Over the past two decades, one form of drip irrigation technology has rapidly advanced: Subsurface drip irrigation, a low pressure, high efficiency irrigation system that utilizes drip tubes or tape in order to meet specific crop water needs. Ideal for farms in dry, hot and windy regions with limited water supplies, SDI systems run underground, allowing crops to thrive without above-ground impediments.
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It’s about quality, not quantity!”
Longtime players in the produce industry know that irrigating a farm with clean, high-quality water can help farms pass audits and lessen vulnerability to recalls. But quantity — the amount of water that you use — should also be a consideration.
Read More →Technology and automation are expected to play a big role in fresh-cut produce facilities of the future.However, when it comes to producing a product that’s both safe and fresh, produce processors must combine the efficiency of these new systems with the expertise of well-educated employees. Fortunately, there are lots of resources employers can use to train their staff in effective fresh-cut safety practices.
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Maintaining a safe pool is about more than just good chlorination practices and fishing out the occasional leaf or tree branch. Although a low maintenance system like the Accu-Tab® Chlorination system can be a great way to add the proper amounts of chlorine to your pool to stave off bacteria and other contaminants, undesirably high pH levels can result in scale deposits and restricting water flow.
"Swings in pH can result in considerable pool damage,” says Westlake Water Solutions’s senior research associate, Dr. Stanley Pickens. “Metal fixtures or head exchangers may be corroded and corrosion products can stain plaster. Control of pH can also be important in keeping chlorine working properly. Extremes of pH can be irritating or damaging to skin and eyes.”
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Insure the Farm, Not Commodities, to Promote Farm Growth
Diversification is a crucial aspect of running a viable farm--it can save natural resources, spread economic risk, and capitalize on profitable niche markets, just to name a few benefits.
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Signed into law over three years ago, the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is finally being, well, finalized. Although compliance inspections likely won’t begin until 2016, farmers should be prepared for the law’s new standards, which place increased scrutiny on produce safety and agricultural water. The public comment period for this rule has closed, so growers should keep an eye on the FDA’s website for potential amendments to and publication of FSMA rules.
Specifically, the FSMA includes several proposed rules that cover different aspects of agricultural operations. One of them focuses on produce safety, which covers new requirements for testing and treating agricultural water.
“Safe and Sanitary”
The guiding principle behind the FDA’s approach to agricultural water in the proposed rule on Produce Safety is that “all agricultural water must be safe and of adequate sanitary quality for its intended use.” The FDA defines “agricultural water” as any water used in the produce production line where it is likely to come into contact with the produce itself, or surfaces that will come into contact with the produce. This includes any irrigation water directly applied to crops, crop sprays, as well as any water used in the harvesting, packing, and holding process.
This new rule will require farmers and growers to inspect their water sources and distribution systems to prevent potential contamination. In addition, agricultural water applied to covered produce will have to be tested, particularly if it comes into contact with the harvestable portion of the crop (prior to, during, or after harvest); directly contacts surfaces that will later touch the food; or is used during hand -washing or sprout irrigation.
A New Standard for Testing...
