Source: LA MONTANITA FOOD COOPERATIVE, INC submitted to NRP
ACHIEVING FSMA COMPLIANCE THROUGH USDA HARMONIZED GAP - PREPARING THE FOUR CORNERS REGION'S DIVERSE FARMERS FOR FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1017199
Grant No.
2018-70020-28875
Cumulative Award Amt.
$149,941.00
Proposal No.
2018-05217
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2018
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2021
Grant Year
2018
Program Code
[A4182]- Regional FSMA Center
Recipient Organization
LA MONTANITA FOOD COOPERATIVE, INC
901 MENAUL BLVD NE
ALBUQUERQUE,NM 87107
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Achieving compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and meeting buyer requirements share a common solution through USDA Harmonized GAP certification. This is due to the USDA and FDA's alignment of the Harmonized GAP standard with FSMA's Produce Safety Rule (PSR).Preparing growers for the risk-based food safety approach of USDA Harmonized GAP requires an understanding of the Risk Assessment process, however, as well as how it relates to growers' individual operations. Moreover, the diverse grower population of the Four Corners Region (NM, AZ, CO, UT) requires A.) a trainer network that is imbedded in these communities, B.) a curriculum that is both language- and culturally-appropriate, and C.) a training continuum that can meet growers wherever they're at, from those who have little food safety experience to those who are preparing to undergo a third-party audit, and/or who will be fully subject to FSMA's PSR.This project will leverage an existing "tiered" curriculum of food safety workshops, adapting it for Spanish-speaking growers and expanding its deliver throughout the Four Corners Region. These "tiers" range from practical, on-farm trainings that introduce farmers to the benefits of embracing a culture of food safety and universal food safety best practices, to in-classroom Risk Assessment workshops that translate this culture of food safety into customized actionable steps, to one-on-one consultations that help growers with developing and implementing food safety plans benchmarked to a particular food safety standard (i.e. USDA Harmonized GAP) or regulatory compliance (i.e FSMA's PSR).
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
7126030310050%
7116030310050%
Knowledge Area
711 - Ensure Food Products Free of Harmful Chemicals, Including Residues from Agricultural and Other Sources; 712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
6030 - The farm as an enterprise;

Field Of Science
3100 - Management;
Goals / Objectives
Project Goals:Achievement of USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification is a major barrier to entry for growers in the Four Corners Region who are trying to access wholesale markets. At the same time, understanding and complying with the federal food safety regulations mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) creates another formidable challenge for growers, especially small-scale and limited-resource producers. Because farms of different sizes have different timelines and requirements for FSMA compliance, many growers struggle to access relevant guidance and appropriate food safety technical assistance.The above two challenges share a common solution, however, which forms the basis for this project's main objective - namely, that growers can achieve FSMA compliance through USDA Harmonized GAP certification. As the first USDA standard to be aligned with the requirements of FSMA, Harmonized GAP certification provides growers a means to demonstrate their compliance with FSMA's Produce Safety Rule.Project Objectives:1. Increase capacity for food safety outreach and training throughout the Four Corners Region by adding four food safety trainers to La Montañita's network of service providers, delivering 10 Tier I/II training programs to at least 120 participating producers (including Spanish Speaking growers), as well as 30 Tier III consultations;2. Increase the number of USDA Harmonized GAP-certified and FSMA Produce Safety Rule-compliant farmers participating in the program from 16 to 60;3. Increase sales through wholesale channels by at least $150,000 for participating growers and increase access to locally-grown fruits and vegetables in both rural and urban areas by accessing at least 30 new wholesale accounts;4. Make this cohort of service providers self-sustaining through increased grower participation in the Four Corners Region GroupGAP Network, providing a replicable model for increasing market access and regulatory compliance through this "tiered" training continuum and USDA Harmonized GAP certification.
