In-Person Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Scheduled for June

SALEM, Ore. — It’s been some time since we have offered an in-person Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training!

Join us Wednesday, June 14th in Corvallis, Oregon for a one-day in-person training. Registration fee for this course is $35. Participants will receive materials, lunch, and certificate of completion.

Upcoming Courses

June 14 IN-PERSON

Click on the date to register.

In-Person Course Requirements

Our in-person course will be held in Corvallis, Oregon, and is open to all Oregon growers. This will be a full-day of instruction and participants are expected to be present for all modules during the day.

Through participation in this class, ODA is also able to offer 3 core pesticide recertification credits for participants if they are a licensed pesticide applicator in the state of Oregon.

Each class is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are interested in attending a course, please register soon. If a class becomes full, please join the waitlist to be notified of openings or future course offerings.

Participant attendance and engagement will be monitored regularly by instructors. In order to successfully complete the training, which is required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, and to receive the certificate of completion for the course, participants must be actively engaged and in attendance for all modules.

Who should attend?

Produce growers, buyers, and anyone interested in learning about:

Best food safety practices for growing, harvesting, handling, and packing produce
Key requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule
Foundations of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)
Co-management of natural resources and food safety

Even if your farm or operation isn’t covered by the rule (use our online tool to check here) this low-cost, up-to-the-minute training is a great opportunity for anyone growing, harvesting, handling or packing covered produce.

What to expect

Trainers will spend the course time covering information from the following modules:

Introduction to produce safety
Worker health, hygiene, and training
Soil amendments
Wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use
Agricultural water testing and analysis
Post-harvest handling and sanitation
How to develop a farm food safety plan

Benefits of attending

In addition to the certificate of completion ($35 value) and the Grower Training Manual ($50 value), individuals who participate in a certified PSA Grower Training course are expected to gain a basic understanding of:

- Microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm
- How to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks, and how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm
- Components of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one
- Requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to align your operation with them