Part 1. Agricultural safety practices

Overview

Safety precautions are not only the right thing to do to prevent illness, they are especially important for the all-volunteer garden. We must take all steps to ensure that we are impeccable stewards of the land, which means we must adhere to good agricultural practices (GAPs). The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (2004, 1) explains why gardeners need to undertake good agricultural practices: 

Food safety concerns are increasing as once unheard of illness-causing microorganisms become more prevalent and as products previously considered safe cause an increasing number of illnesses each year. Produce, recently thought of as a safe product, has been identified as a cause of major foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years.

Illnesses are primarily caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. These microorganisms, often referred to as pathogens or biological hazards, also are associated with ground beef, poultry, eggs, and seafood. Cooking is a common method of easily killing most pathogens in those foods. However, fresh produce is often consumed raw.

In addition, produce is exposed to naturally occurring, biological hazards in the soil, water, and air. The potential risk for contamination is increased by production practices using manure for fertilizer and human handling of products.

It is likely that you or someone you know has suffered from food poisoning.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 6 people in the United States gets sick from a foodborne disease (also called food poisoning) each year, which results in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths (CDC 2014). Causes of foodborne diseases include bacteria, viruses, parasites, molds, toxins, contaminants, and allergens. For details on each of these causes, read the Food and Drug Administration’s Bad Bug Book: Handbook of Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins (FDA 2012).

There are four primary considerations to make when following good agricultural practices: soil, water, hands, and surfaces.

Soil

Maintaining “clean soil” reduces the risk of contaminating produce with illness-causing microorganisms found in soil during stages of growth and harvesting. Illness-causing microbes always are present in the soil, but their populations and resulting risk of product contamination can be increased tremendously by improper management.

Water

Water used for irrigation, cooling, processing, or for cleaning equipment and facilities should be free of microbial contaminants. Water quality becomes more important as harvest approaches and water contact with the product occurs or increases. The method and timing of water use also has an effect on its contribution to product contamination. Using drip irrigation instead of sprinklers helps prevent contamination from soil splash and from product contact.

Hands

Having “clean hands” refers to the human element involved in food safety during production and processing. The gardener and food handler each have an important role in ensuring the safety and quality of foods grown and processed. Poor hygiene and health, unclean clothing or shoes, or unsafe practices on the part of workers can threaten food safety. As a reminder, here are the steps to wash your hands:

1. 1. 1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
      2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
      3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
      4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
      5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Remember to cough or sneeze into your elbow.

Surfaces

Produce items will have physical contact with many surfaces during harvest and processing. These may include harvest equipment and containers, transport bins, knives and other utensils, sorting and packaging tables, product packaging, and storage areas. Basic GAPs to help ensure clean surfaces include the following:

• Keep potential contaminants, such as soil and manure, out of the processing area or facility.
• Cull soiled produce in the field and damaged produce prior to processing.
• Use plastic containers and totes that are suitable for routine and efficient cleaning and sanitizing.
• Clean and sanitize equipment and facilities daily.
• Consider including a sanitizer in produce rinse water to reduce bacterial contamination.
• Control animal contamination sources, including pets, wildlife, birds, insects, and rodents.

Best Practices for COVID-19 Infection Prevention in Agriculture

All garden volunteers are required to have their temperatures checked and answer screening questions upon arrival to campus. Do not volunteer if you have any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, body aches, headache, new loss of taste, new loss of smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Also, if any of the following applies to you, do not volunteer:

• You have been in contact with a COVID-19 tested positive person in the last 14 days
• You recently took a COVID-19 test and are awaiting results
• You tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• You were exposed to anyone that was quarantined in the last 14 days

You will need to a wear a mask during the screening and upon arrival to the garden. Masks must also be worn when within six feet of another person and inside the bathroom. As a reminder, you should follow these guidelines for proper mask wearing:

• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on your mask.
• Put the mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.
• Fit the mask snugly against the sides of your face, slipping the loops over your ears or tying the strings behind your head.
• If you have to continually adjust your mask, it doesn’t fit properly, and you might need to find a different mask type or brand.
• Make sure you can breathe easily.

Tools should not be shared unless they are cleaned between users.

References

California Department of Industrial Relations. 2021. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/COVID19-Trifold-AgandLivestock.pdf

CDC. 2014. CDC 2011 Estimates: Findings. http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html

CDC. 2020. When and How to Wash Your Hands. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

CDC. 2021. How to Wear Masks. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-to-wear-cloth-face-coverings.html

FDA. 2012. Bad Bug Book: Handbook of Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf

Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. 2004. On-farm food safety: Guide to good agricultural practices (GAPS). http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/pubs-and-papers/2004-10-farm-food-safety-guide-good-agricultural-practices-gaps.pdf