Food Protection Trends - July/August 2023 - 319

hectares) was skewed higher than the median (2.0 hectares)
because two participants were outliers, producing on very
large farms (more than 40.5 hectares). Both were tree fruit
farmers. On average, those who grew produce indoors had
698 m2
under cover, with a median of 293 m2
. In addition,
four growers, all Amish, indicated they had greenhouses or
high tunnels but did not specify the sizes.
Eighteen females (60%) and 12 males (40%) participated
in the study (Table 2). All but three participants identified
with a special population (participants could select more
than one special population). Twenty indicated they were
local food producers, meaning that most of their produce was
sold within 250 miles of the farm. Seven were Amish, five
operated limited resource farms, and one identified as a racial
or ethnic minority.
Study participants operated small farms in terms of sales
(Table 3). They most commonly sold $25,000 or less of
produce annually (13 participants) or between $25,001 and
$250,000 (13 participants). Two participants sold between
$250,001 and $500,000 per year, and two growers sold more
than $500,000 per year, on average.
Growers belonging to all FSMA coverage categories participated
in the study. The most common category was qualified
exempt (11 participants), closely followed by not covered
because they sold less than $25,000 per year on average (10
participants), fully covered (8 participants), and not covered
because they did not grow covered produce (1 participant)
(21). However, seven participants shared answers that appeared
to contradict with the FSMA coverage status that they
selected. For example, two growers indicated they were fully
or partially covered by FSMA but also indicated they sold
less than $25,000 per year of produce, although any grower
who sells less than $25,000 per year of produce is not covered
by FSMA. This error could indicate that some participants
were mistaken about their FSMA coverage status, annual
sales, or markets. Eleven participants (37%) indicated they
had been inspected for the FSMA PSR, and 19 participants
(63%) indicated had not, although 1 grower later clarified it
was a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) inspection.
What topics covered in the PSA Grower Training
resulted in the most knowledge and behavioral change
among participants?
Cross-contamination was mentioned by 23 participants.
This subject was often brought up in relation to other
topics, such as handwashing, water quality, animal feces,
and cleaning and sanitizing equipment and produce. One
participant stated, " So I know they talked a lot about crosscontamination;
I know that was something that kind of
stands out, and how to prevent cross-contamination. "
As for changes participants made regarding crosscontamination,
three participants did not wash produce
anymore after they learned from the PSA Grower Training
that washing produce was not required under the FSMA
PSR, which helped reduce the chances of contaminating
produce by minimizing the number of times produce is
handled. Three growers mentioned they minimized the
number of times produce is handled by placing harvested
produce directly in crates ready for sale.
When asked to share which information they remembered
from the training, 22 participants mentioned health and
hygiene, mostly related to handwashing. One participant
stated, " Well, I suppose the main thing is just that no matter
what, you just wash your hands constantly and just keep
everything as clean as you possibly can. " Nine growers
made changes in their operations to facilitate handwashing.
Changes included installing designated handwashing
sinks, emphasizing the importance of handwashing during
employee training, and not using the handwashing sink for
washing produce. (Some participants did not distinguish
between handwashing stations and sinks for normal cleaning
of tools.) Two participants said that before the training
they used gloves when handling produce and did not think
hands needed to be washed before donning gloves. After the
PSA Grower Training, the participants no longer required
employees to wear gloves when handling produce. Instead,
they emphasized thorough handwashing.
Cleaning and sanitizing was another prevalent topic,
brought up by 22 participants. Specifically, the cleaning and
sanitizing of equipment such as harvest tables, picking and
packing containers, pack sheds, and sinks were mentioned.
" You need to clean equipment before you sanitize it.
Sanitize[ing] alone isn't something that...qualifies as safe
cleaning, " stated one participant. Another participant
explained how he ensures the cleanliness of the surfaces
his produce touches: " We wash it [the harvest table] down
with soap and water and then spray a disinfectant on it to
make sure that anything we may have missed with the soap
and water is killed with the disinfectant. "
As for changes made, most growers improved their
cleaning and sanitizing practices by adding a sink for washing
crates or containers and tools, modifying the workflow,
training employees, limiting animal movement throughout
the farm, posting signage for guests and visitors, and having a
written food safety plan.
Eighteen participants recalled information related to water
quality and water testing. A participant said, " I remember water
testing. And I remember being careful of contaminants. I
remember different types of water, how often they needed to
be tested. " One participant went into detail about water testing
and how to use that information: " We look for coliform,
E. coli...we test for even pH levels and levels of our chemical
mix in it...and then it gives us a score of how likely it is...that
something worse could happen over the years and gives you a
history score. "
Animal feces were mentioned by 17 participants, usually related
to contamination. Three participants recalled the importance
of maintaining separation between livestock and produce.
July/August Food Protection Trends 319
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