GAPs and FSMA trainings for your farm this winter

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety

Are you interested in updating your farm’s food safety plan, considering getting a GAP audit, or want to make sure you are up to date with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule? Have you considered selling your produce to schools, food hubs or wholesale buyers? These courses from the UMN Extension On-Farm GAPs Education program and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program will provide in-depth information to fruit and vegetable farms about important steps to keep their produce safe and meet market requirements for on-farm food safety practices. All trainings offer a certificate of completion, which is accepted as documentation of food safety training for the Produce Safety Mini Grant available through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Online GAPs Half-Day Training Course

This 3.5-hour online course is a "one stop shop" to learn about food safety best practices in the production, washing, packing, storage and transport of fresh produce. These trainings are taught by UMN Extension and experienced farmer trainers. These trainings do not include information on the requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, but rather focus on the farm-level practices to reduce contamination of your fresh produce that can cause foodborne illnesses. They are interactive and include lots of case studies and photos.

• February 6th: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm (complete)
• February 28th: 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
• March 13: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Cost: $15 per farm, includes certificate of attendance for all participants. Scholarships are available to cover the cost of this course. Please email jenri001@umn.edu. One participant at each training will win a set of handwashing stand supplies! More courses may be available if these fill.

Register: z.umn.edu/GAPtraining

FSMA Produce Safety Rule Training

This course meets the training requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule for farms fully covered by the Produce Safety Rule. This regulatory training is led by UMN Extension, MDA staff and experienced farmer trainers. All growers interested in learning about produce safety, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule are encouraged to attend. It includes information on GAPs, but also the requirements of the federal FSMA Produce Safety Rule.

• February 27th in-person
  8:45am - 5:00pm (lunch included) Registration closes: 02/20/2024
  Minnesota Farmers Union, 305 Roselawn Ave. E, St. Paul, MN 55117

• March 7th online delivery via Zoom (Registration for the virtual course is currently limited to Minnesota residents)
  8:45am - 5:00pm
  Registration closes: 02/28/2024

Cost: $25, includes training materials ($50 value) and certificate of completion ($35 value).

Register: www.mda.state.mn.us/fsmatraining

Questions?

Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/producesafety or contact (651) 539-3648; producesafety.mda@state.mn.us