BROOKINGS, S.D. — SDSU Extension will host a farm food safety training in Rapid City April 8, 2017 for fruit and vegetable growers.
The training will be held at the West River Agricultural Center (1905 Plaza Boulevard) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (MT).
“Creating farm food safety plans will be the primary focus of the training,” said Rhoda Burrows, Professor & SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist.
Burrows explained that the training will discuss potential food safety risks – ranging from watering practices, animal contact, people and equipment.
“Attendees will have the opportunity to map their own farm’s features and assess their own operations for potential risks and scale-appropriate best practices,” Burrows said.
Both digital and hard-copy plan templates will be available. Attendees may bring their laptops to input data directly or can simply take notes on handouts.
More details
Topics covered during this one-day workshop will include:
1. The latest rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and determining if or when those rules will apply to a given operation.
2. Current research-based recommendations for reducing risks from the field to the market will be presented, as well as information sources, templates and other tools for optimizing production and post-harvest handling practices.
3. An update on the South Dakota Department of Agriculture specialty crop programs will also be presented.
Register by April 5, 2017
Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. To cover costs, there is a registration fee of $35 per person. This fee covers materials, lunch and coffee breaks. After April 5, the registration fee increases to $45 per person.
To register, send a check made out to SDSPA to Pat Garrity, SDSPA Treasurer, at 1505 Jo Lane, Yankton, SD 57078, along with the attendee(s) name, company name, address, phone, and email.
For more information about the training, contact Burrows at rhoda.burrows@sdstate.edu or 605-394-2236.
— SDSU Extension
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