Tools for Improving On-farm Food Safety Workshops and Survey of Food Safety Costs

Introduction: Challenges of developing farm food safety plans and implementing best practices can exclude growers from being able to sell to certain markets such as farm-to-school or retail/restaurant buyers, who often require verification of the farmer’s ability to grow, pack, and deliver a safe product. Gaining familiarity with food safety issues can be key in instilling producer confidence to identify and mitigate on-farm contamination risks. In addition producers need to plan for the costs of employing food safety plans to maintain financially viable operations.

Purpose: To assess the situation in Colorado, a food safety cost survey was conducted and the curriculum for Tools for Improving On-Farm Food Safety workshops was developed, delivered, and evaluated by a team which included agri-business, food safety, and outreach professionals. 

Methods: A 19-question survey was distributed to growers (n = 52) and three regional 1-day workshops were offered, divided into 7 sessions: On-Farm Food Safety Planning, Food Safety Landscape, Worker Health and Hygiene, Irrigation Water Management, Harvest and Post-harvest Operations, Traceability and Recall, and Preparing for Audits.

Results: Survey results indicated no correlation (P > 0.05) between operation size and having a plan; 40% of growers with 10 to 100 acre farms were operating without a functional and complete food safety plan. Seventy-nine per cent of workshop attendees reported an increase in their confidence about on-farm food safety, rated as ‘considerably’ or ‘to a great extent,’ while 44% indicated they intended to start developing a plan. Only 17% of participants reported keeping records of on-farm food safety costs. In a 6-month post workshop survey, 67% of participants reported making changes to their food safety plans.

Significance: To improve fresh produce safety and insure viability of direct marketers, farm managers and workers need education and training in best food safety practices and associated financial record-keeping.