Working Committee #4

Meeting Notes – March 30, 2012

Attendees: Marion Aller, Mary Bianchi, Bob Blakely, Lynn Brandenberger, Cathy Carlson, Bob Elliott, Fred Finney, Chris Gunter, Michelle Jay-Russell, William Kanitz, Karen Killenger, Karen Lowell, Liz Maynard, Ken Stearns, Raymond Yoder, Gretchen Wall, Betsy Bihn

Agenda: Discussion of final summary document details

1. Comments Open for Revisions

 Water testing standards- needs to be clear that these are not regulations, but standards certain industry groups use

 Sampling plans and methods to water sampling on the farm should be included in training

 Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs) may be required for those using the Harmonized Audit

 Basic science should be explained for water testing results and microbiology (presence/absence tests, coliforms, MPN/CFU, etc.)

 Contamination from animal manure should be presented as following:

o Fecal matter presents a risk, not animals themselves. Focusing on fecal matter allows many of the co-management challenges to be less problematic as focus is not on the animals and what might attract them so much as it is on the likelihood that their feces are actually in the production block, or close enough to present risk (e.g. in harvest staging areas, etc.).

 Composting section is too detailed for small growers and the scope of this curriculum. C:N ratios are above and beyond what basic education growers need in food safety.

 Chemicals must have EPA approval

2. Appropriate changes were made directly to the document and will be recirculated shortly.