GAPC Certification Tips
Our weekly email containing tips, advice and reminders that will help you achieve GAPC Certification in 2018. 
This week: Achieving Certification and Updated 578's
1. Achieving Certification: It's more than just an audit.
Last week's email explained the required score on the Certification Audit, this week we want to discuss the other elements needed to achieve GAPC Certification.
Training: All Grower ID's listed on the approved application must have attended 2018 GAP training.  This included any associated growers listed on the application.  
Self-assessment: The self-assessment must be completed prior to the Certification Audit date. Please note that only self-assessment needs to be completed per farm operation.  The self-assessment will cover all growers who are associated with the farm in our system. 
Passing score on Audit: Growers must achieve compliance with 100% of Criticals and 75% of Additional GAPC Certification Standards.
Maintain Compliance:  No verified concerns or violations of polices or procedures are discovered by GAPC through follow-ups or the GAPC Worker Concern Helpline or other approved third-party worker concern process.
If a grower has achieved all of the above they will have earned GAPC Certified status for 2018.  This status will be maintained in 2019 through attending training, completing the 2019 self-assessment, achieving a passing score on the GAPC Site Visit and having no reported and verified concerns or violations of GAPC Certification Standards and policies.
2. Updated 578's
Growers should have an updated 2018 FSA 578 farm summary at the time of the audit that lists the total tobacco acreage.  If a grower's acreage has changed since the time of application they will have a chance to update that acreage at the audit.  Auditors will verify that the 2018 578 lists the acreage being reported at the time of the audit.   
To ensure timely reporting please remember crops must be filed with FSA by the final acreage report date (ARD).  Contact your local county office for the applicable ARD for tobacco. 
If a grower does not have a 2018 578 listing the total tobacco acreage being reported at the time of audit they will have a chance to go through remediation.  Remediation is subject to costs with the third-party audit firm and must be completed within 4 weeks.  If a grower does not obtain and allow the auditor to verify the 2018 578 with the correct tobacco acreage either during the audit or within 4 weeks of the audit they will not be eligible for GAPC Certification in 2018.
In future emails...  
  • Terms and Conditions of Employment
  • Housing and Transportation
  • Agrochemical Storage
  • Worker Concern Helpline and Required Posters
  • What is remediation?
We will also be answering these questions and posting them online for easy access at: 

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