 The following is a production of New Mexico State University. This is a story of two successful agricultural entrepreneurs, Louisa and Jim, who want to expand their business by winning a contract from a new demanding buyer. Their story illustrates some of the benefits and techniques for initiating good agricultural practices, but is no substitute for professional consultation from public sector advisors or private consultants. In addition, government research has shown that consuming fresh fruits and vegetables offers important health benefits. This video is designed to help make the nations already safe fresh produce supply even safer. The events portrayed in this video are fictitious and are for educational purposes only. This is an exciting day. Can you believe we got an appointment with this chef? This is a big deal for us today. Absolutely, but I hope it doesn't take too long because my wife and I have to be salsa dancing by 5.30. Okay, well I'm not the one holding us up. Let's get going. Okay. This is a big day for Jim and Louisa, business partners in a small fresh produce farm. Over the past decade, they have had their good years and their bad years. They even almost went broke a few times, but they have always dreamed of expanding their operation and buying the adjacent farm. To make this dream come true, they must expand their market to a new type of buyer. Today, they have an appointment with one of the region's top chefs, Russell C.U. Their dream is actually within their reach, but as with everything in agriculture, it will take planning and work. What Jim and Louisa will hear today from Russell is what many producers across the United States are hearing from buyers of fresh produce. How seriously they heed the advice Russell gives them could make a big difference in their hopes for the future. As the fresh produce market becomes more competitive and buyers more demanding, producers across the U.S. are looking for ways to make their good farming operations even better. Well, it is beautiful lettuce, but I'll let you add to my list of prepares, but we only use certified GAP process. GAP. What's that? I've never heard of that before. I'm not an electrician, but you can ask Dino Kimodo. He's one of the best produce suppliers. Actually, I know Dino, he's in the call with me and so, yeah, maybe we could give him a call and go out to his farm and find out how he does it to meet your standards. Russell, I want to thank you very much for your time today. I think you can meet your standards and we'll be in touch with Dino. And then we'll be in touch with you. Okay, give it a call. Great. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you very much. Today, Louisa and Jim's potential buyer is going to start a new program. But the problem is they don't even know what GAPs or good agricultural practices are. When Jim visits Dean, he's at first a bit shy asking for advice from a competitor, but Dean puts him at ease. Jim, it's a responsibility of all of us in the industry to be aware of good agricultural practices and to make our industry, which is a safe initiative to begin with, even safer. So it's important for all of us to understand these things and to learn it and it protects all of us that way. Dean explains that GAPs involve a detailed process designed to prevent or reduce microbial contaminants from entering the fresh produce production system. Following GAPs is not always easy, but for demanding buyers like Russell, it's a requirement. So I see this as everybody's responsibility like you were saying. Be responsible for some of these problems and I need to figure out ways to mitigate them. So how do I learn about the actual ways of cleaning up my farm? Jim, I know it's a lot to handle and with our busy work schedule and everything. What I did is I hired a consultant. Although Louisa and Jim decided to use a professional consultant, your local extension office and many universities are staffed with qualified advisors. Hey Jim, what are you up to? Hey Louisa. I'm going over this poster that Dean gave us and wow, there's just a lot to do and I can see that we're going to be spending a lot of money transforming our farm. Yeah, but you know what? I think we know a lot of things that are on this poster already. Right. But I mean, where do we start? There's just so much and you know what? I'm worried. Are we ever going to get a payoff? Well, a payoff as you call it. I think it's just going to come in different forms. You know, expanded markets and you know, confidence in our product and you know what, get this. Maybe in the future, hopefully in a couple of years, a profit. You know, when we start selling to high-end buyers, we could probably see some money coming in. Okay, but you know what? I don't think we should start spending that money just yet. I just don't, I don't know where to start. There's just a lot to do. It's not difficult. It's just, I'm a little confused where to start. Well, I think you'd agree with me. It's about our reputation. We want to be growing and selling the best, clean, safe, healthy produce. Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. Well, I know your fears and I think since you're here and I'm here, why don't we take a look at this poster and let's pick out several things that we can start doing together. You know, take small steps towards getting it all together. Good idea. Yeah. Well, you know, I'm looking at this insecticide area here. They show kind of a bad example. That kind of looks like our farm. Yeah, sure does. I see where we got to go. And so, you know what? I'm going to pick this one for now and start on this. What about you? Okay, well, you know how I've been feeling about having to go behind a tree and our workers having to go, you know, out in the field. What Jim and Louisa have found is a simple roadmap to move their farm toward gap compliance in order to meet the demands of a new buyer. Definitely. They decide to make some critically important improvements immediately. Louisa says she will start with worker hygiene and Jim is going to tackle their use and storage of crop protection agents. It won't be easy, but the payoff will make it worth all the hard work. Louisa has always been concerned about some of the workers' common hygiene habits. Although the workers are welcome to use the toilets at the farm office, in reality many just take advantage of a nearby bush. Louisa knows this means they are not washing their hands properly. She intends this to stop immediately. Louisa gets worker hygiene regulations off the web to comply with state and federal requirements. Now she's ready to go shopping for toilet facilities. Louisa is surprised at how many units really do not meet her needs. They all have toilet paper holders inside, but she's looking for units that will hold lots of toilet paper. Running out would be bad news. Next, Louisa looks at the hand washing facilities. First, she wants it to be outside, not inside. Among other things, this will help ensure that all workers actually wash their hands. In addition, Louisa is looking for a large soap dispenser. She needs a paper towel holder that dispenses single-use paper towels. She also wants attached trash cans for the used paper towels. Louisa checks to be sure that the tank can keep the water clean and sanitary, and that it is easy to clean and sanitize on a regular basis. She also wants to be sure the used water never runs onto the ground, but instead is caught so it can be disposed of far from her food crops. Once she finds the ideal unit, she signs a contract that covers delivery, cleaning, supplies, and maintenance. This relieves her of a lot of maintenance headaches and provides written documentation that she rented enough toilets for the number of workers she has and that everything, including cleaning and restocking, is up to standards. Louisa has ordered the unit on wheels so she can always have it close to her workers and post signs to remind workers to wash their hands after using the toilet. Louisa knows these new toilet and hand washing facilities will make her workers much happier and will also make improvements towards the safety of her produce. She realizes this first step wasn't really all that hard. Jim wanted to start on the Crop Protection Agent Guidelines because he was trained by the university's extension program and received his applicator's license. He's proud of the Crop Protection Agent file he maintains, complete with copies of labels and material safety data sheets or the MSDSs. He always records the agent mix ratios and equipment inspections. He's proud of his written records. Jim has been careful to document that harvesters observe the legal time between his last spray and worker reentry to protect his workers. Jim also follows the approved harvest interval to help ensure that no illegal residues remain on his crop. But in reviewing his class notes, Jim realizes he needs to double-check that his workers are calibrating the spray equipment frequently and recording all their maintenance. I'm not quite sure about this. Maybe a checklist will help. Jim reminds the workers to check the calibration before each spray and makes Dennis responsible for record keeping and periodic inspections. You know, Dennis, this is really important to do this. You're doing a couple things for us. You're saving us money. You're pulling our pass. And we're keeping out of the trouble of having illegal residues. So it's really important that you're doing this and you're doing a good job. This calibration will save Jim money. Crop protection agents are expensive. Well, Jim has put off his last stop as long as he can. He's going to inspect his crop protection agent storage area. Jim always knew his storage unit was cluttered, but looking at it objectively, he can see it could be a source of contamination if he doesn't act now. He knows pesticide containers shouldn't be sitting on top of product shipping containers. He also knows all crop protection agents should be organized, separated, and locked up. He's just been too busy, and this looks like a big job. But Jim remembers his farm's commitment to provide consumers with safe produce and to protect his workers at the same time. He wants an operation he can be proud of, so he decides today is the day. In less time than he would have guessed, Jim has a good system for the farm's crop protection agents, complete with good documentation. Jim