Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Resources

 

New and existing broccoli producers are strongly encouraged to obtain GAP certification, preferably in their first production year. The following items provide background information and a description of the certification process, taylored to broccoli growers.

• What are GAPs and Why Should You Get GAP-certified? is for growers who are not already familiar with GAPs.
• GAP Certification for Commercial Broccoli Growers provides an overview of the certification process.
• A GAPS Tour of the Broccoli Farm is for growers who are curious about what broccoli production might look like once good agricultural practices are put into effect.

 

Additional GAPs information is available from the following:

• The National Good Agricultural Practices Program, based at Cornell University's Department of Food Science, has downloadable educational resources, including Decision Trees that can help prioritize efforts to adopt GAPs.
• The United Fresh Produce Association's Produce GAPs Harmonization Initiative Website provides regularly updated information related to their effort develop a single audit that would be acceptable to all buyers, as well as production standards and audit checklists.
• Produce Safety On-Farm Preventive Controls Training is a nationwide curriculum from the Produce Safety Alliance.
• The AgCon website of project collaborator and agricultural consultant Wythe Morris provides GAPS-related information for conducting a self audit, writing standard operating procedures, and developing a traceability system.
• Introduction to GAPs is a three part YouTube video series featuring Wythe Morris.
• Additional information concerning GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and GHP (Good Handling Practices) certification programs can be found at the USDA's Grading, Certification and Verification page. Follow links on that page for more detailed information.