The FSMA Harvest Checklist
Looking for a helpful checklist to prepare for FSMA 204? If you grow fresh produce on a family farm, this article is for you.
November 14th, 2024
The new requirements for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will come into effect on January 20th, 2026. While 2026 might feel far away, 14 months boils down to just one farming season for most of us. That means it’s time to get prepared for the changes ahead.
To help prepare you and your farming team we have created an easy, 3 part series on FSMA 204 for fresh produce farms. Last month we outlined what FSMA 204 means in practical terms. Today we are offering a helpful checklist for your harvest records. Next month, you can find an overview of helpful tools and resources to simplify your compliance.
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Not sure if FSMA 204 impacts your farming business? Check out our previous article which summarises crop categories in scopes and the most common exemptions to the regulation.
Is your Harvest Record Keeping FSMA ready?
FSMA 204 requires traceability records for farms (and processors, packers, holders) who produce any food item on the Food Traceability List. This means farms need to pay particular attention to documenting data related to harvest activities.
Here is a simple checklist to test whether or not your current record keeping will keep you FSMA compliant for harvest data:
- I can map any product (after it leaves the farm gate) back to the farm site and specific field location it was harvested from
- I can determine the harvest date of any product (after it leaves the farm gate)
- The harvestable area for each of my fields is accurately documented
- The harvestable area for each crop variety is accurately documented
- I can easily determine who received which products (specific variety) after they left the farm gate
- For any given crop variety, I can determine the quantity of products harvested from a specified field on a specified day
- I have read the list of Key Data Elements (KDE) for harvest record keeping and I have a process for documenting each of these data points in a secure and timely manner. (You can find a list of KDEs below).
How to improve your Harvest Record Keeping:
- Field Maps: Ensure your fields are mapped accurately and labelled by crop category and variety. If you don’t have a digital field map, there are lots of great tools to help you with this. We offer tips on how to best set up a digital field map using Farmable.
- Simplify Traceability: Try a harvest management tool to easily record what crops are harvested, where and when. Many farm management apps will have harvest management as a feature in their tools. In Farmable, our harvest capture includes a unique QR code so that every harvested batch can be easily traced back to the field level.
- Sales Management: Accurately tracking who received your product is an essential part of FSMA record keeping. If you have a paper based order management system, consider upgrading to a digital tool to save time on manual data entry and prevent costly mistakes. You learn more about the Farmable Sales Management module and how it connects your farming operations with customer order management to make traceability much, much easier.
If you need more tips on what tools are popular in your area, contact your local cooperative extensions or industry association. They should provide guidance and resources for family farms to meet FSMA requirements.
Key Data Elements (KDEs) to for FSMA Harvest Record Keeping:
Ensure the following data points are captured during your harvest and sales season.
- Operating Company Name
- Commodity Description
- Crop Variety
- Field Name / Harvest Area
- Harvest Date
- Harvest Quantity & Unit of Measure
- Complete Farm Address: Street AddressCity, State, Zip or Postal Code, Country
- Alternatively Farm GPS Coordinates
- Farm Phone Number
- Business Details for the ‘Immediate Subsequent Recipient’
- Including business Name, complete business address and phone number
Harvest is just one Critical Tracking Event (CTE)
Today we are talking about harvest recording keeping because harvest activity is applicable to all fresh produce family farms. Harvest is considered a Critical Tracking Event (CTE) under FSMA but there are other CTEs that you should be aware of.
If your farm manages other post-harvest operations such as Cooling, Packing, Shipping or Receiving; be sure to read up on requirements for these specific CTEs.
You can dig into the specific Key Data Elements (KDEs) required for each CTE through this spreadsheet provided by the FDA.
Conclusion:
For smaller operations, FSMA 204 is likely to mean some changes to your reporting processes. The good news is that the number of user-friendly tools available on the market to support you has grown in recent years. Paper-based systems are permitted but can be time consuming and prone to error. Shifting to a digital reporting process will prepare you not only for FSMA 204 but also improve your farm’s position when discussing contracts with buyers who have stringent traceability requirements.
