GAP Connections (GAPC) is excited to announce the continuation of the Farmworker Training and Cost Share Program for 2024.

In 2023, 25 GAPC members in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia used the cost share program to train 778 farmworkers.  GAPC would love to see more grower members take advantage of this benefit made possible through sponsorship funds from the tobacco industry. 

Through the cost-share program, GAPC Grower Members who grow tobacco can schedule a two-hour farmworker training for a cost of $200.  That is a $200 benefit to growers!  If more topics are desired, each additional hour of training will also be cost-shared at a rate of $50 per hour.

GAPC Grower Members can work with neighboring growers to further share costs if workforces can be combined for a training session.  Coordinating with other growers is a great way for smaller operations to gain more cost-savings. 

GAPC will also be offering the ability to have this training conducted at County Extension offices in select locations for those who would rather have the training done off-farm and in a less weather-dependent environment.

The choice of training topics is numerous and varied to offer a full and complete package for operations that may be looking for safety and compliance training to meet different requirements.  Topics range from general farm safety, worker rights and expectations, laws and regulations, to specific topics such as food safety and crop integrity.

A farmworker in Kentucky said, “I liked the way the training was presented.  It was very entertaining and informative.”

We are taking names of growers that want to have farmworker training this summer.  To take advantage of this program, contact Amy Rochkes at (865) 622-4606, extension 107 or arochkes@gapconnections.com.

My application is approved. What is next?

Annual GAP Training that was offered in-person has wrapped up for 2024.  Growers that have not completed training can complete training through their Grower Dashboard. 

Online training offers growers the opportunity to complete training at their leisure, on their time schedule, from their home or farm office.  Online training offers a variety of crop and environmental, labor, and GAPC best management courses for growers to complete.  Several new courses have been added for 2024 online training.

To complete online training, a grower must watch course videos and successfully pass with a 100% score the knowledge assessment quiz for each video course.  Quizzes may be taken as many times as needed to achieve the passing score.

To earn 1 hour of training credit for each best management category, a grower must complete a total of 9 video courses and quizzes (3 from each best management category).

One video is not enough!

If you have questions or having trouble completing online training, please contact Amy Rochkes, (865) 622-4606, extension 107 or arochkes@gapconnections.com

Annual GAP Training must be completed by June 30, 2024. 

GAP Connections is excited to announce the launch of a new podcast "Let's Talk About Labor" that aims to address labor needs to farmers in Tennessee and other surrounding states. The podcast is a collaborative effort of University of Tennessee Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and GAP Connections. 

Let's talk about the H-2A program - Farmer's experiences with the H-2A program.

In this month's episode, George McDonald, owner of Catesa Farms, and Bart Gilmer, one of the owners of Falcon Ridge Farm, will talk about their general experience with the H-2A program. The H-2A temporary agricultural program, also called the H-2A visa program, is a program that allows U.S. agricultural employers experiencing a shortage of domestic workers to fill seasonal or temporary jobs with foreign nonimmigrant workers.

Listen here. 

The 2024 Spanish Pesticide Applicator School will be hosted at the Wilson County Cooperative Extension Agricultural Center in Wilson on Wednesday, April 24th. The school will prepare you to take the private pesticide certification exam on the day of the school.

Optional FREE Virtual Preparation Workshops:

There will be optional workshops to help participants prepare for the class and exam. The preparation courses will consist of 3 virtual workshops for participants to attend. Items that will be covered are N.C. Pesticide Applicator Core Manual in Spanish, key chapters, concepts, and study and testing skills. Upon registration, students registered will be contacted to be registered and provided details on the preparation courses.

How to order the Pesticide Applicator Core Manual:

Please visit the Pesticide Safety School webpage to order the Pesticide Core Manual in Spanish. Once on the page, look to the left tab options under Pesticide Manual and click on “Online Ordering.” From the list of manual options choose, “N.C. Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual” option and add to shopping cart and proceed to check out as a guest.

The manual purchase is separate from this registration purchase.

GAP Connections would like to wish Dale Seay a happy and healthy retirement! 

Dale raised high quality dark-fire and burley tobacco in Christian County for many years. He faithfully served on the GAPC Board of Directors over 6 years and was a member of the GAPC Grower Advisory Committee. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the tobacco industry. 

Pictured: Robbie Parker, Chairman (left), Dale Seay (center), Jane Chadwell, Executive Director and President (right), present retirement gift at the GAPC Board of Directors Meeting on March 21, 2024 in Knoxville, TN. 

GAPC has a partnership with Jackson Lewis to provide growers with a comprehensive risk management helpline service carefully designed to help manage workforce employment issues and reduce exposure to employment-related liability. 

This helpline is FREE to all GAPC grower members. Growers can access the helpline by phone (833) 499-0275 or email GAPConnectionsHotline@jacksonlewis.com.  When contacting the helpline, please be prepared to provide, your name, GAPC grower ID #, location, type of issue, phone, and email (if available). 

865.622.4606 | info@gapconnections.com | 2450 E.J. Chapman Drive Knoxville, TN 37996