US: New produce safety grower training programs in Massachusetts

UMass Extension and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), along with co-sponsors, announce upcoming food safety training programs taking place at the end of this month.

Cost for each program is $35, and includes the required PSA Grower Manual ($50 value), a Certificate of Course attendance from AFDO ($35 value), certificate of attendance from UMass/MDAR and lunch and refreshments.

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training--North Grafton, MA

When: Thursday, March 23rd from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Brigham Hill Community Farm, 37 Wheeler Rd, N. Grafton, MA 01536
REGISTER HERE for the North Grafton, MA training
Cost for lunch and materials is offset by support from Wegman’s and a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Co-sponsored by Wegman’s

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training--Dighton, MA

When: Friday, March 24th from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Keith Hall, Bristol County Agricultural High School, 84 Center St., Dighton, MA 02715
REGISTER HERE for the Dighton, MA training
Cost for lunch and materials is offset by support from SEMAP and a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Co-sponsored by the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership

Participants will learn about produce safety best practices, key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and how these requirements will be enforced in MA through MDAR’s Commonwealth Quality Program (CQP). There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

Who should attend
Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’