Hey fruit and vegetable growers, are you FSMA certified?

If your farm grows produce for human consumption, FDA requires at least one staff member be trained in an FDA approved food safety training. (All staff handling produce should be trained on-farm in food safety procedures annually.)

What’s FSMA?

FSMA, the Food Safety Modernization Act, was passed to provide science-based guidance to producers, processors, manufacturers, and others involved in bringing consumable farm products to market on practices intended to reduce foodborne illnesses.

You can read an overview of FSMA here or dive into the full act here.

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 Remote Course

The trainers will spend approximately seven hours over two days of instruction covering content contained in these seven modules:

• 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

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.

About Remote Delivery

This training will be delivered entirely online through a web-based platform such as Zoom. A group of certified PSA trainers will be delivering the content live and will be able to respond to your questions in real time. To receive certification, you must be able to stay online with video on during the entire training. All participants will need:

• a functioning computer or mobile device with video and audio capabilities
• strong internet connectivity
• ability to log in, utilize video, audio, and engagement functions like chat boxes and polls