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Empower Your Crew with GAPC Farmworker Training - Scheduling Now! |
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Looking for a simple, affordable way to train your workers and strengthen the health and safety culture on your farm? The GAP Connections (GAPC) Customized Farmworker Training Program is your go-to solution—and thanks to our cost-share program, it’s never been easier (or more affordable) to get started.
So far in 2025, GAPC Farmworker Trainers have already led on-farm training sessions for 45 farm employers in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, reaching over 390 farmworkers with more planned this month—and the results speak for themselves!
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- 87% of workers said they plan to improve their safety habits after attending.
- One grower from North Carolina shared, “GAPC makes it easy for me to train my workers. They cover everything I need for the Certification Program, and by watching my workers interact with the trainer, I know they’re learning—and having fun!”
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We offer a wide menu of customizable training topics that go beyond the required GAPC Certification safety trainings, including:
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- Understanding Illegal Fees
- Preventing Communicable Diseases
- Housing Orientation for Employer-Provided Housing
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…and many more, all delivered in an engaging, accessible way that resonates with farmworkers.
As a GAPC Grower Member growing tobacco, you can access a 2-hour, on-farm training session for just $200—a $200 value covered by the cost-share program! Don’t Wait – Book Your Training Today! Let us help you build a safer, stronger farm team.
Contact Amy Rochkes at arochkes@gapconnections.com or (865) 622-4606 ext. 107 to get started.
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GAPC Tobacco Certification |
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Auditors are currently scheduling monitoring visits for participants in the GAPC Certification Program.
To avoid being missed or additional monitoring visit fees, please check your phone, text messages, and email regularly for communications from your auditor.
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Complete the Self-Assessment
- Deadline: Before monitoring visit.
- Note: This is required for Certification and is one per operation.
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Expect Contact from the Monitoring Firm. The monitoring firm will contact you via the method you request at the time of application (phone call, text, or email). You have been placed on their contact list, and they will contact you 2-3 weeks before arrival. Any questions about scheduling or invoicing should go directly to the monitoring firm. Visits are currently being conducted and all monitoring visits must be completed by October 1.
- Prepare. Start reviewing the 2025 Certification Compliance Guide.
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After the Montiroing Visit. Growers will receive an audit report either by mail or email (depending on the preferred method of correspondence selected at the time of application) within 72 hours. It is important to review the audit report promptly to determine if remediation is required. If remediation is required, it must be completed within 30 days. Instructions on how to remediate any remediable issue can be found in the Compliance Guide and the Remediation Guide.
- Need Assistance? GAPC staff are available Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm EST to answer any questions.
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THINK - Heat Illness and Safety Tip Reminder |
Summer means rising temperatures and the need to ensure farm workers are trained in recognizing and preventing Heat Illness.
Heat Illness is a condition where the body’s internal temperature rises above normal, leading to various symptoms and potentially life-threatening consequences. The causes of heat illness include prolonged exposure to high temperatures and humidity, strenuous physical activity, and lack of proper hydration and electrolyte balance.
GAP Connections (GAPC) Certification Standards require those individuals (hired workers and family members) working on a tobacco farm to have annual training on Heat Illness and Heat Illness Prevention.
Symptoms of Heat Illness can vary depending on the severity of the illness and include:
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- Heat Cramps: painful muscle spasms, heavy sweating, and fatigue
- Heat Exhaustion: dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, headache, and weakness
- Heat Stroke: altered mental state (confusion, agitation, slurred speech), high body temperature (over 140 degrees Fahrenheit), seizures, coma, and hot, dry skin
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A good practice during high heat is daily communication and reminders to workers on the importance of water, rest, and shade.
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Allow workers to acclimatize or adjust to the heat, especially new workers
- Provide cool, clean drinking water and replenish it on a regular basis
- Provide adequate and accessible shade
- Monitor heat index thresholds (80 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 degrees Fahrenheit)
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Workers must be aware of their own body’s warning signs and tell their employer or supervisor immediately so First Aid or medical attention can be provided.
GAPC recommends employers and workers download the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool. The App allows everyone to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and based on the heat index, displays a risk level for outdoor work. The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Tool is available in English and Spanish for Android and iPhone devices.
Growers needing training materials on Heat Illness Prevention can purchase the Heat Illness Prevention Tailgate Training Kit. The training kit includes 1 set of supervisor cards that have images on the front and a script on the back and 2 sets of worker cards. The Heat Illness Prevention Tailgate Training Kit is available in English and Spanish. The kit provides training on measures to prevent heat illness, recognizing the symptoms of heat illness, exhaustion, or stroke, and First Aid measures when someone is suffering from heat illness, exhaustion, or stroke. To purchase a Heat Illness Prevention Tailgate Training Kit, visit the GAPC Store.
Heat Illness and Heat Illness Prevention is a training topic GAPC Farmworker Trainers cover in the Customized Farmworker Training Program. To schedule a Customized Farmworker Training on your farm contact Amy Rochkes, at (865) 622-4606, ext. 107 or email arochkes@gapconnections.com
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Kentucky Burley Tobacco Tour | August 19, 2025 | 10:00am EDT |
Participants meet at the Plant and Soil Sciences Field Lab, 2951 Agronomy Road, Lexington, KY 40511. The tour will conclude at approximately 4:00 pm at the University of Kentucky, C. Oran Little Research Center, 1051 Midway Road, Versailles, KY. Contact Dr. Bob Pearce for more information.
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Special Thank You to our 2025 GAP Connections Sponsors |
See what growers are saying about Yepzy!
Yarbrough Farms and H-2A Workers: Winning Together with Yepzy
"I highly recommend Yepzy to anyone who is still using pay cards or cutting checks. It has been a WIN-WIN for us and our workers, and I wish we had implemented Yepzy sooner.”
-Tim Yarbrough, Co-owner, Yarbrough Farms
Read the Complete Review Here.
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865.622.4606 | info@gapconnections.com | 2450 E.J. Chapman Drive Knoxville, TN 37996
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