In this email: Preparing for the Growing Season with Food Safety in Mind

FROM THE DESK OF

The Produce Safety Team

May 8, 2022

Revisiting our Produce Safety Resolutions

What cleaning and sanitizing protocols and procedures have you established on your farm?

Identifying Unintended Food Contact Surfaces

Food contact surfaces are extremely important to keep clean in order to reduce the spread of pathogens. When we think of areas that produce comes into contact with, we typically think of a table or a harvest container, but what are some other surfaces that aren't usually considered? In this episode, Produce Safety Technicians Micah Hutchison and Landen Tetil talk about certain food contact surfaces that may be unintentional and how you can keep these areas clean.

Listen to Episode

Visual SOP's for Cleaning and Sanitizing

Phil Tocco

Michigan State University Extension

Download Photo

It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The same is true of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). A visual or graphical SOP can show a worker exactly how you want to have something done. Visual SOPs are particularly useful if you need to overcome language barriers or issues with literacy. The visual SOP below covers the main points of cleaning a piece of equipment.

Build Your Own Handwashing Station

Screen Shot 2022-05-03 at 10.07.51 AM.png

Good handwashing is one of the most important parts of an on-farm food safety plan. Providing your workers with training and facilities on proper handwashing is extremely important. Check out these instructions from the University of Minnesota on how to put together a simple, portable handwashing station for under $20!

Handwashing Station Instructions

Tis the Season! Sign Up Today for an On-Farm Readiness Review

The On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) Program was developed to support growers in their efforts to comply with the laws of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. An OFRR will allow a fresh produce grower to walk around their own farm with a team of trained professionals to review their general production practices in reference to produce safety. This walk-through will help a grower gauge how ready they are for an inspection and also give them ideas about how to make inexpensive changes (if necessary) to meet the new food safety requirements. The On-Farm Readiness Review Program is a voluntary and confidential service, and best of all, it is at no cost to growers!

Request an OFRR Here!

Worker Training Texting Service

This FREE weekly texting service can help you with your worker training!

Sign up for this texting service to receive a produce safety text once a week, straight to your phone. Each text will contain a short sentence, infographic, or video to reinforce important produce safety concepts without spending a lot of extra time or money. Signing up is FREE! Text "training" to (888) 531-2157, or text "capacitar" to receive texts in Spanish.

Learn More or Sign Up

Online Produce Safety

Supervisor Training

You only need 4 hours over the span of three weeks to complete this self-paced course!

Michigan State University Extension offers a course for farm supervisors as they navigate the requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. This course provides supervisors with information about the Produce Safety Rule and how to use relevant resources to support their farm's compliance with the rule.

Learn More & Register Here

Explore your farm's Produce Safety Rule status with MDARD

If you want to connect with a produce safety inspector at the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to learn more about how the FSMA Produce Safety Rule applies to your farm or your inspection status, please complete this MDARD Grower survey. A member of MDARD’s Produce Safety Team will contact you directly to verify your status based on the information you provide. Not only do you get to know your status, but MDARD will maintain this data to ensure that you receive relevant communication related to the Produce Safety Rule and Michigan’s Produce Safety Program.

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!