Culture of Cleanliness….Developing Our Food Safety Eyes

By:  Andrea Yoder

Why do we do food safety training every year?

Why is attention to food safety an important element on our farm?

Who is responsible for following food safety practices on our farm?

These are a few of the introductory questions I ask our crew members every year when we do our annual food safety training, both for new employees and for those who have worked here for many years.  We’ve had a food safety program for our farm for well over twenty years, even before our wholesale buyers started requesting it and before the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed making it a legal requirement for farms.  Every year we make improvements to our food safety program, so obviously we have to communicate any changes to protocols, expectations, etc with our crew members, but we also still go back and review the basics…every year.  This week we wanted to give you a little insight into just what it means to have a food safety program as well as some of the protocols we practice and implement on a daily basis.

Moises cleaning a wash tank in
preparation for sanitizing harvest totes

Lets go back to those three introductory questions.  We do food safety training every year because we want to ensure the food we are producing is wholesome and safe for you, our customers!  It’s also our legal responsibility and it’s a requirement in order to do business with many of our wholesale buyers.  “Why is attention to food safety an important element on our farm?”  First and foremost, we do not want anyone to ever fall ill from eating our food.  We also want our customers to be able to trust us and we want to maintain a good reputation in our community! And lastly, “Who is responsible for following food safety practices on our farm?”  EVERYONE!  This includes all crew members, regardless of work responsibilities, but also any contractors or visitors to our farm. 

This is the point in our training where we talk about a “Culture of Cleanliness.”  This is a term we learned from our food safety inspector many years ago and since then we’ve worked very hard to establish and improve upon the “Culture of Cleanliness” we’ve created on our farm.  What is a “Culture of Cleanliness” and why is it important?  Have you ever seen one of those children’s books or picture games where you have to look at the picture and identify what doesn’t fit or what is wrong?  That’s kind of the way we operate every day.  The reason we have food safety rules and best practices is to reduce and minimize the risk of our food becoming contaminated or someone getting sick.  We don’t live in a sterile world and things are going to happen.  The reason we have a food safety program, rules, procedures and talk about these things every year is because we want to be able to identify situations that may cause a problem with food safety so we can intervene proactively in an effort to prevent problems. 

Cleaning the salad cutter before it goes to the field to harvest
Salad Mix!

We learn to see our work environment and our farm with a new set of eyes—our food safety eyes.  There are a lot of details, a lot of space and a lot of moving parts to our farm.  It’s more than Richard, Rafael and I can keep our eyes on by ourselves!  We need everyone who’s working with us to develop their special set of food safety eyes so they can see potential problems or identify when something is not right with a scenario.  We also need them to develop their food safety eyes so they see the food safety practices as the “normal,” expected way things are done.  Then, when someone isn’t doing the right thing or something is askew, it stands out as that thing that is not right with the picture! 

Red bucket labeled for cleaning only

So what are some of those practices we employ?  Well, for starters, we clean…A Lot!  We don’t just wash vegetables, we also clean equipment, trucks, facilities, harvest containers and more.  Part of our annual training is reviewing the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, as they are two different steps and need to be done in the correct order to be effective!  We clean a surface using soap to remove dirt and debris, then follow that with a fresh water rinse.  Once the surface is clean, we come back and spray on a sanitizer solution to take care of any microscopic pathogen.  This concept is applied in many scenarios throughout the farm.  Whether we’re setting up an area in the packing shed to wash and pack vegetables or we are preparing to use a harvest belt to pick zucchini and cucumbers, we always clean and sanitize!  We have even devised a system and set of tools so we can take the appropriate brushes, sanitizing agent, buckets of soapy water and clean water to the field --everything the crew needs to properly clean and sanitize the belt in the field prior to every use. 

Color-coded brushes and bilingual signs in our
packing shed

We have a colorful farm, if for no other reason than our color-coded tools!  One way we prevent potential cross-contamination is by designating specific colors of tools for specific uses.  When cleaning packing shed equipment, we use red brushes.  If we need to clean a harvest container, we use a green brush.  “What if I need to scrub a wall or a floor?”  Please use the white brush hanging in the packing shed.  We also have yellow tools that we use for cleaning bathrooms.  Despite their bright, cheery color, they never leave the bathrooms for any other use.  And there’s one last brush color we see about one time a year.  We need orange brushes for washing the pumpkins and winter squash when we harvest them!

Cheery yellow cleaning supplies,
for bathroom use only!

