Introduction to farm food safety

Our Farm Safety Coaches:

James Hollyer

Oahu and Kauai

Lynn Nakamura-Tengan

Maui

Luisa Castro

Big Island

Farm food safety is important because it can increase the marketability of your produce and agricultural products.  Additionally, farm food safety can keep your employees and customers safe from food-borne illnesses, such as salmonella, or e. coli.  Check out our program brochure.

How the program works:

1. Begin by watching the short videos about the many aspects of farm food safety.

2. Make a commitment to practicing farm food safety. 

3. Review the audit preparation materials and begin making safety improvements to your farm production areas.

4. Contact a farm safety coach to learn more about the audit process and schedule a farm visit to learn more about your farm's strengths and weaknesses.

5. Make personal changes and encourage your employees to make changes to improve the quality of your produce.

6. Working alone, or with a farm safety coach, develop an individualized farm safety manual.

7. Begin taking regular logs as directed in your individualized farm safety manual.

8. Make a list of the fertilizers that you have on your farm and download a Metal Report for each one.

9. Make a list of the chemicals on your farms and download a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each one.

10. Schedule a mock audit with a farm safety coach.

11. When you are ready, schedule a food safety audit by contacting Albert Louie of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

12. Continue to follow your farm safety manual.

Who can participate:

1. All Hawaii based produce growers, regardless of size of operation, or variety of crop.