FAYETTE COUNTY, Ohio – The Ohio State University Fayette County Extension office continued its commitment to local agriculture in February by hosting a Good Agriculture Practices (GAPs) training session. The introductory course provided 12 local producers with essential tools to ensure the safety of fresh produce through risk assessment, standardized procedures and meticulous record-keeping.

Ken Ford, agriculture and natural resources educator with the Extension office, noted that the training was specifically tailored for small-scale growers who frequent local markets. “We provided the introductory course to local producers who bring items to the Fayette County Farmers’ Market,” he said. “Topics include hand washing, care when harvesting your product, and things you do to make sure that product gets to the final consumer without any issues.”

While federal and state technical support for full certification has shifted due to budget changes, the curriculum remains vital. Participants received a certificate of attendance to display at their market booths, providing a visible signal of safety to consumers.

Beyond local stalls, GAPs training is becoming an increasingly required step for broader market access. “The original intent of that certification was to open up other opportunities,” Ford explained. “We have several markets that market produce through an auction, and some of those require a GAPs training certification before participants can sell.”

Jennifer Eggleton, family consumer sciences and community development educator in the Extension office, and course participant, observed that the drive for more mindful practices is growing within the community. “There’s a real push to be more mindful of the practices they’re using and the food they’re bringing to the market,” she said.

A major focus of the three-hour session was identifying risks that might be overlooked, particularly those related to water quality. “One area they spend a lot of time on is water and testing water,” Ford said. “That could contaminate your fruit or vegetables just by washing them with water that’s not good.”

Eggleton said that this was an “aha moment” for many, including a representative from the local YMCA who manages a children’s learning garden. Other key takeaways included the effectiveness of proper hand washing – demonstrated through a “Glow Germ” exercise – and the complexities of chemical management.

“The big takeaway was that they are producing a product going straight to the consumer, so they’re responsible for the well-being of that product,” Ford said. “There’s not a middleman in most of these situations.”

Ashley Kulhanek, agriculture and natural resources educator in Medina County, and Beth Scheckelhoff, agriculture and natural resources educator in Putnam County, presented the free training.

To implement GAPs effectively, Fayette County Extension relies on a curriculum titled Good Agricultural Practices to Ensure Fresh Produce Safety, developed by Ohio State University Extension.

The guide outlines six fundamentals of produce safety that growers must manage.

Food safety begins even before seeds are planted. Through Land Use and Environmental Risk Assessments, farmers use property maps and logs to scout for potential hazards – like runoff from nearby livestock or faulty septic systems – to ensure the ground itself is fit for production.

Once the growing season is underway, the focus shifts to Water Management. Because water can easily carry pathogens, the guide requires regular microbial testing for E. coli and detailed inspections of both the water source and the distribution lines. This vigilance continues after the harvest. For growers who wash or cool their produce, specialized logs track pH and sanitizer levels to ensure that the water acts as a safety barrier rather than a source of cross-contamination.

Sanitation and Soil Management provide the next line of defense. The training introduces a rigorous four-step cleaning process – pre-rinse, scrub, rinse and sanitize – for every surface that comes into contact with food. For those using soil amendments like manure, compost logs are vital to verify that the material reached the high internal temperatures (131°F-170°F) necessary to kill off harmful bacteria.

Under Wildlife and Pest Control protocols, workers are trained to scout for animal tracks or feces. If evidence of an animal is found, a strict five-foot “no-harvest” buffer zone is established around the area. Inside the packinghouse, pest control logs ensure that exclusion methods are effective in keeping rodents and birds away from the final product.

The Human Element is the most critical factor. Since people are the most likely source of contamination, the program emphasizes documented 20-30 second handwashing protocols and strict “no-work” policies for anyone feeling sick. These rules apply to everyone; even visitors must sign in and follow hygiene policies before entering the field.

Finally, the entire safety program is tied together by Traceability. Using a “One Step Forward, One Step Back” philosophy, every crate of produce is assigned a unique lot number. This allows a grower to track a specific item from the field it was grown in, all the way to the final buyer. To prove the system works, producers conduct “mock recalls,” ensuring they can quickly and accurately account for their product in the event of an emergency.

Eggleton sees the value of the training for both current and future producers. “It’s going to be a benefit for those who took the course to display that certificate,” she said. “That can lead to a conversation about what this GAPs training actually means. They can explain that they’ve gone through the course and are more mindful of the practices they’re using. Hopefully, that leads to more courses with our office and encourages other producers to be more mindful of their own practices as well.”