Posters | 2021 N.C. Cooperative Extension State Conference

Irrigation Water and Produce Safety Dr. Zepei Tang1, Dr. Niroj Aryal1, Dr. Jimo Ibrahim2, Dr. Laurent Ahiablame1, and Dr. Yewande Fasina3 1Department

of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, 2Cooperative Extension, 3Department of Animal Sciences College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina A&T State University

WATER QUALITY

HOW TO MINIMIZE CONTAMINATION

Salinity (high concentration of salts)

Adequate Supply

Ion Toxicity (e.g. Chloride and Boron) Nutrients (lack/excess; fertilizer/manure)

Usable Quality

Microbial Growth (bacterial infection)

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Final Rule on Produce Safety: •

No detectable E. coli allowed • o Post-harvesting o Handling/washing/packing o Sprouts irrigation

Geometric mean (GM) < 126 CFU/100 mL & statistical threshold (STV) < 410 CFU/100 mL of sampled water o Growing produce (other than sprouts)

RISKS WITH POOR WATER QUALITY

→

Less risk

→

Almost no risk

Water Sources Most risk →

Intermediate risk

→

Least risk

Plant Growth Stage Harvest & PostHarvest Stage Risks:

• FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety criteria: microbial growth (E. coli) • The only way to know the microbial quality of your water is through testing • Testing can help you >Understand the quality of source water >Establish and maintain water quality >Determine if corrective measures are needed in the future 2. Monitor water quality

Irrigation Methods Most risk

1. Evaluate water sources

• Municipal water → request test results from local municipalities/health department • Well water → test yearly (especially when it’s drinking water source for farm) • Surface water → more challenging (recommended multiple times throughout growing season) • Always keep water test records on file

3. How to take a water sample

4. Where to send a water sample

• Do not open the sampling bottle until you are ready to collect the sample • Water should be collected directly into the sampling bottle • Portable/municipal/well: run the water for several minutes to flush dirt and debris out of the system • Surface (pond/lake/stream): secure the bottle to a sampling pole, quickly plunge the bottle into the water, avoiding plants, algae and bottom sediments • Make sure there is at least 100 ml in the bottle • The sample must be put on ice immediately and delivered to the testing lab within 6 hours

• Find a lab that is certified by state and local environmental agencies, or third-party accreditors • Be certain the lab can provide the test you need >Quantitative analysis using EPA Method 1603 (Modified mTEC) >Upper limit of test high enough to measure your water quality and calculate profile statistics • Be sure the lab provides sampling instructions >Labs should provide instructions for acceptable sampling containers, hold times, storing, and transport expectations 5. If not meeting the criteria

Disinfection methods

High risk

→

Relatively low risk

Equipment and machinery cleaning

Workers’ sanitization Wash water source

→

High risk

Packhouse and storage cleaning

Harvest aid cleaning (knives, aprons, gloves, containers) Packing line sanitization

Cold storage temperature control

EXAMPLE CASE STUDY Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium: BrightFarms Packaged Salad Greens (July 2021) Live in animal and human intestine, shed through feces Cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps within 6 hours to 6 days

• Chemical >Hydrogen peroxide-based materials >Chlorine-containing materials >Metal ionization methods >Quaternary ammonium compounds • Non-chemical >Filtration >Heat pasteurization >High-pressure ultra-violet flow cells >Low-Pressure UV Arrays >Ozonation

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES • Map and inspect all water sources and distribution systems • Select water application methods that reduce risks by reducing direct contact with the edible portion of the crops • Test all agricultural water for quantified generic E. coli >Identify a water testing laboratory >Sample collection >Delivering samples to the laboratory • Keep records of all water management actions and test results

• Apply a time interval for die-off >In-field die-off between application and harvest (UV from sunlight) >Die-off during storage and/or removal during activities such as commercial washing • Re-inspect water sources & distribution system >Keep water sources free of debris, trash, domesticated animals and other hazards >Mapping water distribution system can help to identify problems >Water sources and distribution system must be inspected at least annually • Treat the water >Any chemicals used must be EPA registered and labeled for use of testing for human pathogens or E. coli >Non-chemical treatments

FOR MORE INFO - VIDEO LINKS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported by Grant project number NC.X333-5-21-130-1 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Environmental Health and Risk Priorities for North Carolina Survey of NC State Extension Agents

Khara Grieger: Assist. Prof. and Extension Specialist, Environmental Health & Risk Assessment, Dept. Applied Ecology; kdgriege@ncsu.edu Survey Respondents (N=66)

Background NC currently faces a wide range of environmental health and risk challenges Results • Top priorities: • • • •

Water pollution Flooding Natural resources management Engaging stakeholders

•

Cross-cutting issues (e.g. engaging stakeholders) Ecosystems, land use Extension materials

• Needs:

Methods • • Needs Assessment survey • • NC State Extension agents • Interest in: • Professional development, more • Identify priorities, needs, concerns collaborations • 12 multiple choice, open-ended questions

Future work • Priority issues, tensions with growing state • Multi-stakeholder collaborations

