The National GAPs Program Food Safety Begins on the Farm An Education and Extension Program Designed to Provide Food Safety Information to Farm Owners, Packing House Operators, Extension Educators, and Agricultural Organizations Food Safety Information to Farm Owners, Packing House Operators, Extension Educators, and Agricultural Organizations

GAPs Project Goals Develop educational materials to inform growers and farm workers about the microbial risks associated with fresh fruit and vegetables and to assist them in controlling these risks. Plan, develop and implement a series of train-the- trainer workshops. Focus on Good Agricultural Practices and Food Safety Assurance for the production of safe fruits and vegetables. Reach Growers throughout the U.S.

A Comprehensive Food Safety Program for Growers and Packers Grower’s Guide GAPs Pamphlet CD-ROM Resource Manual Farm Assessment Exhibit & Poster Farm Worker Education Materials Website:

Grower’s Guide 28-Page, Color Booklet with Specific Recommendations and Discussions about Microbial Risks Associated with Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Information Includes Foodborne Illness Outbreak Statistics and Follows the Production of Fruits and Vegetables from Pre-Planting through Packing on the Farm.

Grower’s Guide

GAPs Pamphlet Highlights Farm Food Safety Issues in a Bulleted Format A Quick Way to Learn about Good Agricultural Practices Available in Spanish Attention Grabbing Informative and Easy to Read

CD-ROM GAPs: An Overview for Growers and Packers Fruit and Vegetable Microbial Safety Issues Microorganisms of Concern in Production Agriculture Reduce Risks of Microbial Contamination During Production Reducing Microbial Risks During Harvest and Postharvest Teaching Adult Learners The National GAPs Program A CD-ROM containing multiple PowerPoint presentations. Ready to use or can be modified as appropriate.

Resource Manual Information Beyond the Grower’s Guide Scientific and General References Fact Sheets Supplier Directory Codes and Regulations Alternative Suggestions

Farm Assessment Provides a variable risk level for farming practices. Unique because it recognizes the variety of farming practices. Evaluates many diverse aspects of fruit and vegetable production.

Exhibit A table top exhibit that can be set up at field days or grower workshops. It weighs 56 lbs, can be shipped by express courier.

Posters A portable roll out poster. Contains similar information as the table top exhibit, but can be rolled up into a shipping tube. Can be customized to your agricultural area and practices. Cost ~ $ A poster designed for direct marketers informing customers what growers are doing to produce safe fruits and vegetables. A set of posters designed to educate farm workers about the importance of proper handwashing and good personal hygiene.

Farm Worker Education Development of an educational program targeted specifically to farm workers. Program development is a collaborative effort with migrant programs, parent organizations, and farm worker associations. Materials in development include a series of photo-novellas, posters, and a video tape on field sanitation and work related hygiene. New York is the pilot state with expansion to GAPs collaborators in other states.

Website

Program Impact The ultimate goal of this program is to reduce microbial risks in fruits and vegetables. The National GAPs Program has focused its efforts on sharing information on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) with growers, farm workers, extension educators, and researchers. This program was developed to be distributed and used by everyone involved in the production and distribution of fruits and vegetables. There are currently 16 states across the nation involved in the GAPs program.

16 States Collaborating Arizona California Colorado Florida Georgia Hawaii Indiana Kansas Michigan Missouri New Jersey New York South Carolina Texas Virginia Washington

The End

Acknowledgements This slide set was created by: Elizabeth A. Bihn and Robert B. Gravani Images provided by: Elizabeth A. Bihn