Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training - Remote (Out of State)

April 8th-10th, daily from 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm EST

*PLEASE NOTE: This listing is only for participants who are affiliated with a farm or institution OUTSIDE the state of Florida.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this training is being offered temporarily via remote delivery. In order to participate, individuals must have video and audio capability, and will be required to have both operating during the entire training.

It is a Produce Safety Alliance requirement that participants are monitored in order to verify participants’ attendance and engagement. Participants will only be eligible for the PSA/AFDO Certificate of Course Completion if they are present for all modules of the course. The training will take place via Zoom, which does not require special software. Zoom does have system requirements, which can be found here: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-Requirements-for-PC-Mac-and-Linux Please make sure that your system meets the requirements for Zoom meetings.

There is limited space available.

*** IMPORTANT NOTES FOR REGISTRATION ***

The Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Manual v1.2 will be mailed to registrants prior to the training – please be sure that the shipping address you provide at the time of registration is current (especially if working from home or remotely) and capable of receiving packages. Please use an email address where you can be reached, as evaluations and a Zoom link for the training will be sent in a confirmation email prior to the training date.

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 are encouraged to attend. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The course will include remote delivery over three days. Each day, trainers will spend approximately three hours of instruction time 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.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

The course will provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management information, FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and details on how to develop a farm food safety plan.

After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course.

REGISTRATION

**Please note: NO substitutions, transfers, or refunds will be issued after registration closes.

The fee for the training is $150 for participants affiliated with a farm or institution outside the state of Florida.

Registration is limited. For general registration questions, contact Sarah McCoy at [email protected]. For questions about the training, contact Clara Diekman at [email protected].

Registration includes the training and a certificate of course attendance issued by AFDO.

Participation for the entire training is required for the certificate. Attendance will be taken before the beginning of each module to ensure attendance of each module.

An Equal Opportunity Institution. The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. For disability accommodations such as sign language interpreters, listening devices, and alternate forms of written material, please contact the event organizers at least 1 week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

Host or Publisher UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department and the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center