George Gross outside Dog River Farm in Berlin
By Trevor Audet, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
When George Gross came across a small, run-down farm along the Dog River, he saw an opportunity to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to the Capitol City and beyond. After purchasing the dilapidated property in Berlin 18 years ago, Gross brought new life to the land. Dog River Farm now offers a CSA program, retail at the stand, and supplies fresh food to local restaurants, schools, grocery stores, and farmers’ markets. The farm also supplies produce wholesale for distribution locally and regionally year-round. As farm production increases each season, improving produce safety is a top priority.
“Produce safety goes hand in hand with longevity of product. A good clean product is going to last longer, a product that’s cared for properly is going to last longer in the cooler and a better-quality product will make it to market,” said Gross.
To help farmers grow food safely, efficiently, and economically the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets issued a third round of Produce Safety Improvement Grants.
Through a competitive grant process, Gross was awarded $5,000 to purchase a rinse conveyor system to increase cleaning ability and single pass water rinse of vegetables. (You can see this machine in action on UVM Extension Agricultural Engineering YouTube Channel)
“It will allow my crew to be a little more efficient, rather than washing by hand bunch after bunch and packing. My crew will be able to harvest multiple beds and run them into the wash house where they can be washed, inspected and packed for the customer,” said Gross.
It’s a produce safety improvement project that helps Dog River Farm stay true to its roots while being able to grow their business.
“I wouldn’t want to serve or sell anything that I wouldn’t personally eat or feed my family. When you think about that, you want your product to look good, you want it to be clean and you want it to be safe for the consumer."
Gross is slated to install the new bunch washer later this summer.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets recently awarded $56,000 to 12 Vermont produce growers making on-farm improvements that prevent or reduce produce safety risks.
This grant round was funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Castanea Foundation.
To date, the Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grant program has awarded $204,000 in grants to 29 Vermont farms. Each round saw an impressive range of applications and, due to high demand, not everyone who applied was able to receive funding.
Projects granted in the third round include renovations to wash and pack areas, equipment installations and upgrades, improvements to produce cold storage on the farms listed below:
- Evening Song Farm to upgrade existing hand washing equipment and supplies related to harvesting and washing produce, with stainless steel and plastic materials to allow for more effective cleaning and sanitizing. ($4,800)
- Dog River Farm to install a stainless steel AZS Rinse Conveyor for increased cleaning ability and single pass water rinse of vegetables. ($5,000)
- Tamarack Hollow Farm to install fencing to reduce risks of wildlife crop contamination in and around produce fields. ($4,790)
- Full Belly Farm to improve the wash/pack area with equipment that can be cleaned and sanitized, install an employee hand washing station, and purchase labels to accurately track produce when it leaves the farm. ($5,000)
- River Berry Farm to make walk-in cooler and pack house improvements that will improve cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces and reduce associated produce safety risks. ($5,000)
- Old Athens Farm to upgrade the farm’s wash line with a commercial grade stainless spinner and improve draining areas by replacing wood surfaces with stainless steel. ($5,000)
- Newleaf Organics to transform an old dairy barn into a produce wash/pack area with stainless steel food contact surfaces and cleanable walls and floors. ($5,000)
- Luna Bleu Farm to expand and improve the wash/pack and storage areas with easy to clean food contact surfaces and equipment, improved drainage, and to install a knee-pedal operated hand washing sink. ($3,440)
- Jericho Settlers Farm to replace wooden bins with plastic harvest bins that can be cleaned and sanitized. ($5,000)
- Champlain Orchards to install an automated water sanitation system that will enable pH and temperature logging of the water in the apple packing line wash tank to reduce risks of food borne pathogens and improve water quality monitoring. ($5,000)
- Sam Mazza Farms to replace old harvest buckets with new washable buckets. ($3,055)
- Joe's Brook Farm to install a high-pressure rinse line in the pack shed to improve produce and container washing procedures and reduce food safety risks. ($5,000)
The Agency’s Produce Program is committed to assisting produce growers with making produce safety improvements and upgrades to their farm operation focused on food safety and improving the sustainability of their businesses. For more details about the program, visit agriculture.vermont.gov/produceprogram.