1. Hawaii Farmers Union United
North Shore EVP
A Regional Economic Development Partnership
Small Farms & Food Safety
Hawaii Farmers Union United
Kauai Chapter Meeting
Nov
Lisa Rhoden
Food Safety Director

2. North Shore EVP A Regional Economic Development Partnership
Small Farms & Food Safety
Who is North Shore EVP?
a regional non profit seeking economic opportunities for the area in keeping with the country lifestyle
Why do we care about food safety?
A food hub is desired but food safety certification would be required to sell to distributors
Most farmers on NS are not certified
Food related disease outbreaks are bad for business-Rat Lungworm, norovirus, E.coli

3. GAP vs FSMA

4. Small Farms & Food Safety
GroupGAP research and establishment of team
Recruitment and start of Cohort 1
Create and submit QMS
Recruitment and start of Cohort 2
Reassess based on more need than just NS of Oahu

5. Small Farms & Food Safety
Hawai‘i Food Production
The Challenge for Farmers
Opportunities for Small Producers
Food Safety: What Does it All Mean: Here is what it means to small farmers in Hawaii
Hawai‘i Food Production
We import approximately 85% of our food and yet
State goal is to double local food production by 2020
That means that there is a new role for small farms that has been previously unrecognized
But there is a significant challenge for small farmers in rising to fill this role and that’s the
Expanding regulatory environment, where farms are being asked to comply with food safety regulations to sell their product to larger retail markets.
However there are new opportunities for Small Producers that can help mitigate the challenges

6. Small Farms & Food Safety: What’s a Small Farmer To Do?
Hawai‘i Food Production
Import 85% of our food
State goal to double local food production
New role for small farms
That’s the 15% of the food produced in Hawaii!
Hawai‘i Food Production
Import 85% of our food
State goal to double local food production --we believe that the capacity to do this lies within small farms
And this creates a new role for small farms. In the past smaller producers have been seen by larger retailers as unable to meet the demand, and not willing or able to comply with food safety regulations that larger retailers and distributors require. Now though we see examples of small farms that are very successful, and are willing to work towards food safety compliance. If we can successfully join these groups’ product under the same management system, there’s a good chance multiple farms can supply a retailer with the amount of product needed.
Here we go
Here we go

7. Small Farms & Food Safety: What’s a Small Farmer To Do?
The Challenge for Farmers
Expanding Regulatory Environment
Expensive to Implement
Hawai‘i’s Farmer Profile
The Challenge for Small Farmers
In addition to the day-to-day challenges of pests and disease & farming in the tropics…
Expanding regulatory environment: Typically in the past this has meant a certification through USDA GAP or Primus or other 3rd party who comes to audit the farm. It’s a 1 Farm-1 Audit process which
Can be Expensive to learn and implement ($5k-$25k)
Also the demographic profile of Hawaii’s farmers means that the information to learn about contamination risk, the records and logs to fill out and keep, and the audit process itself can be daunting to farmers who don’t speak English as their first language.
Can be Expensive to learn and implement ($5k-$25k) (FDA, Univ of MI)
Avg age>60, not native English speaker, often socially disadvantaged

8. Small Farms & Food Safety: What’s a Small Farmer To Do?
Opportunities for Small Producers
GroupGAP Food Safety Training
Network of Farms
Specialty markets
Co-ops/Food Hubs
Opportunities for Small Producers
For Regulatory Compliance, there is GroupGAP, a newer USDA program that allows small farmers to work in a group to obtain compliance.
GGAP provides agricultural producers of all sizes with the means to demonstrate their commitment to food safety, build buyer confidence, and increase the value of their products in larger markets.
The GroupGAP system can be a benefit to product Marketing
It can improve the The 3 Q’s: Quality, Quantity, Consistency –sometimes it’s difficult for a single producer to offer product to a retailer and meet all 3 criteria, but in a group this becomes much easier
Specialty markets-these are often looking for smaller volumes, sometimes higher value products, and small producers can fit this niche very well especially with food safety certification
Finally Co-ops/Food Hubs can manage large volume aggregation making it easier for larger distributors to place orders. These organizations help to create local jobs supporting the ag and food retail industry.
What North Shore EVP envisions is a GroupGAP Network of Farms across the state, specific to each community, that Increases local production by promoting and facilitating buying local along the entire supply chain!

