Moe, J. 2021, DFI Food Safety Plan - Part 3: Harvest, Storage, and Transportation, Desert Farming Initiative, University of Nevada, Reno

All objects that come into contact with produce during harvest, storage and transportation are clean, in good working condition, and maintained on a scheduled basis. This includes, but is not limited to handheld harvesting equipment (knives, pruners, etc.), containers and vehicles, washing equipment, the Wash House itself and storage areas (including the cooler and CoolBot).

The Wash House, storage areas and equipment are managed according to the procedures for Pre-Harvest Risk Management, Wash House Cleaning, Pre-Harvest Cleaning and Wash Water Treatement, Washing Produce, and Shared Equipment. Wash water is changed between crops if multiple products are being harvested.

Harvest & Produce Washing

All employees and visitors involved in harvest are trained in assessing contamination risks and corrective actions before harvest of produce according to the procedures for Pre-Harvest Risk Management.

Harvest containers are kept in good repair. Any container not in use is stored in a clean and secure location in the Wash House. Harvest containers are not used for carrying anything but produce, and produce is only carried in dedicated containers. If something other than produce is inadvertently placed in a harvest container, it is cleaned and sanitized. Produce is harvested according to direction and training from farm management. All harvests are recorded in the Harvest Log.

For use in harvest transportation, the van and Suburban are first inspected. Vehicles are swept out or wiped down if needed, and always lined with a clean tarp before loading. Harvest crates are enclosed (such as in the back bay of the Suburban) or covered with lids or a clean tarp when transported from the Fields 2 and 3 to the wash house. Produce from the hoop houses and neighboring plots are harvested into crates and taken directly to be precooled and washed in the wash house triple bin sink, washed at the outdoor wash station, or harvested directly into delivery packaging and stored inside immediately. Procedures for Washing Produced are followed. Because the distance from harvest areas to the Wash House is short, the crops are not stored in the field for any length of time, and the crops are under observation at all times, there is very little risk of contamination during this stage of transport. All crops are washed and stored according to the weekly harvest plan or farm management directions. 

Storage

Produce is delivered for wholesale, sold directly to consumers via a farmers market, or it is stored onsite in cool storage (cooler or CoolBot). Storage temperatures are maintained at 38°F in the cooler (year-round) and 40 to 55°F in the Coolbot (used during summer/fall seasons), and are monitored weekly and cleaned as needed (at least monthly) when in use for produce storage. Storage temperatures are recorded in the Wash House Cleaning weekly log.

Transportation

Vehicles in Production Areas

Employee and visitor vehicles are allowed on the roadways and designated areas outside of crop production areas only. All farm vehicles will be inspected for the following prior to entering the fields:

  • Interior and exterior cleanliness
  • No broken or cracked plastic or glass windows, fixtures, covers, or other parts
  • No dripping oil, anti-freeze, petroleum, or lubricant.
  • Contamination hazards such as food, animal feces/fur/feathers, excessive dirt or debris or other items that could compromise produce safety.

Vehicles for Produce Transportation

All vehicles used to transport produce are inspected for cleanliness, odors, contamination hazards (pesticide residue, animal contamination, etc.) and any other signs of unsanitary conditions before loading. If necessary, the vehicle is swept out and wiped down before produce is loaded; a clean liner is always used in delivery vehicles. Vehicles are fully cleaned seasonally. Vehicles are pre-cooled with air conditioning before loading in the summer. Produce will be loaded carefully so that risk of damage and contamination will be minimized. Only employees who are trained in loading produce out of the storage cooler and into vehicles will do so. All deliveries are recorded in the Traceability Log.

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