Food safety is important on every farm, and
growers have a responsibility to minimize risks
to produce food that is not only wholesome and
nutritious, but also safe.
Why should fruit and vegetable growers be
particularly concerned about food safety?
Most farmers take great pride in growing highquality,
nutritious fruits and vegetables and would
never knowingly produce food that could harm
their customers. And yet, foodborne illnesses that
can be traced back to farms happen, and incidents
increase each year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, one-third of all significant
multistate outbreaks of foodborne illness in 2011
involved fresh produce. The human costs can
be heartbreaking when people die or become
chronically ill. The cost to public health is great
and deserves attention. The economic cost is
enormous, with an estimated $1.4 billion lost
nationally per year from produce-related illnesses,
not including the cost to industry or government.
Everyone benefits when produce is grown that is
nutritious and safe.
Human pathogens, harmful chemicals, or foreign
objects can contaminate produce anywhere along
the supply chain — from farm, to market, to the
consumer’s table. Thoroughly cooking produce
kills pathogens, but consumers eat many fruits and
vegetables without thorough cooking. That’s why it
is critical to prevent contamination.
Preventing contamination on the farm depends
largely on farming and post-harvest practices, not
farm size, distribution area, or revenue. Whether a
farm is big or small; growing melons, tomatoes, or
greens; in a greenhouse or in a field; poor farming
and food handling practices can contaminate
produce. Implementing good agricultural
practices (GAPs) is the best way to protect your
customers, your business, and the produce
industry as a whole.
GAPs are farming practices that focus on
preventing contamination of fruits and vegetables
on the farm. Taking reasonable steps to prevent
a problem in the first place often costs far less
money and time and is more effective than trying
to fix a problem after it arises. Just as farmers tailor
crop production and pest management practices
for their particular operations, farmers should
tailor GAPs to the specifics of their farms.
The following pages highlight some GAPs growers
can follow to reduce the risk of contaminating
produce on the farm. Growers can prevent
contamination at all stages of crop development:
before planting, while the crop is growing, during
harvest, and after harvest.
Before Planting
Follow these GAPs before planting produce to
avoid contaminating the crop:
• Assess the likelihood that the produce will be
thoroughly cooked before being eaten. If it
will not be cooked, then preventing on-farm
contamination from pathogens is especially
important.
• Locate production sites uphill, upstream, and
upwind from areas where manure is stored or
animals are grazed or housed.
• Assess the potential of nearby feedlots, animal
pastures, or livestock farms to contaminate your
produce fields.
• Avoid fields that regularly flood or are exposed
to excessive runoff.
• Store manure away from growing and handling
areas, and store it in a manner that prevents
runoff and wind drift.
• I f you use manure or other animal products
(such as blood meal, bone meal, feather meal) as
soil amendments, reduce the contamination risk
by following one or more of these practices:
 - A pply the soil amendment long before
harvest, preferably when soils are
warm (>50o
F) and nonsaturated. We
recommend applying untreated manure
at least nine months before harvesting
produce, ideally to a cover or agronomic
crop. Specific audit or certification
programs may require longer or shorter
periods between application and harvest
(for example, the USDA National
Organic Program requires only 120 days
for many crops).
 - Incorporate the amendment if possible.
 - Apply soil amendments so they don’t
contact the produce.
 - Compost the amendment before applying it. Use a compost process that meets
the USDA National Organic Program
(NOP) compost standard or purchase
compost from a supplier who provides
documentation that their process meets
the standard —more information about
the NOP standard is available from the
U.S. Government Printing Office website,
see www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a
c6d95fb8c0e78bef7e73bb10d83aca4&nod
e=7:3.1.1.9.32.3.354.4&rgn=div8.
 - Treat amendments with heat, chemicals,
or other means that reduce pathogens.
Always retain documentation of such
treatment.
• Record all soil amendment sources, application
dates, and methods of composting or treatment.
• Ensure that animal holding areas and manure
staging areas are far enough from wells to
prevent contamination.
• Avoid locating wells in flood zones or downhill
from other sources of contamination.
• Protect wells with grouting, sanitary caps, and
intact casings.
• Inspect wells and water sources before each
growing season to identify potential sources of
contamination.
• Test water used for drinking and hand washing
to make sure it meets drinking water standards
— is potable. Keep records of tests and results.
During Production
Follow these GAPs while produce crops are
growing to avoid contamination:
• D o not allow domestic, nonworking animals
(pets, chickens, grazing livestock, etc.), to enter
produce fields during growing or harvesting.
• Limit wild animal access to growing areas using
reasonable, appropriate, and legal measures.
Comanage to conserve natural resources and
promote food safety.
• Do not apply manure or animal products during
crop production unless properly composted or
treated (see above).
• If you use well water for irrigation or sprays, test
it for generic E. coli before the growing season,
and continue to test it quarterly. Keep records of
tests and results.
• If you use surface water for irrigation or sprays,
use drip or furrow irrigation to minimize
contact with produce. Avoid using surface water
for overhead irrigation or sprays unless it is
documented to have a low risk of contamination.
Test water sources for generic E. coli before using
each season and regularly during the season.
Keep records of tests and results.
• Provide and maintain an adequate number of
toilet and hand-washing facilities for workers.
Facilities should have toilet paper, running water,
soap, single-use towels, and waste bins.
• Train workers in proper hand-washing methods,
when to wash, and other farm food safety
policies. Post signs as reminders and keep
records of training efforts.
• Ensure that workers wash hands before starting
work, after breaks, and after engaging in nonfood
handling activities such as using the restroom,
handling animals, cleaning equipment, etc.
• Do not allow anyone who has been diagnosed
with a foodborne illness, or who is ill with
vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, or infected wounds
to handle produce or food contact surfaces.
• U se only EPA-approved pesticides and follow all
label instructions.
During Harvest
Follow these GAPs while harvesting produce to
avoid contaminating the crop:
• C lean and sanitize harvest bins, tools, and wagon
beds before using them during harvest.
• Use nonabsorbent, durable, and washable
materials for equipment and tools that directly
contact produce during or after harvest