Project Methods
Increase capacity for food safety outreach and training throughout the Four Corners Region.1. In Year 1, contract food safety experts in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, expanding the network of service providers who are proficient with this "tiered" training continuum2. In Year 1, engage with the contracted service providers in an assessment of the food safety requirements of the buying community; the capacity for compliance among their respective grower communities; the appropriateness of the "tiered" outreach and educational resources; and the effectiveness of different communicative frameworks and training methodologies.3. In Year 1, work with the contracted service providers to adapt the "tiered" training continuum into a culturally-appropriate communication framework for the region's diverse farming community, particularly Spanish Speaking growers.4. In Years 1 and 2, using the "tiered" food safety methodology, engage with grower communities in the Four Corners Region to address their specific food safety needs.5. In Years 1 and 2, provide ongoing Train-the-Trainer mentorship and coaching to the network of contracted service providers as they lead the delivery of Tier I, II, and III trainings.6. In Year 2, work with the contracted service providers to revise the Tier I, II, and III curricula based on impact and efficacy during the first year of the program.Increase the number of USDA Harmonized GAP-certified and FSMA Produce Safety Rule-compliant farmers1. In Year 1, train and certify the contracted service providers to the USDA Harmonized GAP standard.2. In Years 1 and 2, work with the contracted service providers to conduct grower engagement throughout the Four Corners Region around USDA Harmonized GAP and the USDA GroupGAP model.3. In Years 1 and 2, provide targeted technical assistance to increase wholesale readiness and prepare growers for third-party audits.4. In Year 2, assess the efficacy and calibration of new resources and revise or develop as necessary to meet the needs of growers seeking third party certification.Increase sales through wholesale channels for participating growers and increase access to locally-grown fruits and vegetables in both rural and urban areas.1. In Years 1 and 2, conduct targeted buyer outreach to key intermediary channels throughout the Four Corners Region to increase produce purchasing by distribution and retail partners.2. In Years 1 and 2, measure revenue and new accounts accessed by participating growers in order to assess the expansion of wholesale markets and the availability of locally-grown produce in restaurants, grocery retailers, and institutions.Create a self-sustaining cohort of service providers through increased grower participation in the Four Corners Region GroupGAP Network, providing a replicable model for increasing market access.1. In Years 1 and 2, conduct post-training survey evaluation for each workshop delivery to measure the immediate efficacy of each event.2. In Years 1 and 2, conduct an annual follow up evaluation of training participants to measure behavior change and increased food safety capacity over time.3. In Years 1 and 2, conduct an annual evaluation of Train-the-Trainer mentorship and coaching activities.4. In Years 1 and 2, conduct an annual evaluation of GroupGAP grower participants for satisfaction with the auditing service, willingness-to-pay, and associated growth in sales as a result of this food safety certification.5. At the end of the program period, disseminate a report on project findings and share food safety education materials via Wallace's 9,000-subscriber newsletter, its 2,000-member Food Hub Community of Practice, its 1,200-member Food System Leadership Network, and online on its National Good Food Network website, as well as through the Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety's website and channels.

