Soil Amendments
Answer reach of the following questions in order. You will use this information to prepare your manual.
1. Do you use inorganic fertilizer?
Yes – go to number 2.
No - State in your food safety plan: “No inorganic fertilizer is used on the farm”. Go to number 4.
2. Are inorganic fertilizers stored in a covered area that is separate from where produce is handled or stored?
Yes – go to number 3.
No - Fertilizers must be protected from the weather, so they do not chemically react or leach into the soil. Produce can be contaminated if handled or stored near fertilizer, or if it comes in contact with chemicals in the soil.
3. Are inorganic fertilizer storage facilities checked weekly and cleaned when necessary?
Yes – go to number 4.
No - Storage facilities must be inspected routinely (weekly is recommended) to check for spills and reduce risks of chemical contamination.
4. Do you use raw untreated manure (e.g. teas, leachates, and slurries) on the farm?
Yes – go to number 5.
No - State in your food safety plan that you do not use raw manure. Go to number 10.
5. Do you incorporate raw untreated manure into the soil at least 9 months before harvest?
Yes – go to number 6.
No – Because raw manure can contain pathogens capable of contaminating crops, the FDA Proposed Rule requires that 9 months must pass before the crop is harvested. The Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement requires one year. The National Organic Program requires 90 or 120 days. The FDA final rule will dictate the minimum time interval. If you apply the raw manure in a manner that prevents the manure from contacting the crop both during and after application, no waiting period is required according to the FDA Proposed Rule.
6. Do you avoid spreading raw untreated manure on fields that are water saturated, prone to annual flooding or prone to run-off?
Yes – go to number 7.
No – Manure applied to water saturated fields or those prone to flooding or run-off can leach to surrounding areas. This movement can contaminate land and water. Do not apply manure in these situations. You may be in violation of federal, state or local regulations that can result in significant fines.
7. Do you store raw untreated manure on the farm?
Yes – go to number 8.
No – go to number11.
8. Is the raw untreated manure physically contained?
Yes – go to number 9.
No - To reduce risks, manure piles must be physically contained and covered if possible. The preferred minimum containment for storage is on a concrete slab. Containment can also include concrete walls or soil berms. Raw manure should never be piled in a produce field or on bare soil.
9. Is raw untreated manure from livestock, manure containment structures, storage piles, and composting facilities located at least 400 feet from produce fields and handling areas?
Yes – go to number 10.
No - If manure is close to production areas, there is a risk that it will contaminate produce by run-off or wind spread. Assess your risk by considering the amount of manure present, if your crop is downhill or downwind, manure containment and if barriers to prevent run-off are present.
10. Is raw untreated manure located at least 200 feet from well heads?
Yes – go to number 11.
No - Wells are particularly susceptible to contamination if they are not capped or properly constructed. When assessing your farm’s risks, factors to consider are well construction, presence of risks in well-recharge areas, presence of back-flow devices on all lines fed by the well, location of wells (downhill from manure areas), likelihood of leaching, and presence of physical barriers that prevent cross-contamination.
11. Is raw untreated manure separated from surface water sources used during the production of fresh fruits and vegetables?
Yes – go to number 12.
No - Raw manure storage areas near surface water can result in water contamination, either by run-off or through leaching. Safe distance recommendations from the surface water source depend on soil type and slope of land. The Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) recommends at least 100 feet if soil is sandy, 200 feet if soil is clay or loam, and 300 feet if slope is greater than 6%.
12. Do you use composted manure or compost manure on your farm?
Yes – go to number 13.
No – go to number 17.
13. Is the composting process done on your farm?
Yes – go to number 14.
No –Request documentation from the supplier regarding the composting method and microbial testing to include in your plan and records.
14. Do you properly process/compost manure according to the FDA Proposed Rule standards?
Yes – go to number 15.
No – The FDA Proposed rule requires scientifically valid treatment processes as described in 21CFR 112.54 and 112.55.
15. Do you keep finished compost under covered storage?
Yes – go to number 16.
No - Compost should be covered to prevent recontamination of the pile. It can be covered with a tarp or stored in an enclosed facility. Recontamination of a compost pile can occur by rain, wind spread from adjacent manure piles, or bird or other animal intrusion.
16. Is compost stored at least 30 feet from produce fields and 80 feet from water sources?
Yes – go to number 17.
No - Best practice is to cover and store the compost as far away as possible from water sources and produce fields. When assessing your farm’s risk, some factors to consider are the field location (downhill from compost), likelihood of wind-spread, presence of run-off or leaching, amount of compost stored, and any physical barriers that are present.
17. Do you keep complete fertilization records?
Yes – you have completed this risk assessment.
No – You must record the type of fertilizer used, application method, the fields involved, the application date, the application rate, the crops to be planted and composting methods and testing (if applicable).