Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was small and medium-scale vegetable farms, primarily located in Georgia, New England,New York and Michigan.The goal of the project was to support adoption of improved cleaning and sanitizing practices on these farms that are not fully covered by the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) of the Food Safety Modernization Act. These farms often face challenges implementing produce safety practices because they have limited financial and management resources. Nationwide, most vegetable farms do not have to fully comply with the PSR. Farms with sales under $25,000 annually are exempt. Farms are eligible for a qualified exemption if they had average annual food sales less than $610,182 between 2019-2021 and over 50% of their sales are to consumers, restaurants, or retail food establishments in the same state or within 275 miles. The most recent Census of Agriculture found only 11% of farms nationwide have annual sales of vegetables of more than $500,000. That percentage is 3% in New Hampshire and Vermont, 6% in Massachusetts and Georgia, 9% in New York, and 12% in Michigan. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Peer-to-peer webinars. In 2021, six 90-minute virtual workshops were held to address specific cleaning and sanitizing information needs identified by SCRUB partner farms. Farmers with experience in addressing these needs were recruited as presenters.Ninety-six people attended,including 80 small-scale farmers representing 408 acres of vegetable production in GA, MA, ME, MI, NH, NC, OH, NY, VT and Ontario, plus 16 presenters and service providers. Online recordings were viewed by 660 people to date. The workshops were: Bin Blitz. Experienced farmers and UVM's Ag Engineering team presented strategies and cleaning tools to increase efficiency and efficacy of bin cleaning, sanitation, and management practices. Farmers described their bin systems, and lessons learned. Doing More with Less: Low Cost, High Value. Experienced farmers described inexpensive improvements they made related to produce safety, and summarized lessons learned, including trade-offs of spending money (or not) to lower risks and increase efficiency. Wash/Pack Floors. This workshop highlighted concrete repair, cleaning and sanitation techniques, water management, products and resources, as well as "show and tell" from experienced farmers and UVM Ag Engineering staff. Fundamentals of Managing Produce Wash Water. Farmers described their wash water management, including use and monitoring of sanitizers. Tools for Employee Management and Empowerment. Experienced farm managers described strategies to retain and empower workers, while improving morale and culture, which support adoption of best practices for produce safety. Bubblers/Aerators for Greens Washing. Feedback was shared by farmers who built / improved their own systems. Bubbler designs and DYI resources were shared, as well as perceived quality and efficiency gains from bubblers as compared to other washing methods. After these workshops 13 farms reported adopting new practices, including: A 2-acre farm in GA designed a new/wash pack facility for better product flow and to reduce produce safety risks. An 8-acre organic vegetable farm in VT purchased new dedicated harvest totes and warmer gloves for employees. They developed plans to add a new greens bubbler. A ½-acre vegetable and herb farm in MI started using a doser for measuring the addition of sanitizer to wash water and implemented turbidity monitoring of postharvest wash water. A 1-acre elderberry farm in VT developed plans to build a low-cost wash pack shed. A 3-acre vegetable farm in NY planned improvements to their irrigation system and wash/pack infrastructure. In 2023, six more webinars were held to address emerging needs identified by farmers. These were attended by a total of 73 people, including 58 farmers and 15 service providers. Online recordings of the meeting have been viewed by a total of 985 people to date.These were: Honing Your Management Style to Recruit and Retain a Lean and Clean Farm Crew. Experienced farmers discussed strategies they use to avoid inefficiency and food safety risks part by hiring and retaining a reliable and productive farm crew. (13 participants) Payback on Purchasing New Wash/Pack Equipment. Experienced farmers discussed how they determine when it is worth buying expensive equipment such as rinse conveyors. Workarounds in Washing Greens that You Can't Live Without. Farmers discussed tips for implementing produce safety practices when processing leafy greens. Parent, Farmer, and Wash-pack Manager! Farmer-parents shared challenges and lessons learned from running their businesses while running after their kids, including time management, food safety with kids, employee training to help with kids on the farm. What NOT to Do to Save Time in the Packshed. Experienced farmers discussed the benefits and timing of "dry cleaning" ...and other things notto do (or clean) in your wash pack. How to Talk to Contractors About Your Farm Building Construction Project. Experienced farmers and the UVM Ag Engineering team discussed considerations when building wash, pack and cold storage facilities, including drainage, produce safety, pest prevention, lighting, etc., and best practices for working with contractors. A total of 43 participants completed post-meeting evaluations; of these 41 said they learned something new and 34 said they intended to adopt a new practice as