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From the desk of
The Produce Safety Team
September 8th, 2021
Food Safety Risks in School Gardens
Phil Tocco
Michigan State University Extension
Working in school gardens can be the highlight of a child’s day in school. How the child works with the garden can have a profound impact on the safety of the produce when they consume it. Nobody wants to get a bad case of diarrhea, or worse, from eating school garden produce. Here are a few things to consider when working with children in a school garden.
On-Farm Food Safety Webinar: Michigan Farm to Institution Network Meeting
Mariel Borgman and Garret Ziegler
Michigan State University Extension
Food safety is often seen as a roadblock for successful farmer and institution relationships. Farmers who are new to the institutional market may not have the specific food safety verifications that a specific institutional buyer. requires. From the buyer perspective, getting familiar with the many different food safety certification programs used by farms can open purchasing relationships. 
This webinar recording can help farmers, institutional food service staff, and other supply chain partners find common ground around food safety to grow farm to institution programs.
Podcast Episode: Farm to School
This episode features Lori Yelton, Nutrition and Food Management Consultant with MDARD, Mary Rose Vanas, Food Service Director for Shelby Public Schools, Landen Tetil, Produce Safety Technician with the Marquette County Conversation District, and Mariel Borgman, Community Food Systems Educator with MSU Extension. They discuss the value farm to school has on the community, and provide their own perspectives on food safety in farm to school settings.
Technical Support Available for Your Wash Pack Project This Fall
Check out these six Twilight Highlight Workshops below!
Our team of specialists from SCRUB (Sanitizing and Cleaning Resources for your Business) is available to help you overcome a post-harvest bottleneck, or improve your wash/pack!

Our team is offering a series of "Twilight Highlight Workshops” to help farmers as they plan and implement projects to address one of six specific wash/pack topics listed below.
Space is limited to 15 farms for each topic.

SCRUB Twilight Highlight Workshop Schedule

All virtual workshops are held live on Wednesday evenings, 6:00pm – 8:30pm, and will also be edited and posted for future viewing.

September 1 – Bin Blitz
September 8 – Low Cost and High Value
September 15 – Wash/Pack Floors
September 22 – Wash Water Management
September 29 – Tools for Employee Management and Empowerment
October 6 – Bubblers/Aerators for Greens Washing

To indicate your interest in participating, please complete this short form!
Fall is a great time for a FREE On-Farm Readiness Review!
Our friendly On-Farm Readiness Review team members can help you prepare for your Produce Safety Inspection!
Many growers of fresh produce want to know how ready they are with regards to being FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliant. In an effort to get people ready for a full implementation of FSMA, MSU Extension and the Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team are providing FREE On-Farm Readiness Reviews to Michigan Produce Growers. 
Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team
1715 Lansing Ave, Jackson, MI 49202 | MSU Extension MACD Produce Safety Technicians
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