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AUGUSTA — Produce growers in Maine who want to learn more about produce safety and FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule may take part in training sessions scheduled for April.
The FDA-approved training covers fundamentals of produce safety, how to apply produce safety principles in a farm context and what the Produce Safety Rule requires. The sessions will cover best practices and basic requirements, and share resources that can be used on the farm, so farmers can feel confident they are protecting their farm and the health of customers.
The PSA Grower Training is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule training requirement: “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.”
The cost is $25 an attendee. To register contact Theresa Tilton at theresa.tilton@maine.edu or 207-942-7396 or register online.
All farms that are fully covered under the Produce Safety Rule will need to comply with this training requirement. Those who are not sure if their farm is fully covered or eligible for exemmptions should call Leah Cook at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, 207-764-2100.
Training Topics Include:
* Introduction to Produce Safety
* 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
There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.
After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive an AFDO certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to their trainer at the end of the course.
Upcoming training dates are:
Dpver-Foxcroft: 9 a.m.-6 P.M. Friday, March 29, Congregational Church, 824 West Main St. Registration closes March 22. Limit: 28 attendees.
Farmington: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, April 5 (Snow date April 19), UMaine Farmington–Olson Memorial Student Center, 111 South St., Registration closes March 29. Limit: 28 attendees.
These may be the last training sessions offered by UMaine Cooperative Extension that meet FSMA requirements until next fall.
Produce growers due for their compliance inspection this summer should plan on attending a PSA Grower Training before to their compliance inspections which will begin in June.