a result, including: Strategies for encouraging employee feedback New systems around water tanks for greens Washing improvements for better flow, and drying--fan and washer conversion Using the blue hanging hose in our wash/pack. Using a two-spout measuring pourer and sanitizer calculator Forced air cooling of greens Put greens in cooler after washing, prior to packing Bagging station on wheels Vented crates to cool greens Air cooling before bagging Stone under landscape fabric for better floor drainage and drying in greens processing Complete SOPs prior to season, so we can have plenty of time to train. The SCRUB project web site www.go.uvm.edu/scrub was developed to house educational resources in multiple formats, to serve different learning styles: fact sheets, blog posts, standard operating procedures (SOPs), case studies, and videos developed. These were primarily produced by the UVM Extension Agricultural Engineering team. The site received 3,263 page views during the project. YouTube channel with SCRUB videos. A total of 27 videos were developed and posted including 17 one-minute SCRUB videos on: Cleaning Brushes, Vikan UST Brushes, Squeegees, Tool Hangers, Hygienic Buckets, Bucket Hanger, Floor Brushes and Brooms, Food Hoe, Handles, Hygienic Shovel, Handles, Pipe or Tube Brushes, Pipe Brush, Scrapers, Scrubbing Pads, Rough Floor? Use a foam bladed squeegee! Quickly Rinsing CSA Totes at Root 5 Farm, and Purchase Locations for Cleaning Tools. These videos have had a total of 8,125 views to date. Recordings of 12 educational SCRUB webinars are also posted on YouTube. These have had a total of 1,645 views to date. Educational presentations. A total of 51 presentations were given at conferences, on-farm workshops, meetings, and webinars attended by a total of 1.168 farmers and service providers. See Appendix 2 for a list of some of these presentations. Technical Assistance. One-on-one technical assistance on a wide range of cleaning and sanitization issues and related produce safety needs was provided to 219 farms in 23 states and one Canadian province. The columns below indicate from left to right: Location, Number of farms engaged with technical assistance, Number of farms adopting new practice(s), Produce acreage of farms engaged, High tunnel area (sq. ft) of farms engaged, Produce acreage of farms adopting new practice(s), and High tunnel area (sq. ft.) of farms adopting new practice(s). AZ 1 0 - - - - CA 1 0 - - - - CT 1 0 5 600 - - GA 29 20 146 71,780 136 65,780 IA 1 0 - - - - MA 10 2347 63,100 14 9,500 MD 40 20 - - - ME 41 15 14,080 11 10,080 MI 30 11 9639,420 28 11,400 MN 10 3 - - - MT 2 010 8,000 - - NC 2 0 1 10,000 - - NH 6 9143 162,080 143 162,080 NY 30 22 432 187,420 413 166,020 OH 1 1 2 3,000 2 3,000 OR 1 0 - - - - PA 1 0 - - - - QC 3 2 57 9,300 41 300 RI 1 1 15 8,000 15 8,000 TN 1 0 - - - - TX 1 0 - - - - UNK 4 0 - - - - VA 1 0 - - - - VT 79 81 1,340 1,238,120 1,264 941,560 WI 4 1 24 4,500 - - Totals 219151 2,654 1,819,400 2,065 1,377,720 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Educational Resources on the SCRUB Project Web Sitewww.go.uvm.edu/scrub Produce Safety Planning A Small Farmer's Guide to Food Safety PDF A Guide to Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Web Page, PDF Farm Food Safety Plan Writing Resources Website Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse Website Improving Hand washing Stations Web Page, PDF Labeled Sanitizers for Produce - Excel Tool Version 4 Download, Instructional Video On-Farm Food Safety: Cleaning and Sanitizing Guide PDF Planning an Efficient and Safe Wash/Pack Area Web Page, Video Webinar Sanitation and Postharvest Handling Web Page Top 5: Working with Contractors on a Postharvest Project Web Page Water Infiltration in Produce During Washing Video Introduction to Selecting an EPA-Labeled Sanitizer PDF Managing Humidity and Condensation in Coolers Web Page Safely Dispensing Sanitizers Web Page, PDF Hygienic & Sanitary Design Backflow Prevention on Produce Farms Web Page, PDF Bins Buckets, Baskets & Totes Web Page, Video Cleaning Tools & Supplies for Produce Farms Web Page, Video Drains for Produce Farms Web Page, PDF Farmer's Favorites: The AZS Rinse Conveyor Web Page Farmer's Favorite: Univerco Barrel Washer Web Page Finish Surfaces for Produce and Food Areas Web Page, PDF Floor Design for Vegetable Wash, Pack, and Storage Areas Web Page, PDF Hygienic and Sanitary Design for Produce Farms Web Page, PDF Rats & Rodents Web Page, PDF Repairing Cracks and Pitting in Concrete Floors Web Page, Video SCRUB Shorts Series Video Spray Tables for Produce Farms Web Page, Podcast Vegetable Wash Sinks Web Page, PDF Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Bubbler/Aerator Cleaning Factsheet, Editable Cleaning SOP (Word doc) Cleaning Produce Washing Equipment: Root Barrel Washer Checklist PDF Cleaning and Sanitizing Cold Storage for Produce Safety Video Cleaning the Conveyor in a Brush Washer System PDF Detergents for Farm Food Contact Surfaces Webpage "Dry Cleaning" on Produce Farms Webpage Farm Cooler Checklist Web Page, PDF How to Clean Bins PDF How to Clean and Sanitize Video How to Use Sanitizer on a Vegetable Farm - Video The 4 Steps to Cleaning & Sanitizing on Produce Farms Video What are SOPs? Video Training Farm Vehicle Operation for Produce Safety Video Food Safety for Wash Pack Facilities on the Farm Video Presentation Playlist Introduction to Cleaning and Sanitizing for Produce Safety Video Power Washing Aerosolization, Considerations for Produce Safety Video Washing Machine Cleaning Tips Web Page, Video Culture & Case Studies (Web Page) Building a small-scale open packshed on leased land at Flywheel Farm Video Easy Breezy Three Season Packshed at Stout Oak Farm Web Page, Video Expanding to accommodate business growth at Jericho Settler's Farm Video Farmer's Favorites: Shipping Containers and Their Use on Vegetable Farms Web Page Giving a Dairy Barn New Life at New Leaf Organics Web Page, Video, PDF Last Resort Farm Not Stalled by Dairy Barn Conversion Web Page, Video, PDF Mighty Clean and Comfortable - A New Wash and Pack Shed at Mighty Food Farm Web Page, Video, PDF New Metal Building from Scratch at Hall Brook Farm
