Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety Dedicated packing areas are an essential part of food safe produce handling on the farm. Let’s look at common reasons for building a pack area and key features that must be included in any design. Why build a packing area? Packing areas provide an accessible space for washing, packing and grading produce Packing areas serve as a central space for storing harvest supplies like knives, rubber bands, produce bins and wax boxes. Packing areas allow farmers to clean and pack vegetables in a food safe manner. This leads to better quality and longer lasting produce, which increases farm profitability. With the right infrastructure and equipment, packing areas increase the efficiency of the washing and packing process. A carport is a portable and generally affordable option for packing produce Key washing and packing area features Several key features must be considered in any design: The structure: Your packing area sho...
K-12 schools and early childhood education centers in MN have $1 million to spend on local purchases - find out which ones!
Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded more than $1 million in grants to schools and early care providers through its Farm to School and Early Care Grants program. This means that these schools and early care providers and centers are looking for locally-grown produce. Learn more about these market in this article, along with important food safety and other best practices when selling to local schools. Photo: Rutgers University The MDA awarded these grant funds to 63 school districts and nine early childhood education (ECE) centers across Minnesota. Recipients received one of two grants to purchase whole unprocessed or minimally processed foods. These foods must be at least 80% grown or raised in Minnesota. Grant awards ranged from $2,500 to $35,000 and will support $866,089 in local food purchases. Applicants could also apply for additional funding to purchase equipment that supports their local sourcing...