Progress 09/01/18 to 05/18/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences for the duration of the project are reflected in the following account of the project team's efforts. Our efforts reached the target audience of new food safety trainers this reporting period; we conducted a train-the-trainer convening during this reporting period, reaching 11individuals. Our efforts also reached the target audience of farmers; we provided 11 total Tier I training for 62 individuals, 10 Tier II training for 57individuals, 25 one-on-one Tier II consultations, and 23 one-on-one Tier III consultations for a total of 69food safety engagements for 167producers. We tabled at the annual Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, reaching an audience of both farmers and wholesale buyers. We also presented at the annual AZ Food & Farm Forum and New Mexico Farmers Market Association conferences, reaching an audience of farmers and technical assistance providers. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 presented logistical challenges in delivering the curriculum since they are intentionally designed to be hosted on-farm and to be place-based (drawing from the practices, risks, and hazards unique to that location to exemplify the concepts being discussed). We pivoted the delivery of half our trainings in 2020 to include remote workshops and farm tours, accordingly. As a food cooperative with local, retail food sales as its core competency, COVID-19 has also reprioritized the GroupGAP host entity's priorities for the coming years, which includes a reduced role in leading food safety training and auditing services within this Four Corners delivery area. That has necessitated the development of a GroupGAP transition plan among the project partners to determine where the Group's administration's services should be housed in 2021 and beyond. This transition was successfully implemented. In terms of falling short on Project Objective 2 and goal of 60 certified farmers, theassessed audit-readiness of the majority of producers engagedthrough our Tier I and II trainings was insufficient tobring those farmers into GroupGAP membership and certify them to the Harmonized GAP standard. The design of the tiered programming is meant to engage producers along this entire spectrum, however, and with the continuation of the GroupGAP program under new administration, the engaged producers will still have an opportunity to seek USDA Harmonized GAP certification in the future. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project supportedtrain-the-trainer workshops for 11 individuals, including service providers for direct marketing growers. Three of these individuals are actively involved in delivering the food safety curriculum supported by this project, including trainings to Spanish-speaking growers. We also had two trainers participate and present at two industry conferences. The GroupGAP Manager received professional development in post-harvest facilities/food safety plan development. The project also supported the certification of three GroupGAP internal auditors to the USDA Harmonized GAP+ standard, supporting the credentials and capacities of the food safety outreach and training team. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The GroupGAP Manager presented results from the project at the annual Western Regional Center conferences. A case study on the learning from administration of the GroupGAP program will be disseminated through the Wallace Center's list serves, including their 9,000-subscriber newsletter, its 2,000-member Food Hub Community of Practice, and its 1,200-member Food System Leadership Network. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The projectincludeddelivery of 11 total Tier I training for 62 individuals, 10 Tier II training for 57individuals, 25 one-on-one Tier II consultations, and 23 one-on-one Tier III consultations for a total of 69food safety engagements for 167producers. These accomplishments exceeded our goals within Project Objective 1 of10 Tier I/II training programs to at least 120 participating producers (including Spanish Speaking growers), as well as 30 Tier III consultations. The project also advanced Project Objective 1's goal of increasing capacity for food safety outreach and training by adding a total of 11 new Tiered Trainers, exceeding our goal of four. The project included the successful certification of 21 unique farmers to the Harmonized GAP and Harmonized GAP+ USDA food safety standard. Certification against these standards resulted in operational compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. This number fell short of Project Objective 2 of 60 total farmers. Farmer members of the GroupGAP programsupported by this project reported increased sales of certified fruits and vegetables of nearly $700,000, more than quadruple our goal of $150,000 for Project Objective 3. We also completed our analysis of the GroupGAP auditing costs in service of Project Objective 4, informing the Group's move towards a fee-for-service model that incorporates the Tier I and II curriculum as an audit- and regulatory inspection-readiness service.

