What are the minimum requirements to source from small local farms?

The company I work for is currently sourcing our ingredients (dry botanicals and teas) online and our produce through large companies. 

 

The goal of the company is to source as local as possible in the near future. We have been in talks with various local farms about contracting herbs and produce.  I'm unsure if many of these farms have any sorts of certifications, if they track lot numbers, or what I should even ask them for.

 

I've done a lot of internet digging but can't quite find a pinpoint answer:

What are the minimum requirements to legally source from small local farms?

FSMA is bringing compliance online for all small farms and the companies that work with them or source from them. You can expect that if you cannot get much information from them now that they will need to be incompliance soon. Check this site for compliance dates on the sizes of the farms that you are working with. I imagine that with smaller farms you are looking at compliance in 2020. Work with the farmers to get the lot information if you can but also get confirmation that the pesticides that they are using are not harmful and that their treatment programs, storage, pick, pack and delivery are all up to snuff. SQF will want you to get documentation but in the absence of documentation you will ned to provide them with a letter of some sort explaining that the company is safe, despite not being audited by a third party, and that you will work with them after having conducted a thorough risk analysis.

As I mentioned they may be able to give you very little information now since the FDA is only focusing on larger companies this year but they will need to be compliant soon.

https://www.fda.gov/...A/ucm334114.htm

There is a USDAGap program for on farm

 

www.ams.usda.gov/services/auditing/gap-ghp

 

It is considered a GFSI program

 

Our farm is CanadaGap certified as we grow 90% of our raw materials (seperate entities same parcel of land) and the processing plant is SQF.....have not had an issue to date