| GAPC Tobacco Certification |
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GAPC Certification monitoring visits will wrap up in October. If you have not heard from an auditor, please reach out to GAP Connections. To avoid being missed or extra monitoring visit fees, please regularly check your phone, texts, and email for any auditor communications and respond promptly.
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Begin working on the Self-Assessment. The required Self-Assessment must be completed prior to the Monitoring Visit. The Self-Assessment is one per operation.
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Be on the lookout. The monitoring firm will contact you via phone call, text, or email to schedule the visit. 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 will begin mid-July.
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Prepare. Start preparing for the Monitoring Visit by reviewing the 2024 Certification Compliance Guide. Tips for achieving Certification are emailed weekly, or check out our website.
- After the Monitoring Visit. Growers should receive their audit report either by mail or email (depending on the preferred method of correspondence selected at time of application) within 72 hours. It is important to review the audit report in a timely manner to determine if remediation is required.
- Is remediation required? Remediation must be completed by the 30 day deadline. Instructions on how to remediate any remediable issue can be found in the Compliance Guide and the Remediation Guide.
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Need help? GAPC staff are available Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm EST to answer any questions.
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| We want to hear from you. |
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Stakeholder engagement is a critical part of the success of GAPC and GAPC’s activities as it is ultimately the stakeholders that determine the success of our efforts.
The principles of GAPC’s stakeholder engagement include:
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Inclusive: GAPC strives to be inclusive to allow all stakeholders the opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns, and questions by evaluating the environment in which we operate and identifying existing and new stakeholders.
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Trustworthy: GAPC strives to be trustworthy by planning engagements with purpose and sincerity to collect feedback from a variety of stakeholders and by building and maintaining trusting relationships.
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Transparent: GAPC strives to be transparent with stakeholders by sharing proposed changes to GAPC activities with stakeholders.
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Responsive: GAPC strives to be responsive by updating stakeholders when GAPC is reviewing feedback with GAPC decision-makers and providing updates on any actions related to feedback.
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GAPC engages with stakeholders both through direct engagement (i.e. one-on-one meetings and presentations) and through solicitation of feedback through public comment periods. These methods of engagement allow stakeholders to provide feedback on current and proposed GAPC activities. To learn more about GAPC's stakeholder engagement please review the GAPC Stakeholder Engagement Policy.
Schedule for Public Comment
View Proposals for 2025 GAPC Programs
Open comment OPEN until September 30th at 5:00pm EDT. Please provide feedback by clicking the link below.
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| New Episode Out Now! "Let's Talk About Labor" Podcast hosted by University of TN and GAP Connections |
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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
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Episode 1: Let's talk about the H-2A program: Farmer's experiences with the H-2A program.
Listen here.
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Episode 2: H-2A Worker Housing: Practical Things I Need to Know Before Considering the H-2A Program
Listen here.
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Episode 3: H-2A Worker Transportation: Practical Things I Need to Know Before Considering the H-2A Program
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Episode 4: H-2A Program Housing Requirements
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Episode 5: H-2A Program Housing Inspections
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Episode 6: Tobacco and Row Crop Growers' Experience with the H-2A Program
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In this episode, Jackie Edwards, co-owner of Corn Silk Farms LLC, a grain farm in Middle Tennessee, Joey Knight, from Joey Knight Farm, a tobacco and cattle farm in Middle Tennessee, and Dalton Armstrong, from Armstrong Tobacco Farms, will discuss their general experience with the H-2A program. (September 2024)
Listen here.
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Events and News From Others |
USDA NASS Agricultural Labor Survey |
Make your voice heard! USDA NASS conducts its biannual Agricultural Labor Survey in October. More than 18,000 farmers and ranchers across the nation will have the opportunity to participate in the survey online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
Taking part in the survey helps show the value and importance of farm labor to U.S. agriculture. The data is used as measures of agricultural labor wage rates and counts the number of hired workers. The survey is an opportunity to provide accurate information about hired farm labor. Individual responses are kept confidential in accordance with federal law.
Survey recipients who do not respond by Oct. 16 may be contacted by NASS to arrange an interview or sent a reminder email. NASS will publish the data at nass.usda.gov on Nov. 20 in the Farm Labor report. For more information, visit nass.usda.gov/go/labor.
If you have any questions about the survey, contact Tony Dorn, North Carolina State Statistician, at tony.dorn@usda.gov, or call (787) 485-1715.
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Biden-Harris administration’s proposed rule to protect indoor, outdoor workers from extreme heat’s dangers opens for public comment |
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the opening of the public comment period for its proposed rule intended to protect millions of workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat and its publication in the Federal Register.
Announced in July 2024 by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the rule – if finalized – would help protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings and substantially reduce workplace heat injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
OSHA encourages public participation in the rulemaking process as it will help the agency develop a final rule that adequately protects workers, is feasible for employers and is based on the best available evidence.
Submit comments to Docket Number OSHA-2021-0009. Directions on how to submit comments are included in the Federal Register notice. OSHA anticipates holding a public hearing after the close of the written comment period, with details to be announced.
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Give it a try...GAPC HR/Legal Helpline |
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).
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865.622.4606 | info@gapconnections.com | 2450 E.J. Chapman Drive Knoxville, TN 37996
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