Small Farmers Can Make Food Safety Work: The GroupGAP Pilot in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

This case study provides an overview of the processes, challenges, benefits, and lessons learned from the Group Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) pilot project in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The project goal was to test how a group-based farm-based food safety certification process could benefit small farmers. This pilot study confirms that good agricultural practices (GAP) certification can meet group needs at an affordable cost working with small and very small farms. Read the case study here. 

Food Safety Modernization Act webinar for farmers next Monday

The Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA, is a sweeping overhaul of federal food safety regulations that affects fruit and vegetable producers significantly. After the release of initial proposed regulations, the US Food and Drug Administration received thousands of public comments and have since revised the proposed rules. Join Farm Credit East’s webinar on Monday, March 9, at 11:00 AM to find out the FSMA’s current status and how it will affect your business. Participation is free.

Wesley Kline, of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, will present this webinar. He’ll take a look at what’s known, what is still uncertain and what may change in 2015 regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act. Mr. Kline will cover the timeline for compliance, compliance considerations for various size farms, as well as considerations for “mixed facilities,” such as those who handle other farm’s produce, including CSAs. Finally, he’ll explain integration with existing programs, such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

Producers are invited to join this webinar on Monday, March 9, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM to learn more about the Food Safety Modernization Act. This webinar is free to participate. Click here to register to attend.

—Farm Credit East

For more articles on food safety, click here.

Farm to School Webinars coming up

USDA’s 2015 Farm to School webinar series is scheduled, and available for viewing: http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/videos-and-webinars. While originally designed for USDA grantees, these trainings are open to the public this year. Please feel free to join any of the sessions that might be of interest to you, and also feel free to share this series with your networks.

1. Farm to School Planning and Building a Team, January 15, 2:00 pm 
2. Setting Goals and Establishing an Evaluation Baseline, January 28, 2:00 pm
3. Finding and Buying Local Foods, February 5, 2:00 pm
4. Farm to School Menu Planning, February 19, 2:00 pm
5. Food Safety, March 5, 2:00 pm
6. Promoting Your Farm to School Program, March 19, 2:00 pm
7. School Gardening, April 2, 2:00 pm
8. Curriculum Integration, April 16, 2:00 pm
9. Program Sustainability, April 30, 2:00 pm
10. Evaluating Your Program, May 13, 2:00 pm
11. Tying it All Together and Digging In, May 28, 2:00 pm

New Training Program: Food Safety from Farm and Garden to Preschool

The University of Massachusetts Department of Nutrition and the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension have developed a free, online, interactive food safety program for Farm to Preschool programs. We would appreciate it if you could forward this announcement to those who may be interested in participating in this exciting new program.

Food Safety from Farm and Garden to Preschool Training Program is available online atwww.umass.edu/safefoodfarm2kid. This free, self-paced program was created to help early childcare educators, foodservice staff, volunteers and parents understand the importance of reducing the risk of food safety related to fresh fruits and vegetables for young children. The program
includes five units:

. Farm to Preschool Benefits
. Fresh Produce and Foodborne Illness Risks
. Food Safety Basics for the Classroom and the Kitchen
. Food Safety and Gardening Activities
. Food Safety on Field Trips to Farms and Farmers' Market.

Printable resources such as Best Practices Planning Tools, resources, and Certificates of Completion are available and may be able to be used towards Professional Development requirements. This project was supported through USDA NIFA project award 2011-5110-30996. For more information on the program and to get started, visit www.umass.edu/safefoodfarm2kid.