The Madison County Horticulture Agent supported commercial horticulture producers this past year in several ways. Specific focus areas were increasing farm revenue and food safety. Highlights include co-hosting programs through an industry partnership with the Kentucky Horticulture Council (KHC) and offering the Produce Best Practices Training.

In the spring, the Agent worked with KHC and visited with farmers who were participating in the Kentucky Small Fruits Initiative, a program designed to provide technical and financial support to small fruit crop growers expanding and establishing small fruit crop enterprises (small fruit includes crops such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries). The Agent discussed planting, maintencance and post production options with participating farmers. Six local growers participated in the program; the $7,572 invested in plant material, irrigation infrastructure, and other production inputs is expected to conservatively generate more than $30,000 in farm revenue for fresh, lightly processed, and value-added products. Several of these growers now have perennial crop plantings established, meaning that with good management, annual returns can be expected for the next 10 to 20 years.

The Agent also partnered with the KHC to deliver an agriculture water and food safety program for local produce growers. This program educated growers on human health pathogens that can be present in ag water sources through distribution of sampling kits, sample transportation to the laboratory facility, and free coliform and E. coli testing to producers who use pond, well, or other non-municipal water sources. Test results and subsequent interpretation of the results helped growers better understand microbial quality and potential risk of their surface and ground water sources used for production and post-harvest activities. Water quality testing is a mandatory component of grower compliance with FDA's FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) and critical to producing safe, high-quality produce for human consumption. Where potential issues were identified, the Agent and KHC staff are helping the growers determine production management plans to remediate any issues and ensure compliance with FSMA.

Produce Best Practices Training (PBPT) is a Kentucky-specific voluntary basic food safety training. It is designed to address potential food contamination issues between the farm and the consumer. Both Farmer’s Markets in Madison County require all vendors to complete this training. This is also a prerequisite for completing the food sampling certificate offered through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. The Sampling Certificate allows vendors to offer sampling of raw fruits and vegetables at KDA Farmers Markets and Farm Bureau Roadside Stands. The Agent shared with participants information regarding making a food safety plan, requirements of FDA’s FSMA, as well as COVID-19 food safety information. The training was done via ZOOM. Once the training was complete, the Agent administered a quiz and when the participant passed, their information was sent on to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture so that they could issue a certificate to the producer. Eight farms completed PBPT in Madison County this year.

According to one producer who attended the PBPT training: 

PBPT training was of highest quality. All reluctance diminished when I realized the direct connection and importance the content had to me and my small farm. The biggest take away I had was the dangers of cross contamination between my livestock and vegetables via my boots. Even as a small farm, it is just as important to implement a farm food safety structure to ensure that our product is safe for the consumer. I believe that the video encompassed all the necessary information to forgo a in person class and gave me the confidence I needed to operate efficiently and effectively.