ Online, Organized, Systematic

○ Individualized

○ Access to Procurers via Database

● USDA Group GAP

○ Established

○ Group Effort

○ Cost Savings

○ Doesn’t reinvent the wheel

● Good News - “Hybrid”

○ You can do both

○ Group GAP fits right into the 5 Steps of the Primus Local

Farmer Program

■ annual fee (scholarships available for the first year)

○ Primary Benefit is inclusion in the Procurer Database

(mobile app)

Thanks!

Contact Info: Tony Schwager, GNFF

email: gaptraining@gnff.org

phone: 913-608-GNFF

see You on December 5th?

FSMA vs GAPUnderstanding the difference between GAPs certification and The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will be essential for growers. Simply put, Good Agricultural Practices

(GAPs) is a voluntary food safety program driven by buyers, whereas FSMA is law. FSMA is meant to be a uniform, minimum requirement for food safety that all produce

growers must adhere to. Even if a farm is FSMA compliant, chances are a buyer maintaining higher food safety standards will require farms to have a 3rd Party GAPs

certification under one (or more) of the GAPs brands in order to sell to them. For instance, a grower may have one buyer that is requiring Primus GAPs and another buyer

requiring USDA GAPs. Buyers strictly define their requirements, so it is best to identify your buyer and know what their standards are before undergoing a GAPs audit. The

USDA stated in a recent listening session held at A&T University that they have plans to revise their audit standards, ensuring growers will be FSMA complaint if they undergo

the USDA GAP/GHP audit. In order for this to happen; however, the USDA must wait until the FDA releases the final produce rules in late 2015. They will modify their current

standards based on the new rules. Of course, there is always an exception to every rule. Farms that gross less than $25,000 per year in produce sales alone are most likely

going to be exempt from FSMA. This does not make growers exempt from any additional buyer requirements, nor does it lessen a grower’s responsibility to sell safe produce. If

you are exempt from FSMA, we still encourage you to implement a food safety program on your farm. In many cases, a management decision will have to be made as you

weigh the cost of complying with the different GAP brands against the volume of produce you anticipate selling to the buyer. It may not be financially feasible to undergo more

than one audit within a given year to comply with multiple buyer food safety standards. Carefully consider the financial benefits and communicate with your buyer to determine

their requirements. Try to identify a common GAP brand that will satisfy all buyers. Produce standards used in various GAPs brands in North America are nearly equivalent.

Advocate for your farm and ensure the buyer that you understand your role in growing and handling produce safely. Understanding the difference between GAPs certification

and The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will be essential for growers. Simply put, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) is a voluntary food safety program driven by

buyers, whereas FSMA is law. FSMA is meant to be a uniform, minimum requirement for food safety that all produce growers must adhere to. Even if a farm is FSMA compliant,

chances are a buyer maintaining higher food safety standards will require farms to have a 3rd Party GAPs certification under one (or more) of the GAPs brands in order to sell to

them. For instance, a grower may have one buyer that is requiring Primus GAPs and another buyer requiring USDA GAPs. Buyers strictly define their requirements, so it is best

to identify your buyer and know what their standards are before undergoing a GAPs audit. The USDA stated in a recent listening session held at A&T University that they have

plans to revise their audit standards, ensuring growers will be FSMA complaint if they undergo the USDA GAP/GHP audit. In order for this to happen; however, the USDA must

wait until the FDA releases the final produce rules in late 2015. They will modify their current standards based on the new rules. Of course, there is always an exception to every

rule. Farms that gross less than $25,000 per year in produce sales alone are most likely going to be exempt from FSMA. This does not make growers exempt from any additional

buyer requirements, nor does it lessen a grower’s responsibility to sell safe produce. If you are exempt from FSMA, we still encourage you to implement a food safety program on

your farm. In many cases, a management decision will have to be made as you weigh the cost of complying with the different GAP brands against the volume of produce you

anticipate selling to the buyer. It may not be financially feasible to undergo more than one audit within a given year to comply with multiple buyer food safety standards. Carefully

consider the financial benefits and communicate with your buyer to determine their requirements. Try to identify a common GAP brand that will satisfy all buyers. Produce

standards used in various GAPs brands in North America are nearly equivalent. Advocate for your farm and ensure the buyer that you understand your role in growing and

handling produce safely. TAKEN FROM: https://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/expert-tip-im-gaps-certified-am-i-also-fsma-compliant/