9. Hawai‘i GroupGAP Model
Regional Group
Farm
Audits Representative Sample of Group’s Farms
Audits Group’s Procedures & Records
Authorizes Certification
North Shore EVP (GroupGAP QMS)
Data
Data
Regional Group
Farm
What does the picture look like?
It starts with USDA-GroupGAP is a USDA program, and only USDA can provide the final certification. In GroupGAP, the managing group has created a Quality Management System, with policies governing how the group does it’s job of managing the regional groups in this example. Regional groups are smaller units that help to select and organize the farms in an area. An example would be Waimanalo or North Shore chapters of HFUU who have several farms in their organizations that want to join GroupGAP. NSEVP looks to these regional groups to help identify farms who are ready and able to get food safety certified, assists with communication and raising awareness, help NSEVP coordinate training, audits, and other events, and provides feedback to NSEVP on what the community is looking for.
The farms are the final group in this scenario, and of course they are the ones who go through the training program, implement food safety practices, do their records, and provide data back to the group.
NSEVP Coordinates w/Regional Partners for Training & Internal Audits
Regional Partners Facilitate Training, Audits & Local Network of Farms
Regional Partners Facilitate Training, Audits & Local Network of Farms

10. Small Farms & Food Safety: What’s a Small Farmer To Do?
Opportunities for Small Producers
New Market Access
What do distributors want?
How does that information get to small farmers?
Opportunities for Small Producers New market access
NSEVP gathers information from local buyers. That information is shared to Regional Groups who inform their farm partners. Farmers work with regional group and NSEVP to determine what they can grow, on what schedule (who what where when) and move that local product into the supply chain. Working in this way small producers can provide the
The 3 Q’s: Quality, Quantity, Consistency things that have traditionally been stumbling blocks to smaller producers gaining entry into the market with larger retailers.
Here’s what we think that looks like

11. GroupGAP Organization
(New Market Access Model)
Buyers
Qualified Production Leads
Sourcing & Production Inquiries
USDA Integrity Program
New Market Data
North Shore EVP (GroupGAP QMS)
Verifies that audits are done correctly
Provides records & internal audits
Internal reports: FS Logs, Sales, Productions, etc.
External Inspector/Auditor
Audits QMS, examines farm data, performs inspections, certifies farms
GAP App
GroupGAP training, internal audits & compliance
Producers

12. Small Farms & Food Safety: What’s a Small Farmer To Do?
Opportunities for Small Producers
Warren e
Opportunities for Small Producers
Co-ops/Food Hubs: Large volume aggregation; local jobs
GroupGAP Network of Farms
Increase local production by buying local along the entire supply chain!
Community driven food hubs are another way that small producers can join together and integrate into the local supply chain. In this model, the food hub can take on much of the post harvest work, including pick up of product from the farm, washing and cooling, packaging, marketing, distribution. Each local food hub can be tailored to a community’s specific needs. For example on NS we expect to have a retail area to sell small quantities of specialty items, gifts, and other items that tourists will buy for taking home, and this retail side will help to bouy the rest of the operation. Based on community needs, we would also incorporate a training area or conference room for community and farmer meeting space. Another option is to create a value added processing area, and a small office for handling farm tour admin business.
Here’s what this can look like:

13. GroupGAP Organization
(Aggregator Model)
GAP Standards Owner
Provides real-time verification of group certification
USDA Integrity Program
Provides records & internal audits
Approves standard
Verifies that audits are done correctly
Buyer
External Inspector/Auditor
Provides verification of group GAP certification
Provides reports
Audits QMS, examines reports, performs inspections, certifies
Food Hub
(can include marketing, packing, shipping, quality management systems)
Producers
Provides training, completes internal audits and takes all measures to ensure compliance
Provide internal reports indicating compliance with QMS

14. Contact Us! www.nsevp.org Elisabeth Beagle Food Safety Specialist
Kevin Kelly
President
Lisa Rhoden
Food Safety Director
Ultimately our goal is to improve the economic opportunities on the NS of Oahu through GroupGAP and a regional food hub. However we see this model as being extremely useful and fitting for many communities in our state and we want to share it!
If you are considering getting food safety certification, please contact us and we can help you form a group in your region.
Laycie Love
Creative Development Strategist

15. Other Services… Farm Water Testing
Through partnership with Hawaii Agricultural Research Center (phase 2, lab on Kauai)
FREE water testing
Samples tested for E.Coli and Total Coliform count
On Kauai
North Shore/East Side: Emilie Kirk (UH Extension)
South Shore/West Side: Lisa Rhoden (NS EVP)