Fruit and Vegetable News

  Annalisa Hultberg, extension educator, food safety Animal-based soil amendments such as composted manure and poultry litter can build the soil organic matter and water hold capacity of your soil. You may be applying them now. Fall is a great time to do that, as it can be better for food safety and for the health of your plants. Read on for more information.  What are the potential risks? All animal-based amendments carry a risk of microbial contamination, though many factors affect the level of risk in each. Different animals tend to be reservoirs for different pathogens. For example, poultry like chickens and turkey often shed  Salmonella  and  Campylobacter  and ruminants (cows and sheep) often shed toxigenic  E. coli  (STEC). It is not possible to know if an animal is shedding pathogenic bacteria in its feces by looking at the animal or observing its behavior. Therefore it is important to take care with all animal-based soil amendments, parti...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety Orchards and U-picks are welcoming large number of visitors to the farm. When you invite the public to your farm there are additional food safety and liability concerns to consider to keep your customers safe and your risk as low as possible to avoid a foodborne illness outbreak.  Here are some key recommendations to keep your customers safe and healthy this fall.  Photo: Annie Klodd What are the risks? Many bacteria like Salmonella , Campylobacter and E. coli can be spread to fresh produce from animals and sick humans. Viruses like Norovirus and Hepatitis   can easily transmitted between humans via fresh produce and other food, surfaces and the air.  These bacteria and viruses can seriously sicken people, especially the young, old, and immunocompromised.  There have been outbreaks at agritourism farms, especially those that have animals. Take some basic precautions to reduce the potential for these illness...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety This time of year we get calls and emails from growers thinking about their markets and expanding opportunities this coming season. You may have heard about a GAP audit, and wonder what it is and how it could benefit your operation.  Here are 5 key things to think about if you are considering a GAP audit. What is a GAP audit?  A GAP audit is basically a verification that your farm is following science-based best practices for food safety in growing fresh produce. An auditor from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) or another certifying body comes to your farm with a checklist to verify that you use Good Agricultural Practices during the growing, harvesting, packing, storage, and transportation of your product. It is not a law or regulation; it is a voluntary audit that you pay for, and farmers generally get it to access a market that requires an audit.   Read more about what the audit is and who needs it: 1...

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...