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project focused on grower-identified information needs and developed educational resources to address them, including 93 blog posts, case studies, and videos. These have been viewed by 11,638 people to date. We held 29 virtual trainings and 22 educational presentations attended by 1,168 farmers and agricultural service providers. Direct technical assistance was provided to 219 farms with a total of 2,654 acres of field vegetables and 1.8 million sq. ft. of greenhouse vegetable production, with estimated aggregate annual vegetable sales totaling $56.4 million. Of these, the 151 farms that reported adopting new or improved produce safety practices manage 2,065 acres of vegetables and 1.4 million sq. ft. of greenhouse vegetable production with estimated aggregate annual sales of $43.7 million.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is small and medium-scale vegetable farms, primarily located in Georgia, New England, New York and Michigan. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Listening Sessions The SCRUB project team has worked to maintain a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in our project work, with the intention of engaging underserved audiences which may include those speaking a first language other than English, those who are resource limited, those farming in urban centers, and anyone else who doesn't see themselves in traditionally focused project activities and outputs. Outreach and network development has included specific motivation of team members to "look further" and "connect with new people" in non-traditional places and ways in order to expand our cohort. We held two listening sessions with members of historically underserved audiences in March 2022. The session were virtual, held in the evening, and attendees were compensated. Our approach involved a welcome and introduction to the project by email and in the meeting, with open ended questions about challenges, needs, and suggestions for collaboration used as prompts for discussion. Conclusions from the listening sessions include: People want to see themselves in materials - There was a concern expressed about being able to identify with the types of farms and the farmers covered in most published materials. This has to do both with how the farms and farmers "look", but also where they farm, how they farm, what level of business development they are in, and who they farm for. This conclusion has helped the team think more broadly about what we consider a farm and how our project outputs may land with different audiences Access, access, access - Farmers need and want low tech, low cost, durable, cleanable solutions and concepts. Many of the solutions often described involve investment in sometimes hard to find solutions (a specific piece of equipment), or scale in appropriate options (5 gallons of sanitizer for a farm that may use 1 gallon per year). Meanwhile, most farms are doing things that make perfect sense from a cleaning and sanitizing perspective. So, our team is working to capture, curate, annotate, and share great examples of low cost, no cost, low tech solutions to common small scale cleaning and sanitizing challenges. Range of literacy - Some of the stakeholders shared that a majority of the farmers they work with are not literate at the level that most resources are being published. This will inform our resource themes, the type of resources, and media and/or channels used to distribute them. The team has always had a goal of every resource being produced in print, responsive web, and video formats. This feedback reinforced this need and has also pushed our team to work toward even more visual and graphic presentation of topics. Many don't know what Extension is or what we do - We found ourselves assuming people know Extension and affiliated organizations were well known and that everyone felt welcome to access our programs and resources. Not so. And we have work to do to build bridges and enhance networks to better reach all audiences who should be able to benefit from (and inform) the work we are doing. Understand and emphasize cost/benefit - The growers we spoke with were very clear about resource limitations, especially relative to early stage capital. Meanwhile, they are incredibly business savvy and emphasized the need to understand the cost and benefit of any practice being recommended in our work. It isn't enough to know if something is "ideal" or "optimal", we need to be clear about what the benefit is that justifies the cost. Expanded lens for urban ag / nationally - Many of the emergent small and medium sized farm operations we have been working with are based in urban centers and this brings very unique challenges. Adjacent use, highly diverse markets, soil health, contaminant sources and pathways, pest pressure and water all came up as specific issues growers face in the urban landscape that need tailored solutions. Maintain connections with those who helped us in our listening sessions - We left the listening sessions with a renewed sense of partnership and responsibility with the audiences we spoke with and are working on more integrative methods to ensure our work on this project and beyond remains relevant to them and others. