ALEI continues its ongoing collaborative work with the Maryland Food Safety Network (MFSN) to provide food safety education that helps growers understand and implement federal regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). MFSN is a team of experts from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the ALEI, the University of Maryland Extension program, the UM College Park Plant Science Food Safety Group, and the Produce Safety Alliance.
Farmers who grow produce that is often consumed raw (e.g. berries, leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) are likely covered by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and are required to attend a Produce Safety Rule Training and take certain steps, including but not limited to, identifying and reducing food safety risks on the farm. If you are unsure how the Produce Safety Rule impacts your operation, attending one of the upcoming training sessions can help you learn what steps you may need to take to be in compliance with the law.
Exempt growers may also be interested in attending if you need to maintain a food safety certification or simply want the opportunity to ask questions directly to food safety experts and learn along with peers. These workshops satisfy the food safety training obligations for Maryland GAP. Growers who need to comply with FSMA and/or GAP should make sure they send their designated food safety employee to one of the following upcoming trainings:
- January 19, 2025, Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (In partnership with the Future Harvest Conference!) – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-person-psa-produce-safety-rule-psr-grower-training-silver-spring-md-tickets-1040309532817
- February 27, 2025 – The Career Technology Training Center (CTTC), 116 Industrial Park Accident, MD 21520, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-person-psa-produce-safety-rule-grower-training-mchenry-md-tickets-1093730038989?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
- March 04, 2025 – Elkton, MD (Cecil County) – TBD.
- April 1 & 2, 2025 – Remote Delivery PSR Grower Training (via Zoom, 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM each day) – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/remote-delivery-psa-produce-safety-rule-psr-grower-training-tickets-1040323554757
Two other workshops MFSN is organizing for this winter will cover grower requirements under the New Agricultural Water Assessment Rule, and provide insights to growers about the various food safety certification standards different buyers often require and how having a proactive approach to food safety standards opens market opportunities.
- February 07, 2025 – Farm Marketing & Buyers Food Safety Standards, 4240 Folly Quarter Road, Bldg 671, Ellicott City, MD 21042 (registration page pending)
- February 20, 2025 – Lab ‘n’ Lecture – Understanding the New PSR Ag Water Assessment Rule – Wye Research Center, 124 Wye Narrows Drive, Queenstown, MD 21658 (registration pending)
- Large operations (those making over $500,000 in sales) must come into compliance by April 7, 2025. Small business (those making between $250,000 – 500,000) have until April 6, 2026; Very small business ($25,000 – 250,000), until April 5, 2027.
For all the events listed above, find more details on course agendas and information on how to register online at https://extension.umd.edu/events, or for questions, contact Margaret (Megan) Todd, motodd@law.umaryland.edu, 316-993-5293. (Light breakfast and lunch are included in all in-person trainings, as well as training materials (savings of $100).)
This work 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 $856,887 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.
