Do you grow fruits and vegetables? Do you want to improve the shelf life, safety and quality of your produce? Registration is open for the winter FSMA Produce Safety Rule grower trainings. Take a look at the upcoming schedule and register soon, as many of these trainings may fill to capacity.
If your farm is not excluded or exempt from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, at least one supervisor or responsible party from your farm must complete a training that uses FDA-recognized curriculum or equivalent. (Read more here to learn whether or not your farm is covered by the Produce Safety Rule.) The courses offered here will satisfy this requirement. Course topics include produce safety regulatory requirements and best practices related to worker health and hygiene, crop inputs (soil amendments), domestic and wild animals, water use and testing for pre- and post-harvest operations, such as irrigation and washing.
These dynamic courses will be co-led by experienced fruit and vegetable farmers and staff from UMN Extension and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Training participants will receive a certificate of completion. Farms covered by the rule only need to have a responsible party complete training once to meet the rule’s requirements.
Dates and Locations (details and addresses at registration page):
December 3, 2019: Crookston
December 18, 2019: Waseca
January 15, 2020: St. Cloud (Day before Northern Growers conference)
January 30, 2020: Rogers
February 11, 2020: Grand Rapids
February 26, 2020: Farmington
March 10, 2020: Willmar
March 19, 2020: Isanti
April 9, 2020: Winona
April 14, 2020: Lamberton
Register: www.psp.tix.com. Registration deadline is 1 week before each class, or until full. Register early - many courses will likely sell out. No walk-ins accepted.
Cost: $35 (This cost is subsidized and will likely rise in the coming years). Fee includes training materials, lunch, refreshments, and a certificate of attendance (participants must be present for the entire training in order to receive a certificate).
Schedule: Check-in 8:30 am. Training 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Questions?
Visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program page, call (651) 539-3648 or email producesafety.mda@state.mn.us
Resources:
UMN Extension On-Farm GAPs Education Program: learn more about Good Agricultural Practices and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program: learn more about Produce Safety Rule implementation in Minnesota, including On-Farm Readiness Reviews and inspections.
Produce Safety Alliance: Our national partners helping prepare fresh produce growers to meet the regulatory requirements included in the Produce Safety Rule.
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