In March, the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) will kick off its 2023 Farmer Field Day season with a two-part online event.
"Developing a Farm Food Safety Plan - Stop Running the Risk!" will be held online March 21 from 10 to 11 a.m. Eastern, and March 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
As most produce farmers and handlers are aware, food safety is a major concern in today's market for fruits and vegetables. No specialty crop farmer wants their customers to be among the statistics for foodborne illness. Protecting your customers requires a commitment to understanding food safety risks in your operation, and to implementing effective practices to control those risks. Foodborne illness outbreaks also disrupt markets at the local, regional and national levels. In an attempt to minimize this threat, more and more produce buyers are requiring proof that their farmer-suppliers are implementing effective food safety programs all the way to the farm level.
Join this two-part virtual workshop to learn the basics of developing a farm Food Safety Plan.
In the first session, participants will learn the content and structure of a farm Food Safety Plan from Bryan Brady (The Food Connection at UK). This will include common policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), risk assessments, recordkeeping, and corrective actions. Kentucky farmers Maggie Dungan (Salad Days Farm) and Ford Waterstrat (Sustainable Harvest Farm) will share their experiences and recommendations based on developing and implementing their Food Safety Plans.
For the second session, Bryan will provide Food Safety Plan templates and log sheets and explore how they can be designed to fit your unique operation in order to reduce risks, minimize costs, and improve efficiency. Morgan Waldner and Tyler Goodlett of the KDA's Produce Safety Program will join both sessions to share information on what your farm needs to do to be in compliance, including information on inspections, exemptions, training, and resources.
This workshop is intended for any specialty crop (fruits & veggies) producers - this may include
- Farmers who want to reduce their customers' risks of foodborne illness;
- Farmers interested in getting their fresh produce into food service, institutional, and retail markets;
- Farmers who have completed FSMA food safety training and are actively considering a third party farm food safety certification such as GAP;
- Farmers interested in learning from other farmers and food safety experts.
Registration is required and covers both virtual events. Cost is $5 for OAK members and $10 for non-members; scholarship options are available.
The first session will be recorded and shared with anyone who registers; the second session is intended as a time you dedicate to developing your own farm Food Safety Plan with expert assistance and will, therefore, not be recorded. Funding for this Field Day was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Farmers Market Promotion Program grant.
For more information about these workshops or OAK, contact Jenny Howard Owen, education coordinator, at (502) 517-9629.
Categories: Kentucky, Crops