We also have color-coded buckets, because buckets are a great tool for many different uses.  White buckets are for use in harvesting many different vegetables, except for baby greens.  When we need to hand cut baby greens we use special green buckets that are only used for these products.  Red buckets are used for cleaning projects, white buckets with red paint on them are used for non-food uses such as carrying tools to the field or carrying rocks out of the field!  Blue buckets are used to feed and water animals and orange buckets are located on the harvest wagons and in field vehicles for collecting trash.  Whew…that’s a lot to remember!  Don’t worry, we have lots of signs in both Spanish & English to help us remember what to do and we review this information every year so we don’t forget!

Many tools we use have many different potential applications.  For example, knives are good for cutting vegetables, but they are also a good tool to use if you need to clean mud off of your shoes or a cultivator shank!  “STOP!  Please tell me you weren’t thinking about using the same knife for all of these uses?”  Don’t worry, we have separate knives!  Field crew members have wooden handled knives that are stored in leather sheaths.  These knives may be used for anything they want to use them for except for two things.  They may not be used to harvest vegetables and they may not be used as a weapon.  Aside from that they can use them to cut weeds, cut row cover, clean their shoes, etc.  When it comes time for harvest, they use their yellow handled harvest knife that is stored in a black plastic sheath that has a small hole in the bottom.  This knife and sheath are much easier to clean and sanitize in between uses than the knife that gets stored in the dirty leather holder.  Where do they clean and sanitize their knife?  We’ve got that covered too!  There are two knife cleaning stations set up every morning.  Leonardo comes early to set up fresh containers for the stations which consist of three trays to facilitate a three-step process.  The first tray contains soap and water to clean the knife, the second tray contains water only for a rinse step and the third tray contains water with sanitizer to sanitize the knife.  Done!

Freshly cleaned and sanitized barrel washer
set up.  We're ready to wash vegetables!

Pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and parasites are not the only things that may potentially contaminate food.  We’re also careful to make sure we’re removing excess grease from bearings on equipment and check all connections for implements, hydraulic hoses, etc. to make sure we catch and repair any leaks.  We’ve even implemented a system for outfitting our tractors that are used by harvest crews with “tractor diapers!”  To my knowledge this is not an industry standard, but it’s a practice Richard devised and it’s become standard protocol on our farm.  We secure a heavy duty tarp under the belly of a tractor and place absorbent pads in the tarp.  If there should be any kind of a fluid or oil leak, we can easily see it, catch it and repair it thereby removing the potential for product to be contaminated in production areas or around a field!  Of course, tractor diapers don’t replace the need for observation, so all crew members are trained to be very attentive at all times, whether they are operating a piece of machinery or just working in the area.  If they see anything that doesn’t look right, it’s their responsibility to speak up and say “Wait, we need to check this out!”  Ok, so what do we do if there is a problem?  First, STOP!  Notify those in the area that there may be a problem and contact a supervisor/owner.  Fully assess the situation and then devise a plan to prevent any further issues and clean up anything that needs to be cleaned, etc.  One important point here is that we are a team.  We all may see things differently and we all may play a slightly different role in resolving the situation and being part of the solution.  Remember, food safety is everyone’s responsibility!

Ascencion harvesting black radishes, note his
yellow handled harvest knife!

Of course there is one tool we all use every day and we consider this our most important tool.  Can you guess what it might be?  Here’s a hint—it’s likely the tool you use the most every day as well regardless of your job!  Hands!!  Our hands are the tool we use the most every single day, which is why one of the most fundamental food safety training topics is “When do you need to wash your hands” and “What is the proper procedure for effective handwashing.”  COVID-19 messaging has brought handwashing to the forefront as a public health issue this year, but we’ve been preaching and practicing proper handwashing for many, many years! 

Every year we continue to make improvements to our practices and every year we undergo at least one third party inspection.  Typically we have a voluntary third-party inspection, as we’ve elected to do for many years.  This inspection looks at our farm both Pre-Farm Gate (Field operations) and Post-Farm Gate (Packing shed operations) and evaluates us according to the Harmonized Standards.  Last year we also had our first food safety inspection by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture (DATCP), the agency enforcing FSMA requirements in Wisconsin.

Crew training session with Richard, Andrea and our Spanish
interpreter, Michelle. Andrea is modeling the proper
attire to wear when working in animal areas--the only
place on the farm where you'll find bright yellow boots!

Whew---this is a lot of information, and we’ve only just touched the surface of the practices we employ on our farm.  We haven’t even discussed clutter control, first-in/first-out procedures, wearing yellow boots when working in animal areas, or what to do if it rains so much and river water washes through crop land!  Food safety is a part of our lives every single day and we hope you can see how integral it is to our farm and how we operate.  Of course we like having a neat, clean and organized farm.  It makes our work spaces more pleasant to work in and allows us to work more efficiently.  We do a lot of record keeping related to food safety as well, but that’s ok because it also helps us be better managers of our time and resources.  Is it worth it to invest this much thought, time and energy into a food safety program?  Absolutely!  Regardless of the law or requirements imposed on us by our buyers, we go back to our top priority which is always to ensure you and your family have safe, wholesome food to eat.  Thank you for your support of our farm.

