Food safety practices should be considered every step of the way from how food is grown in the fields to how food is served on the plate. There are specific practices that apply to growers and food producers, and to school cafeterias and food service workers.
When purchasing local food, schools and institutions have varied requirements of their vendors. Some schools, insitutuons, wholesalers and food service comapnies require farms to have a certification, such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) or other third party certifications, though not all. Some districts ask farmers to fill out a food safety checklist, require a food safety plan and/or choose to visit the farms to review their practices.