Evaluation of Organic Cucumber Cultivars in a High Tunnel with Insect Screens Sanjun Gu, John Kimes, Quincey Moffitt and Peter Coffey North Carolina A&T State University Introduction  High Tunnels are unheated, plastic-covered structures that provide an intermediate level of environmental protection and control, compared to open field and greenhouse conditions.  For warm season vegetables, 6-8 weeks’ gain in season extension  Cucumber is one of the most profitable crops for high tunnels  English Cucumber and Beit Alpha Cucumber      

One of the seedless and burpless types Long, slim fruit, thin/delicate skin Parthenocarpic (seedless) Could be gynoecious (all female) Better taste Usually pricy

Objective

Materials and Methods  Location: A&T University Farm (zone 7b).  High tunnel: 30’ x 96’ Zimmerman’s  Insect netting  Raised beds with black plastic mulch  Trial Years and cultivars  2017: Corinto, Diva, Katrina, Socrates, Tyria, Tasty Jade, Kalunga and Picolino  2018: failed, cucumber beetles  2021: Corinto, Diva, Kalunga, Katrina, Picolino, Poniente, Socrates, Sun Mix, Suyo Long, Tasty Jade, Tyria and Unagi  Transplanting: end of March to early April  Pruning and training: single leader, Tomato Roller-Hook® system, dropping vines  Experimental Design: CRD with 3 or 4 replications

Results 2017 Yield

Conclusion 2017 Accumulated Yield

  

 

 To identify the best seedless cucumber cultivars for high tunnel production in North Carolina 

2017 Insect screen really a must Socrates and Tasty Jade more productive Kalunga and Tyria are the longest cultivars with medium productivity  Fertility?

Diva was not a good cultivar Generally speaking, cucumber is very productive in high tunnels and did well in summer in high tunnels.

2021 Data yet to be analyzed

Acknowledgement • We thank Tekan Rana, Randy Fulk and other extension horticulture unit members’ help with plant management and harvesting.

Dr. Robin Tutor Marcom Director NC Agromedicine Institute

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

Stress is inherent to farming but has become compounded over the past decade for reasons including catastrophic weather events, global market competition, labor issues, lawsuits, rise in input costs, regulatory and environmental pressures, intergenerational farm transfer tension, development encroachment, property taxes and more.

COVID-19 added new stressors caused by interruptions to the food supply chain, challenges in maintaining a healthy workforce and increased isolation. Findings from a 2020 survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau indicate that farmers/farmworkers: ➢ who think that social isolation impacts farmers’ mental health has increased 22% since 4/2019 ➢ are 10% more likely than rural adults to have experienced feeling nervous, anxious or on edge during the pandemic (65% vs 55%)

Dr. Susan Jakes Program Leader – Community & Rural Development NC Cooperative Extension

FRSAN-NC NCDA&CS will pass through FRSAN-NC funds to the NC Agromedicine Institute (‘the Institute’). The Institute in partnership with NCDA&CS, NC Cooperative Extension and CareNet, Inc. will use funds to: ▪ Develop and implement farm specific curriculum on recognition and management of farm stress related conditions and emotional impacts for farmers, ranchers and their communities ▪ Provide access to Mental Health First Aid and other behavioral health training, as appropriate ▪ Partner to care for NC’s diverse farm community ▪ Increase access to behavioral health (BH) and Farmer to Farmer peer support services for farmers of color, veterans, farmworkers, and their families ▪ Establish a Care Circle Model for farms in crisis ▪ Set up and activate a farm crisis and resource line

▪ Establish a counseling internship /pilot counseling services in Cooperative Extension offices ▪ Support cost of behavioral health services for farmers, ranchers, and their families ▪ Coordinate activities with Southern Region – Farm & Ranch Stress Assistance Network (SR-FRSAN)

Current Activities

➢ say that it is important to reduce stigma about mental health in the agricultural community (87%)

FRSAN-NC will compliment activities already underway by the Institute:

USDA-NIFA Funding

▪ Behavioral health services for un-/under-insured farmers, farm family members and farmworkers

Opportunities to be Involved Help to build and expand FRSAN-NC by: ▪ Taking care of your own health and wellness first ▪ Sharing what training and tools are needed for Agents and others supporting farmers, farm families & farmworkers in your county ▪ Sharing contact information for behavioral health care providers in your county that have a background in agriculture ▪ Helping to identify providers and farmers of color that would like to partner with FRSANNC and Farmer to Farmer ▪ Participating in shared training opportunities for Agents and CareNet, Inc. providers ▪ Participating in a FRSAN-NC workgroup to establish care circle model for farms in crisis ▪ Being willing to pilot counseling services in your county office ▪ Hosting behavioral health training for staff, farmers, farm families &/or others ▪ Publicizing existing and new behavioral health resources as they become available ▪ Making referrals for free counseling services and Farmer to Farmer

For more information, contact:

➢Institute can help to identify provider if one is not available

Section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. 5936, authorizes USDA-NIFA to establish a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN). The purpose of the FRSAN Program is to establish a network that connects individuals who are engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations to stress assistance programs. The establishment of a network that assists farmers and ranchers in times of stress can offer a conduit to improving behavioral health awareness, literacy, and outcomes for agricultural producers, workers and their families. FRSAN includes four regional networks: south, west, northeast, and north central.