feels pretty good. He's solved a problem that's been nagging him for some time. He's eager to share his progress with Louisa and plan their next steps. Hey Jim, I just passed the storage shift. It looks terrific. You did such a great job. Thanks Louisa. I'm feeling actually pretty excited about it myself. It's actually pretty easy, and now that we have it organized, I think we can insist that our employees keep it clean. Well fortunately, we have good employees. All we have to do is get a system in place. We have to train them. And then it's just going to be part of our routine. I just love these gaps. Well, you know, I wouldn't get all that excited just yet. I'm still reluctant. You know, we're spending all this time and I'm worried about whether or not we're really going to be able to get the payback from people like Russell and others. Okay, I'll admit it too. I've been a little bit concerned about that. I wonder, should we get some professional advice? What do you think? Maybe someone to keep us on track because otherwise we're just going to lose their direction. I don't know if you and I have the discipline to keep doing this. While Jim and Louisa chose to get coaching from the private sector, there are many universities and extension offices that can provide quality advice. Also, depending on the size and quality of your farm, coaching may not be necessary. Shortly after they talked to Dean, Jim and Louisa started getting professional guidance from a private consultant specializing in gap certification. Other nearby farmers are using qualified government, university and industry resources. But Jim and Louisa were so busy they opted for a private consultant and they're glad they did. In any case, the advice this consultant gives Louisa can benefit any producer wanting to understand good agricultural practices. So let's listen in. In a very methodical way and that's what we want. Did the mitigation checklist that I gave you help you going through the process? Craig, it sure did. It made the process so much easier. Yes, and we've been actually incorporating good agricultural practices into our standard farm procedures to meet the requirements of more particular buyers such as Russell. And Jim and I are excited to get this process into action. That's really great. Let's take a look at what you've done to date and see what else we need to do. The three talk about what hard work it was to get ready for this farm visit today and all they learned about their own farming practices in the process. Louisa took on the challenge of learning the history of the land they were planning to buy so they could expand their operation. Before they invested in the land next door, Craig told her to do a title search and detailed investigation of the prior land use. She checked the public records and the prior owner's records to be sure the land was historically used only to produce food crops and not used for industrial purposes or to raise livestock such as cattle or chickens. Thankfully, she discovered the land was only used for food crop production for over 50 years and there was no history of chemical and microbial contamination to be concerned about. Jim took on the task of detailing the land surrounding the plot they hoped to buy was used for. He started with an accurate map and marked what all the land around it was used for. At first, Jim didn't understand why a neighbor's land use could really affect his cropping plans. But when Craig told him to map out the direction runoff water flowed from the neighbor's land and how hard and which way the wind blew, Jim got the picture. Jim's cousin out in New Mexico had to adjust his plans for the neighbor's existing land use. He wanted to grow fresh leaf lettuce, but then realized that the wind and runoff from a nearby dairy might carry pathogens onto his fields. So today, Jim's cousin is earning less than he had hoped, growing a non-food crop. Luckily, Jim found no major problems with their land, but just to be sure it stays that way, he's improved his fence to keep the neighbor's horse from wandering onto his land. Well, let's talk about fertilizer and compost next, and Luisa, that was your task. That's right, Craig, and let me tell you everything about compost, I'm the person now, I know it all. She was responsible for the fertilizer use records on their farm. She discovered that the compost they buy follows a tested and certified method to reduce microbial contamination. Luisa actually went to the supplier to inspect their process for herself. She learned they carefully controlled the process, including the time, temperature, and number of turns used to make the compost. The owners then tested each lot at a certified lab to assure that it did not contain pathogenic bacteria. Luisa established a farm policy to only buy compost that has been tested and shown to be free of pathogenic bacteria. Jim and Luisa buy commercial soil amendments and fertilizers only from reputable manufacturers who follow their industry's best practices. With Craig's help, Luisa set up fertilizer application records for each individual field. She added the manufacturers' certified analysis of their product and set up a weekly time to update