The Gold Star Grower program recognizes growers who provide farmworker housing that meets all of the requirements of the Migrant Housing Act of N.C.
How to be a Gold Star Grower:
Register farmworker housing with the N.C. Department of Labor, Agricultural Safety and Health Bureau, at least 45 days prior to occupancy.
Have the local health department inspect and approve the water and septic systems at least 45 days prior to occupancy.
Have your housing 100 percent in compliance at the time of the preoccupancy inspection. Take steps to improve your housing—go beyond the requirements—to ensure that your housing is a Star site.
Gold Star Growers: Moving Forward, is a video produced by N.C. State University that highlights the housing recognition program and talks with participants about what being a Gold Star Grower means to them.
Gold Star Flag Award
for Agricultural Housing and Workplace Safety
Nominations for the Gold Star Grower Flag award may be made by the grower, by another grower. Organizations such as the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Employment Security Commission, a county environmental health and safety specialist, an ASH inspector, the N.C. Farm Bureau or the N.C. Growers Association.
The successful flag candidate shall have:
Owned or operated housing that meets the criteria for the Gold Star Grower award for at least two years.
Knowledge and use of appropriate field sanitation.
Certification of all personnel handling pesticides.
Written or oral safety program governing use of pesticides, injury prevention, worker training.
Injury and accident record below the average rate for the industry.
Safe, approved storage of equipment and chemicals.
The applicant must submit a request to by a Gold Star Grower flag recipient. An inspector from ASH will visit the site and inspect the following:
Housing during occupancy.
General maintenance.
The OSHA 300 log for the site and for all sites contracted, if required to report,
as well as safety rules, emergency procedures and examples of safe work procedures.
A self-inspection program governing housing, field sanitation, chemical storage and accident prevention also is needed.
Written safety and health rules and a system for enforcing safety rules.
Reports of employee orientation, safety-training programs.
Machinery equipment repair and routine maintenance records.
Pesticide training and application records.
Storage and labeling of pesticides.
Appropriate material safety data sheets.
Interviews may be conducted with:
Farm employees, both full-time and part-time.
County extension agent.
County environmental health and safety specialist.
Local Employment Security Commission employees (office of Rural Manpower)
The Agricultural Safety and Health Council will be presented with list of candidates and be given a presentation listing the qualifications of each eligible candidate. This presentation may involve photographs, slides or a "virtual visit." The council will vote and make a recommendation to the labor commissioner. The commissioner will make the final decision and present the flag to the eligible grower eligible. A workplace site visit will be scheduled every year to determine if grower is still in compliance with Gold Star Flag requirements. The commissioner will present a plaque to the grower with the year of the award noted.