Publications


    Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Our efforts reached the target audience of new food safety trainers this reporting period; we conducted a train-the-trainer convening during this reporting period, reaching 3 newtrainers. Our efforts also reached the target audience of farmers; we provided ten Tier I trainings for 50 individuals, nineTier II training for 33individuals, eightone-on-one Tier II consultations, and thirteen one-on-one Tier III consultations for a total of 40 food safety engagements for 104 unique farmers. We presentedat the annual AZ Food & Farm Forum and New Mexico Farmers Market Association conferences, reaching an audience of both farmers and technical assistance providers. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 has presented logistical challengesin delivering the curriculum since they are intentionally designed to be hosted on-farm and to be place-based (drawing from the practices, risks, and hazards unique to that location to exemplify the concepts being discussed). We pivoted thedelivery of half our trainingsin 2020 to include remote workshops and farm tours, accordingly. As a food cooperative with local, retail food sales as its core competency, COVID-19 has also reprioritized the GroupGAP host entity's priorities for the coming years, which includes a reduced role in leading food safety training and auditing services within this Four Corners delivery area. That has necessitated the development of a GroupGAPtransition plan among the project partners to determine where the Group's administration's services should be housed in 2021 and beyond. The results from this plan and implementation will be discussed and detailed withinthe next reporting period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We supported a train-the-trainer workshop for five individuals, including service providers for direct marketing growers. Threeof these individuals are actively involved in delivering the food safety curriculum supported by this project, including trainings to Spanish-speaking growers. We also had two trainers participate and present attwo industry conferences during this reporting period. Our GroupGAP Manager has received professional development in post-harvest facilities/food safety plan development during this project period. We also supported the certification of twoGroupGAP internal auditors to the USDA Harmonized GAP+ standard(Harmonized GAP+ being the standard of choice for the 22auditees of the GroupGAP program). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The upcoming project period will include delivery of more Tier I and II trainings, which will now be in excess of our project goal of 10 total workshops reaching 120 participating growers for Objective 1. We have currently delivered 21 Tier I and II workshops - in addition to one-on-one consultations with growers - reaching a total of 158 unique producers. Since these milestones have already been achieved, all additional trainings will be additive to the deliverables achieved during this and prior reporting periods. We are working towards increasing GroupGAP membership through outreach this off-season for Objective 2. We've added members to the group in all four of the four target states, and hope to use the successes from those successful auditees to conduct further outreach. We will also be working more with our contractor, the Wallace Center, to conduct buyer engagement around the Harmonized GAP+ standard and its relevancy to FSMA and the Global Food Safety Initiative. GroupGAP members have already reported increased sales of locally-grown fruits and vegetables of nearly $700,000, more than quadruple our goal of $150,000 for Objective 3. We will continue tracking this impact through the administration of a final GroupGAP member survey and through one-on-one interviews with growers. We will also complete our analysis of the GroupGAP auditing costs from this final auditseason in the next reporting period, informing the Group's move towards a fee-for-service model that incorporatesthe Tier I and IIcurriculum as an audit- and regulatory inspection-readiness service.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? This project is positively impacting farm food safety in the Four Corners Region (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona) by increasing the training capacity of the applicant's network of service providers and food safety auditors. This increased training capacity is then being directed towards fruit and vegetable farmers who are selling to local markets and wholesale buyers who have themselves increased their vendor requirements around food safety. For Objective 1: We have exceeded our goal by training seven total food safety trainers to our network, and will continue cultivating additional services providers in the next reporting period to better serve the geographic scope of this project's target areas. We delivered a total of 19 Tier I and II training programs to 83growers, as well as 8 Tier II and 13 Tier III consultations during this reporting period. We will continue conducting outreach and laying the groundwork to provide more of our Tier I and II training programs for this upcoming reporting period. For Objective 2: We have increased the number of Harmonized GAP-certified farms to 22, and have aligned 20 farmers' practices to align with the risk assessment components of the produce safety rule. This includes growers in allfour of the target states for this project. The working relationships established with our on-the-ground partners will help us to reach additional farmers in the upcomingand finalreporting period. For Objective 3: No GroupGAP survey was administered this reporting period, but 6of the 16 surveyed growers in the prior period reported $691,300 in produce sales to wholesale buyers who required the degree of food safety training, compliance, and/or Harmonized GAP certification that was provided through this project, exceeding this objective's goal. For Objective 4: The applicant has been developing fee-for-service pricing models based on group participation to date, communicating these future price increases with producers, as well as surveying the value proposition of these services with participating farmers. No GroupGAP survey was administered this reporting period, butof the 16 farmers surveyed during the last reporting period, ten valued these food safety services at $1,250 (which is close to the current cost of providing the trainings and auditing services), two valued it at $1,750, and one at $2,250.

