What is the CropWalk Audit™? How will your crop benefit? Why is it unlike any other #IPM service offered? What's the value proposition? Great questions!
The CropWalk Audit™ is a risk analysis service (a diagnostic deep-dive) aimed at improving operational resiliency by assessing every possible influencing factor on the #IntegratedPestManagement and #biosecurity of high-value crop production.
We audit the plants, processes, property, protocols, people, practices, potential problems, and possibilities.
After lots of preliminary information sharing and a 2-3 day on-site Audit™, you'll have received around 100 hours of dedicated time from our entire team.
The resulting deliverable, a detailed CropWalk Audit™ Action Report, was designed to outline actionable steps to mitigate risks observed during the process, improve product quality, reduce waste, internally improve your IPM program, as well as validate and improve upon the grower's successful efforts.
All findings are explicitly framed in a way to help you improve your own IPM plan.
However, if you want CropWalk to improve your IPM plan for you, after the Audit™ we're well-positioned to develop the most robust, comprehensive, and highly-customized IPM plan you've ever imagined, around which we can then provide hands-on training with skill-building exercises developed by university educators.
The CropWalk Audit™ addresses every question possible to systematically assess risk levels to your crops and uncover the best solutions possible.
What influences IPM risks? Basically everything!
Workflow, facility design, infrastructure, proper documentation, training, equipment, tools, horticultural techniques, communication pathways, employee behavior patterns, regional pressures, planning, execution, and many more factors influence IPM success.
So, before we even step foot on-site to audit an operation, we've already reviewed all of your SOPs and facility maps (protected by a mutual nondisclosure agreement) as well as went over a series of questions with you to help us personalize our approach for maximum effectiveness. We send along an itinerary in advance.
During the audit, our auditors (often 2 individuals) will move along the production line, collecting video and photo data that our entire team (and sometimes our scientific advisors, who also signed NDAs) take the time to consider components of.
The auditors, while also looking for areas to suggest improvements, are collecting quantitative and qualitative data to assign scores for the risk assessment ratings in ten categories: facility infrastructure and layout, environmental controls, sanitation protocols, plant production process, scouting and monitoring, pest control effectiveness and efficiency, record-keeping practices, biocontrol supply chain management, IPM planning, as well as IPM team organization and training.
CropWalk takes a uniquely detailed and holistic approach to IPM and that is reflected in our personalized approaches to auditing and IPM plan development.
Why? Because every operation is incredibly unique, so our approach must be also. And because every part of your operation is dependent upon other parts to function properly.
At CropWalk, we believe that IPM means more than just integrating every useful pest and pathogen control option.
We believe that IPM plans should be integrated into every other aspect of the operation, like cultivation SOPs, sanitation protocols, quality management systems, operations plans, training requirements, and even business plans.
In fact, we investigate workflow so thoroughly during the Audit process that 3-5% of the comprehensive Audit™ Action Report is able to offer advice, for lean farming waste reduction improvements, workplace safety & health requirements, and, when relevant, certification readiness for GAP, good agricultural practices, which are required for GMP certification for food and medical-grade products.
We even offer speaking points for communicating the benefits of using IPM (worker safety, product quality, and environmental protection, to start) to various stakeholders, like regulatory agencies, the general public/consumers, the media, and sellers/distributors.
With increasingly restrictive agriculture regulations, increasing pesticide resistance, and increasing pest pressures, it is imperative that growers consistently evaluate and improve upon strategies for protecting their plants… and their profits.
So, let's talk crops! What are your IPM pain points?
Resolving them before they even become a pain is what we do.
CropWalk empowers the greatest growers with the preventive vigilance required to "start clean, stay clean," the mantra we live and breathe.
We primarily work with cannabis, hemp, leafy greens, ornamental/floriculture, and soft berry producers from field crops to fully-controlled environments.
Genuine relationships and gratitude are at our core. We wanna get to know you!
Until next time.... #StartCleanStayClean