Presented by Ashley Chaifetz, "Growing Safer Gardens," University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Julie Skolmowski and Blair Currier

1. 1

2. While
many
people
tend
to
think
of
industrial-­‐sized
outbreaks
like
those
of
Jensen
Farms’
cantaloupes
or
Wright
County
egg,
there
many
recalls
and
outbreaks
that
stem
from
smaller
farms
and
companies.
AddiAonally,
incidences
of
outbreak
have
emerged
from
the
direct-­‐to-­‐consumer
channels.
They
have
occurred
as
recently
as
the
summer
of
2011.
Deer
droppings
on
strawberries
from
a
small
farm
in
Oregon
led
to
a
five-­‐county
E.
coli
O157:H7
outbreak;
its
strawberries
sold
predominately
at
roadside
stands.
CDC:
hOp://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/
Oregon
confirms
deer
droppings
caused
E.
coli
outbreak
Aed
to
strawberries.
(2011,
August
17).
America's
Intelligence
Wire.
Retrieved
from
hOp://go.galegroup.com/ps/
i.do?id=GALE%7CA264575147&v=2.1&u=unc_main&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w
2

3. Unwashed
hands
that
bring
pathogens
to
the
garden.
Animal
feces
(domesAc
and
wild).
Cross-­‐contaminaAon
with
unsaniAzed
tools
and
harvest
containers.
3

4. 4

5. You
can’t
see
contaminaAon
in
the
garden.
And
if
crops
like
tomatoes
or
cucumbers-­‐-­‐
things
that
you
eat
raw—have
Salmonella
or
E.
coli—there’s
no
way
to
cook
it
out.
And,
unfortunately,
not
everyone
has
informaAon
about
pathogen
prevenAon—it’s
not
even
on
the
radar
of
most
garden
managers
I’ve
met.
In
an
aOempt
to
answer
quesAons,
we
found
that
there’s
liOle
readily
available
informaAon
that
is
scaled
to
garden-­‐level.
So,
with
Dr
Ben
Chapman,
we
created
a
document
that
would
help
out
all
the
garden
managers
and
volunteers
to
make
sure
their
garden
is
as
safe
as
possible.
5

6. I’m
sure
you’ve
heard
all
kinds
of
things
about
the
crazy
poliAcs
in
NC.
But
this
is
different.
All
of
the
fruit
and
vegetables
that
are
served
in
the
cafeteria
must
come
from
a
GAP-­‐cerAfied
farm
(as
per
Department
of
Public
InstrucAon).
What
that
means
is
that
the
produce
from
the
gardens
in
NC
cannot
be
served
in
the
cafeteria.
That
doesn’t
mean
that
the
students
are
not
eaAng
it.
The
barriers
are
just
different.
Gejng
food
from
the
garden
into
the
cafeteria
is
THE
barrier.
That’s
why
this
project
began.
And
the
benefits
of
the
school
garden
are
vast.
We’ve
got
hopes-­‐-­‐that
by
making
sure
the
gardens
are
the
safest
possible,
then
these
kinds
of
policies
might
shik.
6

7. So,
we
started
with
GAP.
To
clarify,
GAP
stands
for
good
agricultural
pracAces—food
safety
guidelines
for
American
farms
that
can
choose
to
follow
in
addiAon
to
the
regulaAons
set
forth
by
the
USDA.
To
become
GAP-­‐cerAfied,
a
farm
must
go
through
an
audit
in
which
it
proves
that
it
has
completed
a
laundry
list
of
items
related
to
soil,
water,
animal
producAon,
employee
hygiene,
sanitaAon.
To
create
a
document
for
food
safety
in
gardens,
we
had
to
start
with
GAP
audit,
to
see
what
the
details
were
on
food
distribuAon
in
NC
cafeterias.
The
USDA
guide
is
based
on
the
FDA’s
“Guide
to
Minimize
Microbial
Food
Safety
Hazards
for
Fresh
Fruits
and
Vegetables,”
known
colloquially
as
GAP.
We
eventually
focused
on
8
areas:
handwashing,
site
selecAon,
garden
design
(fencing
and
pests),
compost,
water,
soil,
tools
+
sanitaAon,
and
volunteer
know-­‐
how.
But
how
the
document
was
created
is
the
important
part.
GAP
Audit
Checklist:
hOp://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/gerile?
dDocName=STELPRDC5091326
7

