October 3, 2017
Upcoming Produce Safety Workshops
KSRE is planning a number of upcoming half- and full-day training workshops focused on food safety for fruit and vegetable growers in Kansas.
The half-day “Introduction to Produce Safety” workshops are an abbreviated training to help producers avoid contamination. All farms attending the workshops can have their farm’s water tested (for microorganisms) for free. These workshops and assessments are funded by a USDA NIFA Food Safety Outreach Grant. These workshops are only $15 and will be held in the following locations:
• November 8, 2017, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Ft. Scott, KS
• November 13, 2017, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Independence, MO (KC area)
• November 14, 2017, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Wichita, KS
• November 15, 2017, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Colby, KS
• November 29, 2017, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Farm
We also have a number of full day FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) produce safety trainings (from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) planned in several locations in Missouri and Kansas, which will meet the training requirements of the FSMA.
• December 6, 2017, Kansas City, MO
• January 11, 2018, St Joseph, MO (at the Great Plains Growers Conference)
• February 23, 2018, Olathe, KS
• March 9, 2018, Wichita, KS
More locations throughout the state may be added if there is enough interest.
For more information and registration for all these workshops, including other MO locations and other produce safety information, visit our produce safety website: http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/produce/. In addition, we are still looking for a few farms that would be willing to volunteer to do an on-farm produce safety assessment. Farms will earn $100 for their time and will learn about how they can improve their produce safety practices. The assessment results will not be shared with regulators or buyers, but is only for KSRE assessment purposes. We ask that producers volunteering for the assessment attend one of the half day workshops listed above (no charge for the workshop). The assessments will be conducted by our new KSRE produce safety Extension Associate, Cal Jamerson, who has extensive first- hand experience with getting his own family farm in Florida GAP certified.
These workshops are sponsored by KSRE, University of Missouri, Lincoln University, the Kansas Beginning Farmers Coalition, Kansas Farmers Union, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
More information, including online registration on both the half-day and full-day trainings, is available at www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/produce/, or by contacting Jamerson at agri@ksu.edu or 913-307-7394; or Londa Nwadike at lnwadike@ksu.edu or 913-307-7391.
Please share this information on the upcoming workshops with any fruit and vegetable growers you know who might be interested.