Are you looking for food safety training opportunities for your small-scale produce farm? If so, the UC ANR Small Farms Food Safety team is here to help.
Twice a month our food safety team offers in-person or online Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training workshops for California growers. This course was developed to educate growers and farm workers about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and assist with implementation of practices to satisfy its regulatory requirements.
The seven-module workshop fulfills the training requirements for farms that must fully comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.
The workshop covers:
- An introduction to produce safety
- Worker health, hygiene, and training
- Soil amendments
- Wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use
- Agricultural water
- Postharvest handling and sanitation
- How to develop a farm food safety plan
After completing all seven units, training participants receive a certificate of completion.
Since last September, the UC ANR Small Farms Food Safety team has assisted over 150 growers and farm workers who needed to comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.
Not sure if this training is required for your operation? Check out the FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety website to learn more about FSMA Produce Safety compliance categories and requirements. The grower training is only required for farms that must fully comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, requiring at least one individual from the farm to complete the training. However, the training can also serve as a comprehensive introduction to on-farm food safety for growers and farm workers who may not need to meet full FSMA requirements but want to be proactive in addressing food safety on their produce farm.
Learn more and register for an upcoming in-person or online workshop.
For more information about UC ANR’s small farms food safety offerings and resources, visit the UC Small Farms Food Safety website. New course dates are added every few weeks on a continuing basis as the previous ones fill.