Produce Safety University 2025 - short webinars for winter learning

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety

Kick off 2025 with a series of training opportunities to learn practical strategies to improve both the food safety and product quality of your fruits and vegetables. If you attended a farm food safety training in the past but want to sharpen your skills and learn more about specific topics, or want a refresher, these webinars are for you. 

These webinars are led by UMN Extension educators, industry experts and experienced farmers. 

Cost: Webinars are free and open for all to attend. 

Register: https://z.umn.edu/FoodSafetyDeepDives2025. Registration is required. After registering, you will receive the webinar link. All sessions will be recorded and the links sent to registered participants. 

All sessions are 9:00am - 10:15am and held via Zoom. Choose to attend some or all.

Audiences:

• Fruit and vegetable farmers interested in expanding their sales into wholesale markets
• Farmers who have attended GAPs or FSMA trainings in the past but want refreshers
• Staff at organizations who work with fruit and vegetable farmers
• Vendors at farmers' markets

Topics and Dates - (register for some or all)

Jan 17: Postharvest Handling for The Best Veggies: Tips for Washing and Storing Produce for Safety and Quality

• Postharvest washing equipment, washing and storing best practices for extended shelf life and produce safety. Make your produce last for your customers!

Jan 31: Packshed Designs: Low-Cost Packsheds and Coolers

• Packshed designs and ideas including options for rented land. Learn about multiple options for a packshed structure at all price points to safely wash and store produce. See low-cost cooler designs to quickly cool down your produce.

Feb 14: Vegetables and Animals Sometimes Don't Mix - Safely Integrating Manure and Livestock On Fruit and Vegetable Farms

• Livestock can have benefits for the soil, but can bring food safety risks. Learn about how to safely bring livestock into your vegetable farm or use manure in produce operations and regenerative farming.

Feb 28: Updates on FSMA Water Rule: What You Need to Know and What Has Changed

• What has changed in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule related to irrigation and pre-harvest water requirements? What does this change mean for farmers?

March 14: All About Wells: Water Testing and Well Design to Protect Water Quality and Safety on Fruit and Vegetable Farms

• Well experts share how to understand well construction, well maintenance and testing for bacteria to keep your farm’s well water safe so your water does not contaminate your fresh produce.

March 28: Excluding Wildlife From Produce Fields: Fencing Options to Protect Your Crops

• Temporary and permanent fencing options to exclude animals from produce fields to protect crops from hungry critters. Learn about programs to help purchase fencing.

April 11: Write Your Farm’s Food Safety Plan: Use a Template to Create Your Farm's Plan

• In this collaborative session you will learn the components of a farm food safety plan and write your own. Use this plan to market your farm and describe your food safety practices to buyers like schools, restaurants and retail.

Register:  https://z.umn.edu/FoodSafetyDeepDives2025