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. . . to encourage organic and alternative food production in Canada by improving accessibility to quality organic farming content online. |
A TRACKING SYSTEM FOR ORGANIC FARMERSJanuary 2004Tracy Lundberg-Schimpf, Kelowna, BC.This project is funded by the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, through the Organic Sector Development Program, an Agri Food Futures Fund initiative under the Investment Agriculture Foundation, The North Okanagan Organic Association and the cooperating farmers.
Table of Contents
Traceability
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System Implementation
Manual System
The manual system is a low cost option if your farm is not yet computerized. All that is required is copies of the tracking document and a binder to keep everything together. For crops that have multiple planting and harvest dates, it is recommended to have a separate sheet for each type.
Computerized SystemIf you have a computer already, then using it for tracking can be quite simple. There are multiple spreadsheets programs on the market and your computer more than likely already has one on it. We used Microsoft Excel as it seems to be one of the most common. Spreadsheet programs eliminate the need for multiple sheets as lines can be added whenever needed.
With a computer, your tracking document can be customized to your own farm's needs. Columns can be made larger, smaller or added to if you want to keep track of more information than is listed here.
Sample Tracking Sheet, Fruit - Microsoft Excel
Sample Tracking Sheet, Vegetables - Microsoft Excel
Personal Digital AssistantsPDA's (personal digital assistants) are a useful tool for people on the move. If you don't particularly care for computers but still own one, they offer an easily operated bridge between what is happening in the field and the computer sitting in the house.
There are several different brands on the market now but we used a Palm m515 and a Palm m500 for this project. These units or similar ones can be purchased in the $200-$300 price range. The main feature to look for is spreadsheet capability. There are now PDA's on the market with built-in cameras and MP3 players so you can spend up to $700 depending on how many options you feel would be useful for you. PDA's enable a farmer to take their information into the field with them and record updates on the go. Everything can then be downloaded into your home computer daily or weekly.
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System Overview - Crops
Crop Planning
During the winter months, we all sit down to plan our fields, order seed or plants and try to estimate what our final harvests will be.
Using a standardized form for doing so will enable us to see clearly where we are and to allow our verification officers to perform their duties quickly (and at less expense to our farms). Having a history of previous years will also assist in the planning process.
This document will be a map of your entire farm production. List everything you are planting, where it came from, how large the planting is. You will still fill out an input list for total seed purchased and any other inputs you put into your fields. Input information comes directly off your outside purchases while the information in your tracking system has been broken down according to your planning/planting process.
Make note of any changes as your planting progresses.
Sample Crop Planning sheet - Microsoft Excel
Harvest & Sales DocumentationContinuing to add information to the same form makes for one-stop progress reports and easily accessible results of your extensive planning. Adding sales information completes the cycle from seed to customer. The completed form can be used for future field planning, yields and sales information for the certification process.
Sample Harvest Tracking sheet - Microsoft Excel
System Details
Lot Numbering
Lot numbering is one of the most important parts of any tracking system. Each crop or product must be assigned a unique number which makes it easily identifiable. Once we assign a lot number to a particular harvest, we will note that number on all invoices to our customers. If the number is recognizable, then we can tell instantly at a later date where, when and how the crop was produced. What we are trying to track is possible points of contamination or quality concerns. An example of that would be:
Our customer comes back to us after a completed purchase waving an invoice. They tell us that the cucumbers they purchased were soft and spongy. The lot number on the invoice (CU030825) tells us that we bought the seed from West Coast Seed, planted in Row 2 of Field 5, harvested on Aug 25. Now what happened to that crop? We have a greater chance of identifying the problem once we know all the background. We can check with other customers who purchased the same lot number to see if the problem may have occurred after the produce left the farm. We can check our farm records to see who was harvesting that day and if the problem may be related to the harvest itself.
Numbering systems can be as complicated or as simple as you need.
Examples
AG0309C34 - Apple, Gala, 2003-Sept, Bin C34
Type of crop - 2 to 4 letters
Date of harvest - 3-6 numbers
Storage location - numbers or letters to indicate particular unitType of Crop
Basil, Green Gate variety - BSGG
Carrots - CR
Cauliflower - CF
Cabbage - CB
Echinacea angustifolia root - EAR
Apples, Gala - AG
The letters only have to mean something to you and be unique to that crop. If you only grow one type of apple or basil, then the lot numbering system becomes easier. Make these symbols only as complicated as you absolutely have to. You can change them from year to year because the lot number will also indicate which year you harvested in.Date of harvest
This date shows the time that was unique to this particular crop or harvest.
If a crop is harvested on various days throughout the summer, then it would be best
to identify the exact date.AG030713 - Apples, Gala, 2003, July, 13th
If a harvest occurs once for a crop but goes over several days then probably the month and year alone would be adequate.
AG0310 - Apples, Gala, 2003, October
Storage Location
If a harvest occurs once but the crop is packed into several large containers that will also be used for storage, then the following may be the best system for you.AG03091A - Apples, Gala, 2003, September, Bin 1A
AG03072324 - Apples, Gala, 2003, July, 23rd, Box 24Other Control Points
This can also be customized to whatever control points you need to follow. Maybe the unique aspect to your harvest is the individual doing the harvest, washing and packing.AG03081512 - Apples, Gala, 2003, August, 15th, Employee 12
The end result is an easily recognizable lot numbering system for your particular farm.CA0307316 - Carrots, 2003, July, 31st, Bin 6
EAR0310 - Echinacea angustifolia root, 2003, October
BSP030625 - Purple Basil, 2003, June, 25th
InvoicingThese lot numbers MUST be identified on your invoicing. Commercial customers must receive the lot numbers of the produce they buy. If your main sales are farm gate or farmer's markets, then the lot number sold on that particular day must be noted somewhere in your records.
