Educational course available for fruit and vegetable growers

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Fruit and vegetable growers interested in learning more about produce safety can do so at the upcoming Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course.

Slated May 16, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center on the Oklahoma State University Campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the PSA Grower Training Course also will focus on the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices, co-management of natural resources and food safety.

Lynn Brandenberger, food crops professor in OSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, said trainers will cover seven modules during the training, including introduction to produce safety; worker health, hygiene and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals and land use; agricultural water; postharvest handling and sanitation; and how to develop a farm food safety plan.

“This course will provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices and co-management information,” Brandenberger said. “Attendees can expect to gain a basic understanding of microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they’re found on the farm. They’ll also learn how to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce them and how to begin implementing produce safety practices on their farm. In addition, the trainers will provide information on the requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them.”

Registration is $25 and includes lunch, snacks and class materials. Those interested in attending may register at https://apps.dasnr.okstate.edu/fapc.okstate.edu/psa-grower-training-course or by calling Karen Smith at 405-744-6277. After completing the course, participants will receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials verifying completed training.

“The PSA Grower Training Course is a great way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement, which requires at least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm to have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration,” Brandenberger said.