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Five members of the project team will work together over a 4-day period in October 2022 to plan and attend site visits to ten farms in Georgia to provide intensive group and individual technical assistance, and to deliver hands-on cleaning and sanitization workshops. Educational resources will continue to be developed and posted to the SCRUB web site, in response to needs identified by growers. In-person and remote workshops will be planned and delivered for 2023.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Direct Technical Assistance During the project period, a total of 205 participants received technical assistance with an aggregate duration of 438 hours of technical assistance provided. Consultations were provided in-person, via phone, email, video conference call. The farms served were primarily located in GA, MI, NY, and VT with fewer farms in AZ, FL, HI, MA, NH, NC, NH, TX and WI. SCRUB "Twilight Highlight" webinar series Six 1.5-hour remote remote workshops were delivered in September and October 2021 to address specific cleaning and sanitizing information needs identified by SCRUB project partner farms. A total of 30 farms with experience in addressing these specific needs on their farms were recruited as presenters for these workshops. A total of 96 people attend the remote workshops including 80 small and medium-scale farmers representing 408 acres of vegetable production in GA, MA, ME, MI, NH, NC, OH, NY, VT and Ontario. The remainder were presenters and service providers.Farmers attending the workshops identified specific improvements and/or new practices they intended to make on their farms as a result of what they learned. The workshops were: 9/1/21. Bin Blitz. Experienced growers and UVM's Ag Engineering team presented new strategies and cleaning tools to increase the efficiency and efficacy of bin cleaning, sanitation and management practices. Growers described their bin systems, and lessons learned. (11 participant growers registered) 9/8/21. Doing more with less (Low cost, high value). Experienced growers described thrifty improvements they made related to produce safety, and summarized lessons learned., including trade-offs of spending money (or not) to lower risks and increase efficiency. (17 participants registered) 9/15/21. Wash/Pack Floors. This workshop highlighted concrete repair, cleaning and sanitation techniques, water management, products and resources, as well as show and tell from experienced growers, and UVM Ag Engineering staff. (14 participants registered) 9/22/21 - Wash Water Management - Fundamentals of Managing Produce Wash Water. Growers described their wash water management, including use and monitoring of sanitizers. (21 participants registered) 9/29/21. Tools for Employee Management and Empowerment. Experienced farm managers described their strategies/systems to retain and empower high-value workers, while improving crew morale and culture--all or which enhance the adoption of bet practices for produce safety. (14 participants registered) 10/6/21. Bubblers/Aerators for Greens Washing. Feedback was shared by growers who built / improved their own systems. Bubbler designs and DYI resources were shared, as well as perceived quality and efficiency gains from bubblers as compared to other washing methods. (19 participants registered) After attending the webinars 13 farms with a total of 41 acres in production reported adopting a new practice related to produce safety, including: A 2-acre farm in GA that designed a new/wash pack facility for better product flow and to reduce produce safety risks. An 8-acre organic vegetable farm in VT that purchased new dedicated harvest totes and warmer gloves for employees. They developed plans to add a new bubbler in 2022. A ½-acre vegetable and herb farm in MI that started using a doser for measuring the addition of sanitizer to wash water and implemented turbidity monitoring of postharvest wash water. A 1-acre elderberry farm in VT that developed plans to build a low-cost wash pack shed in 2022. A 3-acre vegetable farm in NY that planned improvements to their irrigation system and wash/pack infrastructure.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is small and medium-scale vegetable farms, primarily located in Georgia, New England, New York andMichigan. Changes/Problems:The project team has been discussing ways to reach underserved audiences and to support diversity, equity and inclusion. A set of specific issues to address and specific actions to take has been developed. These include reaching out to community organizations and 1890 land grant colleagues to identify their needs related to this project and to invite their participation and that of their stakeholders. In addition, providing access to educational resources for farms without web connectivity is a concern. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project was highlighted in an article titled "Beat the Heat in Postharvest Handling: Increase Efficiency, Lower Risk, and Improve Quality" published in Growing for Market Magazine (June/July 2021 Issue). A poster describing the project was presented at theNortheast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) annual conference held virtuallyon February 16-18, 2021 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Six 1.5-hour remote "twilight highlight" workshops were developed for delivery in September and October 2021 to address information needs identified by partner farms. A total of 30 farms with experience in specific produce safety practices were recruited as participants for these workshops, which will be edited and archived as webinars for on-line viewing. The farmers identify specific improvements they desire to make on their farms and after the workshop they will be supported with technical assistance from the project team to adopt new/improved practices. The workshops are: 9/1/21. Bin Blitz--Experienced growers and UVMs Ag Engineering present new strategies and cleaning tools to increase the efficiency and efficacy of bin cleaning, sanitation and management practices. Lead growers show and tell their bin systems, with lessons learned. Participants leave with a plan to improve/ implement new practices. (11 participant growers registered) 9/8/21. Low Cost and High Value--Evaluate low-cost (either money or time) improvements that make a big difference. Experience growers show and tell the thrifty improvements they made and summarize lessons learned., including trade-offs of spending money (or not) to lower risks and increase efficiency. (17 participants registered) 9/15/21. Wash/Pack Floors--Learn to improve or repair a concrete floor so that it is smooth and easy to clean. This workshop highlights concrete repair, cleaning and sanitation techniques, water management, products and resources, as well as show and tell from experienced growers, and UVM Ag Engineering staff. (14 participants registered) 9/22/21 - Wash Water Management--Experienced growers and facilitators dig into the fundamentals of managing produce wash water, including show and tell with lessons learned about wash water management, use and monitoring of sanitizers. All participants leave with a plan to improve/ implement new practice. (21 participants registered) 9/29/21. Tools for Employee Management and Empowerment--Develop management strategies/systems to retain and empower high-value workers, while improving crew morale and culture.. Learn from experienced managers of loyal and reliable crews, the pros and cons of their current management systems, and how they came to be. Participants leave with resources and a plan to improve/ implement one or more new practices or strategies. (14 participants registered) 10/6/21. Bubblers/Aerators for Greens Washing--For growers wanting to install or improve a greens bubbler/aerator. Get feedback from growers who built / improved their own systems. Examine designs and DYI resources, as well as perceived quality and efficiency gains from bubblers as compared to other washing methods. (19 participants registered) As of Sept. 30, 2021, a total of 76 people had registered to either attend or view the recorded workshop webinars, along with wider promotion by the project team. Over the next year, we will document the number of growers who receive technical assistance after attending the webinars; they will be surveyed to determine if the information led to adoption of new practices. In the next year, our team will continue to develop new educational resources to address needs identified by the growers we are working with.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. A multi-state needs assessment survey was designed and distributed to commercial growers in Georgia, Michigan, New England, and New York. Responses (n=88) informed the development of educational materials and delivery methods. 2. The project web site www.go.uvm.edu/scrub was created and populated with a curated set of educational resources related to produe safety, with an emphasis on cleaning and sanitization. Topics covered include Produce Safety Planning (9 resources); Water (3 resources), Hygienic & Sanitary Design (8 resources); Standard Operating Procedures (6 resources), Training (5 resources), Culture & Case Studies (9 resources). 3.Ten partner farms were recruited and engaged to identify key grower needs, gaps in educational resources, and to develop templates for future workshops focused on co-learning among growers and people that work with them on produce safety. The ten farms are in GA, MI, NH, NY, and VT and have a total of 404 acres in production. Project partners organized individual remote meetings with each farm: a 1.5 hour needs assessment meeting followed by two 1.5 hour small-group workshops joined by other partner farms to identify information gaps, innovations, and technical assistance needed to address key produce safety practices. An average of two people per farm attended the workshops (20 people total). 4. Each partner farm identified specific plans for adoption/improvement of produce safety practices, and ongoing technical assistance was provided to these farms by the project team to support implementation of at least one new practice on all ten farms. 5. A total of 58 additional farms in 8states (CT, GA, HI, MA, MI, NH, NY, VT) growing a total of 804 acres of crops were provided with individual technical assistance on produce safety practices related to cleaning and sanitizing via email, phone and/or on-site consultation.
Publications
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