New World Survival · School Garden Field Manual

Food Safety SOP & Harvest Record

Build a repeatable garden-to-student food pathway. Adapt this record to the school district's approved food-safety system rather than operating a parallel unofficial procedure.

Stop rule: If site, water, chemical application, contamination, illness exclusion, traceability, temperature control or school authorization is materially uncertain, hold the produce and ask the responsible school authority before service.

1. Program authority and contacts

School garden lead

Backup

Administrator / risk contact

School nutrition contact

Facilities / IPM contact

School nurse / health contact

2. Approved produce destinations

Destination	Allowed?	Approving authority / policy	Receiving adult	Special controls
Observation / curriculum only	☐
Teacher-led whole-produce tasting	☐
Classroom cut-produce service	☐
School meal / Child Nutrition Program	☐
Outside donation / partner	☐

3. Local rules / policy register

Requirement	Source / policy	Owner	Review date

4. Site / soil environmental clearance

☐ Prior land use reviewed

☐ Runoff / flood / septic / waste / traffic / industrial concerns reviewed

☐ Utility location resolved before digging

☐ Fertility testing not used as sole environmental-safety evidence

☐ Any contaminant testing question routed to appropriate lab/Extension/authority

Authoritative site/soil record location

5. Water-source record

Use	Source	Approved / tested as needed?	Source record / contact
Irrigation
Handwashing
Harvest-tool cleaning
Produce washing / preparation

6. Compost, manure and input policy

☐ Raw manure excluded from school garden food-production process under adopted policy

☐ Purchased compost/source records retained where required

☐ School compost inputs defined

☐ Landscape materials require known/approved source before food-bed use

Approved soil amendment / compost list or policy location

7. Pesticide / IPM / landscape treatment record

Garden / nearby treatment question	Current policy / answer	Record owner	Harvest restriction / follow-up
Who may apply products?
How is garden notified of nearby landscape treatment?
Where are product labels/application records kept?
How are re-entry / harvest intervals checked?

8. Harvester hygiene / illness rule

Current baseline: wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do not handle food while sick with vomiting/diarrhea; current CDC guidance says wait at least 48 hours after symptoms stop before food handling. Apply stricter school rules where required.

☐ Handwashing location/supplies available

☐ Student assistance/supervision plan

☐ Wound/cut procedure

☐ Glove/utensil policy where relevant

☐ Alternative activity available for excluded students

9. Food allergy / student health coordination

☐ School food-allergy process identified

☐ School nurse/designated health contact identified

☐ Full tasting ingredients reviewed, not just garden crop

☐ Cross-contact procedure defined

☐ Emergency response follows school/student plan

Policy / plan location

10. Preharvest contamination walk

Check	Clear?	Affected bed/crop	Disposition / marker
Animal feces / direct animal contamination	☐
Floodwater contact	☐
Unknown chemical spill / drift / application	☐
Water source / irrigation failure concern	☐
Rotten / obviously contaminated produce	☐

11. Harvest tool / container readiness

Food-contact / food-grade?	Cleaned?	Sanitized if procedure requires?	Dedicated storage?
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12. Harvest lot record

Lot ID	Crop / variety	Bed	Date/time	Harvest leader	Harvesters	Container ID	Destination

13. Receiving / acceptance record

Lot ID	Receiving adult	Time	Accepted / held / rejected	Reason / next action

14. Washing / preparation route

Where produce is washed

Potable/approved water source

Food-contact surface / utensil procedure

Responsible trained adult

FDA: wash fresh produce under running water before preparation/eating. Do not use soap, detergent, bleach or improvised produce wash.

15. Classroom tasting plan

Class / activity	Whole or cut?	Allergy check	Prep owner	Cold/time control if cut	Service record
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16. School nutrition handoff

Lot ID	Menu / use	Quality spec met?	Storage / holding	Production record reference	Nutrition staff disposition
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17. Traceability / mock trace

☐ Lot can be traced back to crop/variety, bed, harvest date and harvesters

☐ Lot can be traced forward to classroom / nutrition service / recipient

☐ School-garden produce remains identifiable rather than commingled prematurely

☐ Receiving / service records can be retrieved by another authorized staff member

Mock trace date and finding

18. Community donations into school

Preapproved expectations?	Receiving staff present?	Source/date recorded?	Vehicle/container check	Accepted?
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19. Deviation / rejection / incident log

Date / lot	Deviation or finding	Immediate disposition	Who was notified	Corrective action	Closed?
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20. Annual training / handoff

☐ School-garden food destinations reapproved

☐ Site / water / input records reviewed

☐ Facilities/IPM contact and notification route current

☐ Handwashing / illness guidance current

☐ Food allergy / nurse route current

☐ Harvest tools/containers inventoried

☐ Nutrition receiving/traceability process tested

☐ Deviation/rejection trends reviewed

☐ New staff/volunteers trained

☐ Backup can run a mock harvest without oral help

Food-contact / food-grade?	Cleaned?	Sanitized if procedure requires?	Dedicated storage?
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Preapproved expectations?	Receiving staff present?	Source/date recorded?	Vehicle/container check	Accepted?
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Food-contact / food-grade?	Cleaned?	Sanitized if procedure requires?	Dedicated storage?
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Preapproved expectations?	Receiving staff present?	Source/date recorded?	Vehicle/container check	Accepted?
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