From the desk of
THE PRODUCE SAFETY TEAM
March 1, 2021
Tackling Produce Safety in the Off-Season
Emily Hale
Produce Safety Technician
On-Farm Produce Safety is an ongoing effort. Throughout the next couple of newsletters, we'll highlight things you can work on during the off-season to make your production season safer and easier. This week, we're focusing on equipment cleaning and maintenance.
Is Your Employee Training Effective?
Micah Hutchison
Produce Safety Technician
Employee training is vital to the successful implementation of an on-farm food safety plan. Workers are often the first people on the farm to encounter food safety risks. Well-trained workers will know how to assess and mitigate any risks they encounter while working on your farm. As we approach the growing season, now is a great time to review last season’s training process and update your training plan for this year.
Podcast Episode: Farm Worker Training
This episode features Micah Hutchison, a Produce Safety Technician with the Genesee Conservation District, and Ginny Farah, who works with the Edible Flint Educational Farm in Flint, Michigan. They provide some insight into training farm workers and volunteers on produce safety practices. 
What Do You Find Yourself Retraining On?
Are there specific aspects of produce safety that you find you need to retrain your workers on? For example, the importance of hand washing instead of using hand sanitizer, the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, or ways to reduce cross contamination?

Let us know in the poll below! (Opens in new window)
Food Safety Plans: Wondering Where to Start?
Below, you'll find food safety plan templates to help get you started. You can also contact your local Produce Safety Technician for additional assistance!
Hygienic Design for Produce Farms Workshop
One area that growers can consistently improve on is managing their packing areas and hygienic design of equipment. Having tools and the know how to improve what a grower has is the first step to higher quality and safer produce.

This two and a half hour program is designed for small and beginning farmers. It focuses on a variety of topics related to post harvest sanitation. There will be hands on demonstrations, and lots of practical information shared from On Farm Food Safety experts from all around Michigan. 
"Tech Talks" Provide Practical Solutions
for Produce Growers
Join Michigan's Produce Safety Technicians and various resource professionals for these "deep dives" into common produce safety challenges on fresh Produce Farms. Pre-registration is required!

TECH TALK TOPICS:
March 18th 2021: Biofilms - Here's how to avoid them!
April 6th 2021: Wildlife Co-Management - help from the experts!
Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team
1715 Lansing Ave, Jackson, MI 49202 | MSU Extension MACD Produce Safety Technicians
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