Example I
Farmer's Market - June 28
Carrots - Lot CA030628 (20 lbs) and CA030625 (30 lbs)
Apples, Gala - AG02105B (65 lbs)
Thyme, Dried - THD0207 (10 packs)Example II
10 bunches Carrots, lot CR030724 @ $2.00 = $ 20.00
Livestock
Livestock can be handled in much the same way as crops. The tracking sheet can be altered to indicate birth records down to slaughter and/or sale. Again, the main issue is to track unique characteristics of each lot.
Cattle and other large animals - Identification number, parents, birth, dates, possible medications, slaughter dates/place, customers, invoice numbers
Meat birds - Lot number, source, dates, size of lot, possible medications, losses, slaughter dates/place, customers, invoice numbersYour input records will indicate what feed was used each year. Your livestock records would include that information if you purchase several different types of feed for different types of animals or lots of animals.
Most types of livestock have tagging systems being developed which will eventually become mandatory such as the Cattle Identification Program. You will need to incorporate those tagging systems into your own livestock tracking system.
Sample Livestock Tracking sheet - Microsoft Excel
Minor Processing/Mixed Lots
More and more organic farms have products they sell that involve minor processing or mixed lots. An example of this would be selling mixed salad greens. A tracking system must allow a grower to track this type of sale as well as single crop sales.
The first step is to document your products ingredients. You can call this your "recipe" or "bill of materials".
Example:
Mixed bunch of carrots - average weight 4 lbs.
Relaxing Tea - average weight 500 g
Nelson Nantes - 25% Lemon Balm herb - 50%
Snow White Organic - 25% Chamomile flower - 40%
Kinbi, Yellow - 25% Catnip herb - 10%
Chantenay Red Cored - 25%
These recipes/bills of material are approximate. Organic farmers are not high tech manufacturing companies with precise measuring instruments. Your recipes may change on occasion with crop availability. But your products should be fairly consistent and any changes should be noted. The detail that you will be expected to keep will vary with the size/volume you are selling. Large volume farms should be keeping quite detailed records. Small farms can get away with less.Again, lot numbers are the key to tracking these mixed products. Each batch of product that you mix, blend, toss or package must have a lot number assigned to it.
Sample Small Processing Tracking sheet - Microsoft Excel
Helpful Extras
- Try and update your records as often as possible.
- Keep trying to use your system. The first year is always the hardest but you may find in your second year it has become easier. Plus you will be surprised how helpful the information you have collected is in future seasons.
- Start a farm diary as an extra piece of information. It isn't necessary to make entries every day but try and track any occurrences that may be useful later.
- Look at all your accounting records as part of your system. Invoices, purchases and payroll records will all play a part in your tracking system.
- Consider your tracking system part of your marketing plan. Customers should be made aware of your on-farm tracing ability. Point out the lot numbers on your invoices as their guarantee of that ability.
- Remember that having a tracking system in place is not an option for certified organic producers. You must be able to demonstrate to a verification officer that one exists for your operation.
- You never know if or when your system may be called into play. Be ready for an inquiry at any time.
Template for Basic Tracking - Microsoft Excel
Template for Livestock - Microsoft Excel
Template for Poultry Flocks - Microsoft Excel
Template for Small Scale Processing - Microsoft Excel
List of Traceability Initiatives
Introduction
Can-Trace is a collaborative and open initiative committed to the development of traceability standards for all food products grown, manufactured and sold in Canada.FRESH PRODUCE
CPMA/PMA Traceability Task Force
Joint effort by Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CMPA)
Produce Marketing Association - US (PMA)
which resulted in a Traceability Best Practices Paper.Fresh Produce Traceability Guidelines (FPT)
The Fresh Produce Traceability Guidelines were developed together with the EuroHandelsinstitute (EHI), European Association of Fresh Produce Importers (CIMO), Euro Retailer Produce Working Group (EUREP), European Union of the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale, Import and Export Trade (EUCOFEL), and Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE).
Provides a common approach to tracking of fresh produce using an internationally accepted numbering & bar coding system (EAN UCC ) for wholesalers, brokers and retailers.
LIVESTOCK
Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is a non-profit industry-led agency incorporated to establish a national cattle identification program in Canada and designed to promote beef consumption through assurance and efficient traceback and containment of serious animal health and food safety problems.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)Canadian Sheep Federation
The Canadian Sheep Identification Program is an industry-led initiative to develop a trace back system that will address producer concerns about sheep health and meet consumer expectations for quality assurance and food safety.Canadian Pork Council
National Hog Identification and Traceability System Working GroupChicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) -
The CFC On-Farm Food Safety Assurance Program was introduced to farmers in1998.
TRACEABILITY NEWS
The Food Tracebility Report
On-line newsWe would like to gratefully acknowledge the efforts of all those who contributed their expertise and time into this project.
- Bob McCoubrey, Lake Country, BC
- Dale Zeich, Kelowna, BC
- Jon and Sher Alcock, Kelowna, BC
- Warren Schimpf, Kelowna, BC
- Cara Nunn, North Okanagan Organic Association
