2017 ASHS Annual Conference

To focus future good agricultural practices (GAPs) educational efforts, we surveyed leafy greens growers in Minnesota about their farming practices and measured microbial load on greens. Leafy greens growers attending the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association annual meeting, the Immigrant and Minority Farmers annual conference, and farm food safety workshops were asked to answer short, written surveys. The survey was designed to collect information about grower practices related to fertilizers, wash/rinse water, drying, and storage. Most survey respondents used potable water without added sanitizer for washing. A subset of growers responding to the survey agreed to allow us to sample greens from their farms. Eight organic farmers, half of whom used sanitizer and half who did not, agreed to collaborate on the project in 2014, and allowed us to sample one to three times during the growing season. Three of the farmers agreed to wash samples with and without sanitizer after the first sampling date. Six farmers who used conventional methods or animal manure for fertility collaborated in 2015. In addition, samples were obtained from seven farmers’ market stalls. Pathogenic bacterial levels were undetectable or low on farm and farmers’ market samples. Coliforms were in the normal range and similar among farms and treatments. The microbial food safety risk from locally grown leafy greens appeared to be low. Our future outreach efforts can therefore focus on worker hygiene and cleanliness of farming operations, making GAPs training less onerous for growers.