Production Standards
How UCF food gets from the farm to you
Five stages, each with its own standards. UCFarms is still building its first growing operation, so this page describes the planned process. It does not show test results or batch records, because none exist yet.
Grown
In a controlled environment.
Planned process
We're building an indoor growing environment where we can manage the light, water, temperature, and nutrients each crop receives.
Controlled growing environment
Crops will grow indoors with managed light, temperature, humidity and airflow, independent of outdoor weather.
Water and nutrient management
Water and nutrients will be supplied deliberately and adjusted to each crop, rather than left to rainfall and chance.
Harvested
In small batches, kept separate.
Planned process
Picked in small batches to keep things fresh. Batches are kept separate so we can follow them through testing, packing, and delivery.
Harvest at maturity
Each crop will be harvested at the stage it's meant to be eaten, not early to survive long transport.
Clean handling
This standard will cover hygiene for people, tools, surfaces and containers during harvest and packing.
Tested
By an independent lab.
Planned process
Samples are sent to an independent lab to screen for common pathogens and overall quality indicators. We stay focused on what we can verify, not promises.
Timing: Testing begins once harvests begin. No samples have been sent yet, and nothing is shown here as a result until a real laboratory report exists.
Independent microbial testing
UCFarms intends to send harvest samples to an independent laboratory to check for microbial contamination. No results are published until real laboratory reports exist.
When this is in place, you’ll see: Laboratory name, test type, test date and the outcome reported by the laboratory.
Measured nutrient composition
Nutrient figures on this site currently come from USDA reference data. UCFarms intends to add laboratory measurements of its own crops, shown separately from reference values.
When this is in place, you’ll see: UCFarms measured values beside USDA reference values, each labeled with its source.
Tracked
Every harvest labeled.
Planned process
We label each harvest so we know exactly where it goes.
Batch records
Each harvest is intended to receive a batch identifier that links it to its growing, harvest and testing records.
When this is in place, you’ll see: The batch label on what you receive, so it can be matched to its harvest.
Harvest to table traceability
The goal is that any batch can be followed from the day it was harvested to the day it was delivered.
Delivered
With the batch label intact.
Planned process
We deliver with the batch label intact and use what we learn to improve.
Short local supply chain
Produce is meant to go from the farm to local customers directly, without long-distance shipping or extended storage.
About the labels
Planned and In development describe where each stage stands today. Individual standards will show an operational status once UCFarms has confirmed it with evidence. Until then, no status is shown on them.
Lab reports
When independent laboratory reports exist, links to them will appear beside the Tested stage. There are none yet. Microbial screening checks for harmful bacteria; it does not measure nutrients.
Nutrient information
Nutrient figures on this site come from USDA reference data, not from testing UCFarms crops. When UCFarms crops are tested for nutrients, those results will be labeled as UCFarms measurements and shown separately. How UCFarms handles scientific information.