Appropriate production practices, careful harvesting, and proper packaging, storage, and transport all contribute to good produce quality. This publication covers postharvest practices suitable for small-scale operations, and points out the importance of production and harvesting techniques for improving quality and storability. Various methods for cooling fresh produce are discussed, and resources are listed for further information, equipment, and supplies.

The link to Cornell's Good Agricultural Practices website. It provides information on food safety & handling, contact information for extension specialists, and research articles.

This report reviews Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) focusing on how to manage manure, processing, and irrigation in produce. Contaminants such as e.coli and salmonella can be found in many areas, and this article describes how best to handle these potential problems. The authors focus on cleanliness and timing to ensure the safety of farm products and point to the recent nationally publicized food-borne illness outbreaks as examples of the failure to implement GAPs. Published by Cornell University, Department of Food Science. 

Self and third party fresh produce safety audit resources; compiled by Diane Ducharme (NCCE).