In-Person PSA: Produce Safety Rule Grower Training for Urban Farmers

Who Should Attend?

Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. 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.’

What to Expect at the PSA Grower Training Course?

The trainers will cover content contained in these eight modules:

• Introduction to Produce Safety
• Role of Maryland Dept. of Agriculture and On-Farm Readiness Reviews
• Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
• Soil Amendments
• Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use
• Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water)
• Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
• How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan

In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions. Appropriate time will be made for breaks at the discretion of the instructors.

Registration Includes:

• Course Materials (Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Manual v1.2)
• Course Certificate from the Produce Safety Alliance upon successful completion of course materials

Participation requirements for in-person attendees include:

• Course attendance and participation will be monitored. Any attendee who does not participate for the duration of the course will not be eligible for certification.
• A hard-copy Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Manual v1.2 will be available to each attendee prior to the course administration.
• Participants are expected to complete and return course evaluations within one week of completing the course.

Funding for this series of work described in this article is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award U2FFD007444 totaling $523,497 with 100 percent funded by FDA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.