8. This
is
how
we
did
it.
I
visited
a
lot
of
gardens-­‐-­‐13,
in
5
counAes.
And
asked
the
garden
managers
quesAons
—about
the
“story
of
the
garden-­‐-­‐”
how
it
came
to
be,
why
the
pracAces
in
place
were
chosen
(organic
versus
not-­‐organic
versus
preOy-­‐much-­‐organic),
types
of
soil,
rain
cisterns
and
barrels
and
municipal
water,
about
fencing
and
the
cost
of
the
installaAon,
about
why
they
chose
teacher-­‐driven
plots
versus
one
big
school
garden,
about
compost
and
how
they
maintain
it
and
how
they
knew
it
was
cooked
enough,
about
the
garden
clubs,
about
hand
saniAzer,
about
the
very-­‐different
barriers
that
plague
the
community
gardens
versus
the
school
gardens.
We
even
teamed
up
with
a
person
at
DPI
to
meet
the
garden
managers
as
she
spoke
to
the
cafeteria
managers
about
the
school
breakfast
and
lunch
program,
taking
me
hundreds
of
miles
from
my
house
to
talk
to
more
garden
managers.
Hundreds
of
miles
later
and
tons
of
handwriOen
notes
later,
I
looked
at
the
academic
literature.
I
examined
it
for
similariAes,
for
fact-­‐checking
to
see
if
there
was
truth
to
a
lot
of
the
“old
wives’
tales”
I’d
heard
in
the
field.
Some
were
valid;
some
were
not.
I
also
had,
on
my
team,
in
addiAon
to
Dr
Chapman
(the
food
safety
extension
specialist
at
NC
State
and
NC
CooperaAve
Extension),
a
fruit
and
vegetable
specialist,
experts
in
nutriAon
and
health,
soil
scienAsts,
people
who
specialize
in
youth
development
and
volunteer
management.
And
many
members
of
the
team
were
more
than
well-­‐versed
in
a
variety
of
these
things.
8

9. Armed
with
a
prototype
of
the
document’s
contents,
I
went
back
into
the
field
to
talk
to
more
garden
managers.
I
asked
them
for
advice,
for
opinions
on
the
suggesAons
we
hoped
to
make,
about
language
and
feasibility.
As
in,
if
you
read
“you
must
take
the
temperature
of
the
compost”
before
you
use
it,
would
you
do
it?
Would
you
get
a
compost
thermometer?
(They
are
only
about
$25
but
you’ve
sAll
got
to
get
one.)
And
then,
I
went
back
to
the
team.
Many
months
later,
I’ve
got
a
finished
document
(which
we
am
now
talking
to
garden
managers
about—26
NEW
gardens
this
summer).
Overall,
This
is
how
we
did
it.
1. Recognized
the
issue.
2. Went
to
all
kinds
of
gardens
and
met
with
the
managers
and
heard
about
their
issues.
3. Read
the
academic
literature.
4. Talked
to
soil
scienAsts,
fruit
and
veggie
specialists,
youth
development
experts,
compost
specialists.
5. Wrote
up
the
document.
6. Went
back
to
the
garden
managers,
7. Edited.
A
lot.
Talked
to
even
more
people.
9

10. What’s
in
there?
I’ll
go
through
all
of
the
contents,
but
you
can
also
find
it
at
growingsafergardens.com
and
there
are
hard
copies.
10

11. It’s
really
a
lot
of
best
pracAces.
However,
not
every
garden
can
do
ALL
of
the
best
pracAces,
so
there
are
alternaAve
as
well—other
ways
to
miAgate
risk.
SITE
SELECTION:
BP
(Best
pracAce):
The
best
pracAce
is
to
obtain
the
history
of
the
site
from
planning
officials
and
determine
whether
the
garden
site
is
suitable.
If
NOT:
Ask
the
community.
Ask
the
cooperaAon
extension
agent.
11

12. HANDWASHING.
This
is
one
of
the
most
important.
CDC
says
50%
of
food-­‐borne
illnesses
are
linked
to
poor
handwashing.
Washing
your
hands
is
the
best
way
to
prevent
Norovirus.
BP:
The
best
pracAce
is
to
wash
your
hands
with
soap
and
clean,
running
water
and
dry
using
one-­‐use
only
towel.
IF
NOT:
If
there
is
no
running
water
available,
wear
disposable,
single-­‐use
gloves
while
harvesAng.
If
the
task
is
maintenance-­‐only,
tradiAonal
gardening
gloves
are
recommended.
12

13. WATER
AND
IRRIGATION:
Worries
on
non-­‐potable
water—it
could
be
the
rain
barrel
or
the
well.
BP:
Use
regulated,
treated
water
source.
Water
authoriAes
employ
filtraAon,
chlorinaAon
and
tesAng
to
ensure
it
meets
EPA
standards.
IF
NOT:
If
a
well
or
cistern,
have
the
water
tested
to
see
if
it
is
up
to
standards
before
using
on
edibles,
or
hands.
This
is
a
big
minimizer
of
potenAal
microbial
contaminaAon
of
fruits
and
vegetables.
13

