FOOD SAFETY & Handling
Our commitment to safe food starts with our choice to farm organically, which we have been doing since we started farming in 1994. It extends to the way we plant, grow, harvest, inspect, wash, handle, package and deliver our freshly-picked produce to you. We follow rigorous food safety protocols that meet USDA’s GAP Standards to ensure that we are providing the safest possible produce for our CSA members and customers at our farmers' markets. From planting to harvest, each stage is inspected to ensure it meets our strict food safety standards.
Our farm is certified organic by NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC.
Independent certified laboratories perform testing to verify
the effectiveness of our sanitation program.
IN THE FIELD (HARVEST)
All of our employees go through a thorough and rigorous food safety training program every year. Produce is harvested directly into sanitized crates using sanitized harvesting tools. We do not stack harvested produce back on the soil which can lead to contamination.
Once harvested, produce is quickly loaded up on harvest wagons and brought directly back to our Washing & Packing House. Produce is never left to sit out in the fields in the elements.
IN THE WASHING & PACKING HOUSE
(POST-HARVEST)
Harvested produce is immediately washed or stored in our coolers when it arrives in from the fields. We have invested in a fully food safe facility to wash, sort and pack produce. Stainless wash tanks, jetted greens washers and smooth concrete floors are designed for maximum sanitary conditions. Cooler temperatures are checked daily to ensure that produce is being stored at the optimal temperature for quality, freshness and safety.
GETTING IT TO YOU
Our CSA shares are INDIVIDUALLY PACKED BOXES. We do not offer "bulk" pick-ups due to our rigorous food safety standards. Each box is packed for you in our Packing House just hours after harvest and then stored in our coolers for delivery the next morning. Efforts are made to ensure that produce stays at the optimal temperature throughout the packing process. All of our deliveries are made on our own fleet of clean, FULLY REFRIGERATED trucks. We do our best to ensure that our pick-up sites are clean and orderly. Please help us by informing us of any condition issues at your pick-up location.
Traceability
We know where every item of produce was harvested and processed.
Should we ever need to, we can quickly trace the field source of your produce.
If you have any questions or concerns about our handling procedure or food safety program,
please do not hesitate to contact us at the farm.