her records. Jim and Luisa are learning that running a top quality operation is only half the task. They must also document all their efforts before they can be audited and certified. Jim and Luisa have also learned that while the entire process may seem overwhelming by working on little steps every day, it really doesn't take that long. And along the way they continue uncovering ways to make their operation more efficient in many unexpected ways. Jim and Luisa told Craig that their cheapest source of water was the stream that ran through their property. They wanted to use it if testing proved the water was safe. At the same time, they tested the well water. But the test results showed the stream contaminated with E. coli. So the farm would need to rely on the well water for food crop related water needs. Now Farm Policy tells workers to only use well water for any operation where the water will come into contact with the edible portion of the crops. After all these months, keeping records has become second nature to Jim. So he made a folder for all his water test results and has established an annual water test as Farm Policy. This is all part of their farm gaps. Luisa worked with Craig to develop worker training and hygiene policies for their farm and set up regular employee training sessions. This allows her to update them on new farm policies to improve the sanitation of their processes. The farm now has a written policy that all workers must wash their hands after eating, going to the bathroom, taking breaks when they return to harvesting or handling the product. She insists that sick workers are either allowed to go home, sent to the doctor, or temporarily assigned to tasks where they do not have contact with the fresh produce. At least once a month, Luisa and Jim schedule a time to update workers on new safety regulations and procedures and to reinforce the gaps, especially those involving cleaning and sanitation. They document the ongoing program to keep workers trained and reminded of critical points that affect the safety of their product, thereby helping to protect the reputation of their farm and the industry. If a cut happens on the job and there is any chance that blood touched the fresh produce, all potentially contaminated produce is thrown away. Jim and Luisa have worked too hard to endanger their good reputation over just a few dollars worth of produce. In the long run, they know it is a small price to pay for a top reputation. Luisa also established written policies that all harvest tools are washed and cleaned with potable water and rinsed with a food quality sanitizer. The farm now has written policies that are enforced to ensure that all washing and packing areas are kept clean, dust free, and sanitized. Here, Craig shows Jim how to measure the freshwater sanitizer. All the bins and trays holding the fresh produce are sanitized and only new bags and boxes are used. All packing materials are stored off the floor and away from chemicals. The storage unit is set up to ensure contamination from birds, rodents, or insects will not occur. And just to be sure, Jim sets out non-bait rodent traps spaced at recommended intervals and makes a map of the traps. He then establishes a schedule to frequently check and change out the traps. Packed product is kept in a clean, well-maintained cold room at the optimum temperature to maintain post-harvest quality and to reduce microbial growth. Jim and Luisa have worked hard to produce their crop and maintain high standards for quality and safety. They have labeled every box with tracking codes to allow for traceback and safety problems. They have also set up systems to maintain these standards through the last phase of their process, transportation to the buyer. Jim once thought he was saving money by hiring discount shippers to take his produce to market. Then he talked to Dean again. We have a checklist that we go through that will tell you the cleanliness of the van and the temperature that we want to ship our produce at. So it's a way to use another shipper then I think you'll be okay. Over time, Jim came to agree with Dean's logic and adopted the same policies. Now he follows a pre-shipment checklist for all trucks and uses only trucks that are clean and have pre-tested refrigeration equipment. And this is a big day for Jim and Luisa. Their first shipment of fresh produce to new client Russell C.U. is on its way. We are. Just close it up over there and let's get them on their way. Looks like a good shipment. Absolutely. Finally, all their hard work is paid off. They're selling more lettuce and other produce such as tomatoes than they ever did and they have a reputation as a preferred supplier. Jim and Luisa know this is no time to relax. Record keeping, work training and process monitoring will always continue. But now that the system is set up and they can see the benefits of their improved marketing position, Jim and Luisa are determined to maintain their reputation as one of the best producers in their industry. The preceding was a production of New Mexico State University. The views and opinions in this program are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the NMSU Board of Regents.