14. The
barrels
and
cisterns
can
easily
be
tested
for
Salmonella
and
E.
coli.
14

15. I
have
yet
to
visit
a
garden
that
was
not
composAng
in
some
way:
cold,
hot,
leaf.
COMPOST:
There
are
at
least
3
food
safety
issues
here.
1.
Take
the
temperature.
It
must
be
at
least
130F
for
5
days
to
cook
out
the
pathogens.
2.
AddiAonally,
placement
can
be
problemaAc.
In
NC,
with
the
hurricanes
and
heavy
rains,
we
see
a
lot
of
flooding,
and
suggest
building
the
compost
downhill
to
keep
the
contents
from
flowing
into
the
garden
in
the
event
of
a
flood.
OR
barriers
or
French
drains
can
be
used
to
keep
the
contents
from
entering
the
garden.
3.
Lastly,
manure.
While
animal
manure
has
long
been
considered
an
acceptable
material
to
compost
(the
Environmental
ProtecAon
Agency
includes
it
on
a
list
of
safe
materials),
it
is
not
recommended
due
to
its
strong
connecAon
to
pathogens
like
E.
coli.
Extra
steps
must
then
be
taken
to
guarantee
the
safety
of
the
finished
compost.
*If
the
garden
accepts
compost
from
another
source
but
wants
to
maintain
an
organic
garden,
it
is
imperaAve
to
ask
what
kinds
of
materials
are
in
the
mixture.
15

16. GARDEN
DESIGN:
Keep
out
pests.
Animal
feces
can
bring
pathogenic
E.
coli,
Campylobacter,
Shigella,
and
Salmonella,
among
other
foodborne
illness-­‐causing
microorganisms.
(Remember-­‐-­‐we
saw
an
E.
coli
outbreak
in
Oregon
last
summer
from
deer
poop
on
strawberries—remember
you
can’t
wash
it
off.)
BP:
Use
a
fence
to
keep
out
deer.
Electric
fences
help
with
all
sorts
of
pests,
but
are
more
expensive
(and
there
is
an
physical
safety
issue
at
stake
with
the
school
gardens).
IF
NOT:
Use
repellents
and
sprays
to
keep
out
the
known
pests.
Maintain
records
and
try
to
keep
animals
out
of
the
garden.
16

17. SANITATION
AND
TOOLS:
We’re
worried
about
cross-­‐contaminaAon.
BP:
Use
single-­‐use
gloves
when
harvesAng
and
put
the
harvest
into
clean,
saniAzed
containers.
(saniAze
with
1
tsp
of
bleach
per
gallon
water)
OR
You
can
wash
your
hands
when
contaminated.
And
if
you’re
unsure
of
the
cleanliness
of
the
containers,
new
plasAc
bags
are
a
great
opAon.
Clean.
Wash
hands,
cujng
boards,
utensils,
and
countertops.
You
wouldn’t
go
a
restaurant
without
a
clean
kitchen;
you
shouldn’t
use
a
a
dirty
uAlity
knife
to
cut
the
garden
harvest
either.
17

18. There’s
a
lot
of
enthusiasm
for
gardens
these
days.
The
local
food-­‐service
provider
gave
9
gardens
in
the
school
district
where
I
live
approximately
$2000
for
each
garden—to
use
in
any
way
they
saw
fit.
I’ve
seen
25-­‐tree
orchards,
new
fences,
compost
tumblers,
all
sorts
of
things
beyond
the
seeds
and
soil.
A
lot
of
gardens
are
really
on
top
of
it.
Some
garden
managers
spend
a
lot
of
Ame
thinking
about
food
safety
and
the
prevenAon
of
pathogens
and
contaminaAon.
It’s
a
really
smart
place
to
think
about
reducing
risk
BEFORE
it
gets
to
the
kitchen
(either
at
home
or
in
the
cafeteria).
And
we
love
the
idea
of
gardens
as
suppliers,
but
there’s
the
liability
issue.
So,
what
now?
18

19. We
went
back
out
there—evaluaAng
how
the
tool
works.
In
the
25
NEW
gardens
that
my
colleague
and
I
visited
this
summer,
we
asked
more
quesAons.
Specifics
from
the
document,
with
plans
to
return
in
the
fall
and
see
how
it
all
fell
out,
to
see
whether
the
gardens
implemented
the
curriculum.
We’ve
had
an
incredible
response.
Everyone
has
been
very
welcoming,
even
as
we
talk
about
poop,
and
interested
in
the
guidelines.
It’s
being
incorporated
into
classes
(who
take
the
temperature
of
the
compost
for
a
science
course),
in
fact,
it
supports
of
all
kinds
of
STEM
acAviAes:
designing
beds
as
part
of
the
engineering
curriculum;
employing
math
skills
to
calculate
fencing;
growing
plants
in
a
biotechnology
lab;
counAng
the
number
of
eggs
hatched
by
hens.
19

20. This
is
where
you
can
find
the
document—the
enhanced
version
with
all
sorts
of
links
—plus
other
garden
resources,
like
grants
and
arAcles
on
gardening
pracAces.
20

21. 21