South region coordinated by University of Tennessee and includes 13 states and 2 territories.

In 2021, FRSAN made $500,000 available to state departments of agriculture to expand activities within their own states. Funds have been awarded and are pending for NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA &CS) to establish FRSAN-NC.

➢If individual already has a provider, payment arrangements can be set up with that counselor

Dr. Robin Tutor Marcom tutorr@ecu.edu 252.744.1008

➢Payments go directly from the Institute to the provider – no confidential information is shared about purpose/content of counseling

Dr. Susan Jakes susan_jakes@ncsu.edu 919.515.9161

➢Counseling can take place in-person or via telehealth

▪ Training for behavioral healthcare providers who are not from an agricultural background to help them understand the ‘culture’ of agriculture

▪ Mental Health First Aid or other similar training for Cooperative Extension Agents, farmers, farm family members and staff from other organizations supporting farmers

https://www.ncagromedicine.org/programagriculturalstress.php

▪ Farmer to Farmer Peer Support Program ➢ Provides a trained peer farmer for any farmer requesting someone to talk to ➢ Farmers can be self-referred or referred by another farmer, family member, Cooperative Extension agent, behavioral health provider or other individual ➢ Farmers are screened by Institute Nurse to determine current status and whether referrals are needed for other services (e.g., crisis, behavioral health, primary care, financial, etc.)

➢ Peer is matched with farmer based on similarities in demographics and commodities

Funders

CEFS Climate Change and Food System Innovation Hub Climate change threatens agricultural production, natural resources, and food security, with a disproportionate impact on farmers and communities of color. CEFS believes all people deserve access to healthy soils, clean air, and clean water and that climate mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency are critical to ensuring a thriving and equitable food system.

Research conducted at CEFS’ Field Research, Education, and Outreach Facility located at Cherry Research Farm in Goldsboro, N.C. is pioneering in many ways. The findings produced by CEFS Research Units account for variables such as soil profiles and weather patterns that closely resemble conditions experienced across the Southeastern U.S. and many areas in the Global South.

Through partnerships and collaborations, CEFS researchers are able to share information and practices, making CEFS a research hub in the Southeast and globally.

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) field research and local food initiatives work to create more resilient local food systems and provide evidence-based solutions and resources to producers and consumers on best practices for mitigating and adapting to current and future impacts of climate change. By supporting the local food sector, CEFS also implements strategies that decrease the supply chain’s vulnerability to disrupting weather events, increasing its overall resiliency.

Economic and structural disparities render many of the strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ineffective or impractical for those who are most affected by climate change. CEFS aims to amplify the voices of frontline communities, to find solutions that work across regions, industries, ethnic and racial groups. The impact of climate change affects us all, but has disproportionate impacts on low-income and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. For this reason, addressing structural racism in the food system and in society is critical to this work.

Animal Agriculture

Local Supply Chain

Climate Justice

Farming for the Future

Food Systems Leaders

Climate variability impacts the productivity and wellbeing of farm animals.

Regional food systems decrease the supply chain’s vulnerability to disrupting weather events, increasing its overall resiliency.

The impact of climate change has inequitable impacts on low-income and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

To help mitigate climate change, CEFS demonstrates sustainable agricultural practices and helps develop pathways for local producers to sell locally. Promoting local food production and short supply chains and a greater degree of self-sufficiency is a key strategy that should be carried forward to increase the ability of the food system to withstand future shocks.

CEFS Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System (CORE) works to mitigate the systemic disparities that have historically caused long-term harm and destruction in BIPOC communities. Several CEFS initiatives center frontline communities and develop community-based strategies for resilience and engagement.

CEFS provides evidence-based solutions for producers and consumers on best practices for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Developing youth leadership can help build processes and awareness for how communities can respond to and bounce back from climate change effects as they arise.

CEFS researchers are examining how to reduce the inputs and increase the efficiency of animal systems, develop heat-tolerant pig and cattle breeds, increase carbon sequestration in grazelands, and create alternative markets for pasture-raised livestock and poultry.

A common goal of these projects is to improve the resiliency of animal agriculture while simultaneously enhancing its profitability.

To prepare for a changing climate, CEFS researchers are examining a wide array of alternative animal, vegetable, and agroforestry production systems. Nitrogen management, cover crop use, and soil carbon sequestration are being studied as means for reducing inputs and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

CEFS works with a new generation of farm and food system leaders, meeting them where they are, and supporting them along their career paths to create the food system they envision.

Authors: CEFS Climate Change working group. Find out more at cefs.ncsu.edu/climate-change The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

NC Agritourism Spotlight Tour!

NC Local Food Program Team

Becky Bowen, Ann Savage, Greg Traywick

Join us Tuesday, October 26, to learn how to spotlight agritourism farms in your area at the 8-10 am Agritourism Workshop!

And keep an eye out for fun interactive spotlight content to come!

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Clicking on the each image will take you to each of the spotlights. They are arranged from West (Alpaca pictured) to East (Oyster pictured).

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