Creating Efficiencies
Patrick Farms works to be a leader in the food safety arena and get an edge on the competition.
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Gibbs Patrick Jr. of Patrick Farms© 2010 -
Constructed in 1992, the icehouse at Patrick Farms produces about 200,000 pounds of ice per day.© 2010 -
Patrick Farms uses a traceability system to traceback each box of produce to the field in which it was grown.© 2010
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The sign on the office door at Patrick Farms in Omega, GA, reads: "If you complain about farmers, don't talk with your mouth full."
It is no secret that times have changed and most of the country is not well versed in agricultural practices. In some cases, it goes beyond that where some people have become antagonistic about farming. In spite of any opposition from the consuming public, Gibbs Patrick Jr. of Patrick Farms has watched the operation started by his father grow and flourish over the years.
According to Patrick, significant changes have occurred on this farm that sits on American Vegetable Grower's Top 100 Growers list as No. 12 in the Southeast. What was started by Gibbs Patrick Sr. in 1954 as a row crop farm slowly evolved to a mostly vegetable operation. When he joined his father on the farm after graduating high school in 1972, Patrick says field corn and soybeans were the staples.
Replacing row crops, with the exception of peanuts, were a variety of vegetables, such as squash, zucchini, greens, eggplant, and strawberries. "We had a few acres of each in 1992 and that grew to more than 5,000 acres today," he says. "We've been around 5,000 acres for three years. In the past, we had increased [the acreage] a little every year, but there are no plans to increase the size of the farm any further."
Growing Decisions
Even though Patrick has determined the operation will remain at its current size, he says the lineup of crops grown can, and will, change. For example, after market research was conducted, the operation opted to grow sweet corn. The farm also concluded that because of pricing, its cucumber and squash program were on the decline.
As Patrick Farms reduced its acreage of cucumbers and squash, it opted to produce 250 acres of sweet corn in 2009. As that was met with great success, the number of acres for sweet corn increased to 700 this year.
Increasing sweet corn acreage also meant making changes in the packinghouse. To get the product to market as efficiently and as safely as possible, a new cooler and cooling tower were added.
The packinghouse now has three coolers: a forced air cooler for cantaloupes; a second cooler for greens, squash, cucumbers, and other products that is used as a holding area for the produce after it has been sufficiently cooled; and the third cooler is used for sweet corn. "The third cooler has a sprinkler system with cold, chlorinated water that is sprinkled over the corn to keep it fresh after we cool in in the cooling tower," explains Patrick.
When the sweet corn leaves the farm, Patrick says about 3,000 pounds of ice are added to each truckload. Access to ice is no problem as the farm constructed an icehouse in 1992 that produces 200,000 pounds of ice per day. Ice, which is treated with chlorine, is used to cool most of the farm's crops, especially the greens, he adds.
Leading The Food Safety Charge
It is all part of the food safety plan at Patrick Farms — from coolers to chlorinated water and then some. As federal regulations are coming in the near future, Patrick says the farm works to not only stay on top of food safety protocols, but to stay one step ahead, and create efficiencies along the way.
As part of its food safety efforts, the operation is currently audited by PrimusLabs.com, a third-party auditor. Before using Primus, Patrick says GAP audits were conducted on the farm.
The difference between the Primus and GAP audit, explains Patrick, is the Primus audit requires additional cleaning steps in the packinghouse, among other things. "We opted to go with the Primus audit to get a better food safety rating than we would have with a GAP audit," says Patrick. "We want to be one step ahead of the competition, and we want to be a leading role model. The Primus audit also shows our customers that we are trying to improve our operation."
Implementing Traceability
In addition to its Primus audits, Patrick Farms began using a traceability system from TraceGains about a year ago. The program includes a labeling system that prints labels with pertinent information about each crop harvested. When the produce is brought from the field to the packinghouse, information about the crop is logged into the computer and a traceback label is printed for each box of produce.
Patrick explains how it works: "The system prints labels to tag each box with information that tells you which crew picked the crop, the field where the crop was picked, and the day it was picked. If there is a problem, a barcode can be scanned to determine when and where the crop was picked."
Having this system in place gives Patrick Farms an edge on the competition, he says, because it allows the farm to sell its products to more chain stores. In fact, Kroger requires the farm to use a traceability system.
Having a traceback program in place also has helped the operation become a "preferred vendor," Patrick explains. "We are a preferred vendor, which means we are getting paid within seven to 10 days. To be a preferred vendor, it is about quality and having the produce there when [the chain store] wants it."
Another benefit of the traceability program, he says, is that the system not only keeps track of the work in the field and packinghouse, it also generates reports on all pesticide use, including spray records and harvest intervals. "We input into the system what [crop protectants] we spray on the product, and we can print out a report for each load that goes out."
From Field To Packinghouse
The farm's food safety efforts don't end with Primus audits and a traceability program. The operation also has two full-time employees dedicated to food safety: one in the field and one in the packinghouse. Patrick says these two employees were trained by the Primus auditor.
The field employee makes sure there are clean hand-washing stations and bathroom facilities for the workers. Other duties include making sure the hand-washing stations are used and that all food is consumed in the designated areas for eating and not in the field, explains Patrick.
In the packinghouse, the food safety employee makes sure all personnel are wearing hairnets, gloves, and aprons. "We also have hand sanitizers all over the property," he adds.
Watching The Market
Over the years, the focus has shifted from production to making sure food safety was an integral component on the farm. With its goal of staying an industry leader, Patrick says the farm will continue to stay ahead of the competition by focusing on food safety and providing vendors with the safest produce possible. In addition to that, he says the operation will watch the market to determine which crops will be the best fit for the farm and the marketplace.
"We are right where we need to be," he concludes. "We just need to stay here and focus on selling the products that will bring us the best return."
Rosemary Gordon is editor of American Vegetable Grower, a Meister Media Worldwide publication.
