The "Small Farm Exemption" Myth
Why federal FDA exemptions won't protect your market access in 2025.
The Law vs. The Market
It is true that FSMA 204 includes exemptions for small farms (typically those with under $25k in annual produce sales). However, this is a dangerous technicality to rely on.
While the FDA might not inspect you, your buyers will. Major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Whole Foods are mandating full digital traceability for their entire supply chain.
"If you cannot provide the digital data required by our traceability program, we cannot buy your product. The risk to our brand and customers is too high."
— Major Retailer Vendor Compliance Memo
Why Retailers Mandate It
Unified Supply Chain: They cannot manage a fragmented system where some suppliers use paper and others use digital.
Recall Speed: In a recall, they need to trace product in seconds, not days. Paper logs are too slow.
Liability: If a breakout occurs, they need proof of due diligence from every single supplier.
The Risk to You
The risk isn't an FDA fine. The risk is losing your contracts.
Don't Get Left Behind.
AgriLink was built specifically to make this easy for small and mid-sized growers. No expensive hardware, no IT team required.
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