The document discusses strategies for small producers and cooperatives to navigate food service requirements and supply institutions. It provides resources for meeting guidelines like Grownlocally.org and ALBA, which buys from producers and distributes while holding liability insurance. Commercial and university kitchens can offer processing avenues. States like Washington provide GAP certification support and farm-to-school programs. Clarifying regulatory roles and obtaining direction in writing can help small producers get ahead in addressing food safety and access institutional markets.

1. Small Group Discussion: Navigating Food Service Requirements
Some highlights:
 Resources to help meet guidelines
o Cooperative perspective: Grownlocally.org, Johnice Cross is the contact.
o Other Sodexo, NSF, Davis Fresh,
o ALBA- buys product from producers and then distribute, they work with
universities, they hold the liability insurance as opposed to individual
producers.
o NSF Davis Fresh has a great system that helps
farmers/processors/distributors prepare for the actual audit. Use those
tools.
 Trends in industry: distribution, minimum processing facilities
 Private companies can have significant role in distribution
 Commercial kitchens can offer avenues in processing (example: commercial
kitchen via SWGA Project/ SRBWI)
o Partner with dining services to staff these facilities. It’s often slower
on college campuses at the height of harvest so some employees may
not be working fulltime hours. These folks could staff the commercial
kitchen providing needed funds to the employee and also well trained
individuals to staff the kitchen.
 State level issues>Louisiana developed statewide food council-paying
attention to food needs
 Farm to School programs>Washington recommends GAP certification (can
provide some audits, training, such as a walk-through mock audit, GAP
guide, monitoring a farm going through certification, simplifying GAP by
integrating commonalities)
 Agree about uncertainties ofspecific roles of who regulates what
 Strategies for getting ahead of the game to find advocates (get directions/
ordinance in writing)
 Nutrition & obesity epidemic = need & importance of eating fruits and
vegetables
Notes by:
Mercedes Taylor-Puckett
Local Foods and Farmers Market Project Coordinator
Kansas Rural Center
Christy: NSF Davis Fresh 3rd party auditor, Global GAPs, provides practice audits
Grownlocally.org/com, Johnice Cross is rep to ask about the process of having a small co-
op work with Sodexo.
ALBA: buys product from producers and then distribute, they work with universities, they
hold the liability insurance as opposed to individual producers.

2. Providing information and pictures from individual farms/dairies, etc is important to food
service operators and is a great incentive to use your services. Consider that when
contacting food services.
Potentially local smaller distribution companies begin to jump into market.
A bunch of issues on docking fees,
Certified kitchen vs processing facility.
San Diego Unified School District will begin processing in their kitchens for later use.
Would this also work into university/collegekitchens? Put staff to work in summers
preserving product for year-long use in schools thus closing the circle of food production.
Chefs can be interested in assisting food service workers in developing skills working with
whole foods.
Most institutions requiring third party audits have a list of approved third party audit
companies they want someone to use. If a farmer/distributor/processor has already
completed a third party audit, offer to share that with the distribution. It is not uncommon
for that third party audit to be acceptable. Some institutions may request you use their third
party auditor once the audit expires but ask the question and push the issue a little. It could
save you thousands of dollars.
Michigan, Iowa, Washington and Oregon seem to have very supportive extension agents
that can help farmers prepare for third party audits.
Community non-profits are great resources and allies for local farmers and can also have
influence with institutions.
When selling to institutions, let them know if you are GAP certified. Some institutions will
waive third party audits if you are GAP certified.
Institutions are paying attention to what is happening with Global GAP’s and are very
interested to see this come to fruition.
How are states handling the Food Safety Issues:
Texas: Texas Department of Ag: providing some funding for GAPs certification with
Texas A&M.
Louisiana: 2 yr food policy study. Specialty crop is a small part of ag in the state. LA is
unique. Healthy Retail Study (Tulane): LSA
Washington: 2 yr old farm to state, difficult for Wash Dept of Ag to establish a policy.
The State Dept of Ag recommends that farms interested in F2S seek GAPs certification.
I think WA has authorization to do audits (WA $70/hr vs USDA rate of $1**/hr)
F2S program got a SCBG for GAPs, did a mock inspection workshop attended by 100+
producers. (Potato growers invested in GAPs education. can share booklet)
First small diversified farm going through process.
Looking at how to align Certified Organic questions with GAPs certification questions
Oregon: 1 full-time Oregon Department of Ag person and 1 full-time Department of
Education work on farm to school. (WA $70/hr vs USDA rate of $1**/hr)

3. Minnesota: Dept of Ag is a strong supporter of F2S and works on Dept of Health to
relax. Mary Jo.
Confusion/lack of clarity as to which dept/agency oversees has authority over food safety.
Ask for it in writing to see the specific reference that lead to this interpretation.