    Publications


      Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

      Outputs
      Target Audience:Our efforts reached the target audienceof new food safety trainers this reporting period; we conducted a train-the-trainer convening during this reporting period, reaching 8 individuals. Our efforts also reached the target audience of farmers; we provided one Tier I training for 12 individuals, one Tier II training for 24 individuals, 17 one-on-one Tier II consultations, and ten one-on-one Tier III consultations for a total of 64 food safety engagements for 54 unique farmers. We tabled at the annual Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, reaching an audience of both farmers and wholesale buyers. Changes/Problems:We have experienced an accelerated work plan in some of our four target states, while also experiencing slow progress in others. These experiences are requiring changes to our recruitment and outreach strategies in those states with slower progress, and may require a project extension request to ensure that we provide sufficient time to properly conduct all of our activities as they relate to the project outcomes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We hosted a 1.5daytrain-the-trainer workshop forfifteen individuals, includingrepresentatives from Cooperative Extension, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, the New Mexico Public Education Department, and service providers for direct-marketing growers. Eight of these individuals are actively involved in delivering the food safety curriculum supported by this project. Our Group GAP Manager has received professional development in SQF Implementation trainingduring this project period. Six of our GroupGAP auditors also received trainingin GAP/GHP as well as Harmonized GAP+, becoming certified to audit to those standards as well (Harmonized GAP+ being the standard of choice for the 21 auditees of the GroupGAP program). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The upcoming project period will include delivery of more Tier I and II trainings, making headway towards our goal of 10 total workshops reaching 120 participating growers for Objective 1. We will be coordinating with our outreach partners (e.g. the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association; La Semilla; Pinnacle Prevention) to increase awareness and access. We are working towards increasing GroupGAP membership through outreach this off-season for Objective 2. We've added members to the group in three of the four target states, and hope to use the successes from those successful auditees to conduct further outreach. We will also be working more with our contractor, the Wallace Center, to conduct buyer engagement around the Harmonized GAP+ standard and its relevancy to FSMA and the Global Food Safety Initiative. GroupGAP members have already reported increased sales of locally-grown fruits and vegetables of nearly $700,000, more than quadruple our goal of $150,000 for Objective 3. We will continue tracking this impact through our annual GroupGAP member survey. We will be analyzing the audit costs from this past auditing season this upcoming reporting period, moving the group towards a complete fee-for-service model and incorporating the tiered curriculum as an audit and regulatory inspection-readiness service.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? This project is positively impacting farm food safety in the Four Corners Region (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona) by increasing the training capacity of the applicant's network of service providers and food safety auditors. This increased training capacity is then being directed towards fruit and vegetable farmers who are selling to local markets and wholesale buyers who have themselves increased their vendor requirements around food safety. For Objective 1: We have added four of the four food safety trainers to our network, and are actively cultivating additional services providers to better serve the geographic scope of this project's target areas. We have delivered twoTier I and II training programs to 36growers, as well as 17 Tier II and 10 Tier III consultations. We have been conducting outreach and laying the groundwork to provide more of our Tier I and II training programsfor this upcoming reporting period. For Objective 2: We have increased the number of Harmonized GAP-certified farms to 21, and have aligned 17farmers' practices to align with the risk assessment components of the produce safety rule. This has primarily happened in two of the four target states. Duringthis reporting period, we've established working relationships with the necessary stakeholders and agencies in the other two states to better achieve this objective in future reporting periods. For Objective 3: Six of the 16 surveyed growers reported $691,300 in produce sales to wholesale buyers who required the degree of food safety training, compliance, and/or Harmonized GAP certification that was providedthrough this project during this reporting period. For Objective 4: The applicant has been developing fee-for-service pricing models based on group participation to date,communicating these future price increases with producers,as well as surveying the value proposition of these services with participating farmers. Of the 16 farmers surveyed during this reporting period, ten valued these food safety services at $1,250 (which is close to the current cost of providing the trainings and auditing services), two valued it at $1,750, and one at $2,250.

      Publications