HVF's "Culture of Cleanliness"

By Farmers Richard & Andrea

Color-Coded Brushes: Red is for cleaning equipment and green
is for cleaning harvest totes and trays.

Earlier this spring we had our annual visit from our Food Safety Inspector, Dr, Kolb.  For over 10 years we’ve chosen to do a third-party, voluntary food safety audit of our farm.  When the inspector comes, he checks out all areas of our operation from the packing shed to the field and everything in between.  He looks at equipment, storage facilities, tractors, records, etc.  He actually starts his inspection before he ever pulls in our driveway!  As he approaches our farm he looks at the roadsides scouting out trash and debris.  Seriously, are we responsible for the roadsides too?  Yes!  Any area near or surrounding our farm is important to our “Culture of Cleanliness,” a term we adopted from Dr. Kolb’s food safety jargon.  We want every person who visits our farm to have a positive “first impression” that leaves you thinking “Wow!  What a clean, organized farm!”
When we first started down this road many years ago, food safety on farms was not as much at the forefront as it is now.  Many smaller farms still don’t have a food safety program in place and are scrambling to pull it all together given more recent legislation and increased regulation regarding food safety at the farm level.  While the requirements of this legislation are still being determined, it’s inevitable that the requirements will only continue to become greater.  One of the biggest complaints from farmers is the time and money they need to invest to implement a food safety program.  Yes, it is an investment of both time and money.  We have two crew members who spend several hours per week doing pest control monitoring around the farm.  We also take time to put up fencing in vulnerable field areas to exclude critters such as deer & raccoons from crop areas.  Every month we do environmental lab tests which cost not only time, but also the cost of the lab analysis.  Every day we invest time in properly cleaning and sanitizing wash lines and equipment.  These are just a few of the expenses we incur to support our program.  Nonetheless, we feel it is important to be aware of food safety issues and stay well ahead of the curve.  Many of our wholesale accounts now require documentation of our food safety program in addition to organic certification.  But the value of our interest in food safety goes beyond satisfying a buyer’s request.  With each visit from our inspector we learn new things and are challenged to make improvements to procedures, facilities, machinery, etc.

Moises is preparing the wash tank at the beginning of the day
 (notice the red bucket we use only for cleaning).

Over the years Dr. Kolb has taught us to see our operation through a different set of eyes.  Over the course of time we have developed what we referred to previously as the “Culture of Cleanliness.”  This mentality extends to all areas of the farm.  Everyone on the farm, regardless of position, shares a responsibility in upholding the policies we have in place as well as helping us continue to identify areas for improvement.  We are proud of the progress we have made over the past 8-10 years that has led to a more organized, clean farm that we are all proud of!
We don’t just think about food safety once a year when the inspector is coming.  No, we think about it every day.  We take our job of providing you and your families with safe food very seriously.  Color-coded brushes, red buckets, orange buckets, white buckets, stainless-steel equipment, food-safe grease, clean equipment bearings, yellow-handled harvest knives, tractor-diapers and general good hand-washing….these are just a few parts of our day-to-day work lives that are directly related to food-safety.  We have many SOPs (standard operating procedures) in place and more yet to develop.  Every year we set aside time to do annual training to remind every crew member about the SOPs and build upon previous knowledge.

Our food safety program will likely never be “finished.”  It will always be a work in progress as we make continuous improvements and build upon our current program from year to year to ensure we’re always moving forward.  This past year we invested in some pricey stainless steel packing shed equipment that was greatly needed.  We also implemented a new procedure for knife control.  Upon Dr. Kolb’s recommendations, we’ll be putting together a HACCP plan over the next year and further developing some of the details of our traceback program.  While traceback has been part of organic inspection for many years, we’re starting to see an even greater emphasis on being able to trace back a vegetable not only to the field in which it was grown and harvested in, but also down to the exact lot of seed and every input and operation the crop went through over the course of its growing season!

Pedro and Catarino utilizing designated painted totes as
temporary tables for their work station.

Despite the time, energy and resources a good food safety program requires, we feel that this is one area that is well worth the investment.  We are not scrambling to comply with regulations and feel that our farm is much better overall because of our food safety program.  This year we earned an 100% rating score on our audit and a huge compliment from Dr. Kolb. When he sent his report and our certificate, he stated ‘I was absolutely serious when I said Harmony Valley Farm is a “Model Facility”  - it is at the top of its game and very few in the produce industry can hold a candle to what you have done.’