In this email: Happy Independence Day -- Produce Safety Your Way!

FROM THE DESK OF

The Produce Safety Team

July 3rd, 2022

Providing Workers with Food Safety Resources

Farmers are creative folks who find ingenious ways to solve problems. There are lots of ways to provide workers with training and resources.

Freedom Within the Produce Safety Rule

In this episode, Michigan Produce Safety Technicians Landen Tetil and Micah Hutchison discuss some of the requirements (the "musts") of the Produce Safety Rule and some creative ways that growers can go about meeting these requirements.

Listen to Episode

Grower Spotlight: Creative and Affordable Produce Safety Solutions

In this interview, Laura Brosius with Full Plate Farm talks about her simple and affordable wash pack design.

Michigan Produce Safety Technician Landen Tetil caught up with Laura Brosius, the owner of Full Plate Farm, to learn more about her unique and low cost wash pack design. Laura built a wash pack that is affordable, functional, and addresses some key food safety risks that are commonly found in produce “wash-packs.”

Landen: Hi, everyone. I am here today at Full Plate Farm with Laura, and we are currently in her wash pack station. This farm started out as a vacant piece of land, and so there was no existing infrastructure when she built this wash pack station. She came up with a really affordable and cool design to meet the needs of the farm and be efficient in terms of food safety as well. We're basically under a carport, a low cost awning structure. We've got some utility sinks for washing and some foldable tables and things like that. This space serves as an efficient wash pack area, and it also serves as a clean storage space for all of the harvest bins and lugs when they're not currently in use. Laura, can you tell me why you chose to build a design like this?

New Program Can Defray the Cost of Produce Safety Compliance

Phil Tocco

Michigan State University Extension Educator

One reason small and very small fruit and vegetable farmers give for not adopting a number of food safety practices is the expense of it. Whether it’s the cost of getting a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit or attending food safety classes, small growers just don’t have the profit margin to afford these key components to access bigger markets.

In an effort to defray the cost of many of these expenses for small and very small farmers, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has introduced the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program. This program will help small and very small growers by reimbursing either part or all of eligible costs related to complying with food safety regulations or audits. Eligible expenses include creating a food safety plan, updating a food safety plan, cost of a food safety audit, water testing and produce safety training, to name just a few.

Speaking of Freedom – Michigan Produce Safety Technicians are a FREE Resource!

Micah Hutchison

Michigan Produce Safety Technician

Conservation District Produce Safety Technicians are here to support Michigan fresh produce growers with their on-farm produce safety needs. Technicians provide FREE, confidential education and assistance on the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule through a variety of avenues including on-farm visits, consultations, Produce Safety Risk Assessment certificates, and On-Farm Readiness Reviews.

Resources to help you achieve your Produce Safety Goals

FREE Worker Training Texting Service

FREE On-Farm Readiness Review

Annual Produce Safety Supervisor Training

Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team

1715 Lansing Ave, Jackson, MI 49202 | MSU Extension MACD Produce Safety Technicians

Did someone forward this email to you?

If you would like to join our email list, click here to subscribe!