JACKSON, Mich. — Did you know that there is a provision within the FSMA Produce Safety Rule that requires growers to attend an officially registered training program to learn about the FSMA Produce Safety laws? Whether you know all about the Produce Safety Rule (PSR), or are unsure if the rule applies to your farm, attending a Produce Safety Training program is a smart move!
Attending a Produce Safety training is also easy! The 2021-2022 training schedule consists of seven remote delivery (online) trainings and three in-person trainings from now until April 2022. Whether a grower attends “in person” or “remotely” they will enjoy practical and interactive instruction about the Produce Safety Rule provided by MSU Extension Educators and Conservation District Produce Safety Technicians.
These FSMA Produce Safety trainings are designed to explain the “shoulds and musts” within the Produce Safety Rule – which will help growers understand the requirements and work towards compliance with the rule. Growers who attend a full Produce Safety Training are eligible to receive a certificate of course completion, which verifies that they have satisfied the federal training requirement.
Typical Daylong Course Schedule (Eastern Time):
8:00 a.m. Registration & Orientation
8:30 a.m. Training Begins
12ish p.m. Lunch Break
4:30 p.m. Course evaluation & Application for certificate
The following required modules will be included in the training course:
- Introduction to Produce Safety
- Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
- Soil Amendments
- Wildlife, Domestic Animals, & Land Use
- Agricultural Water (Pre-Harvest and Post-Harvest)
- Post-harvest Handling and Sanitation
- How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: At least one representative from each farm must complete a FSMA Produce Safety Training. This PSA Grower Training Course satisfies the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in §112.22(c), which requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed a food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’
COST: The cost to attend a Produce Safety Training is $50 for Michigan Residents and $85 for Non-Michigan Residents. The course fee is payable via credit card during registration.
Funding Statement: **Funding for this program was made possible by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.
WHEN/WHERE: Choose from one of the following training dates:
In Person Trainings:
December 6th, 2021 (Mask Required)
Grand Rapids, Michigan
January 11th, 2022 (Mask Required)
Lansing, Michigan
February 1, 2022 (Mask Required)
Detroit, Michigan
Remote Delivery Trainings (via Zoom):
November 16th, 2021
January 25th, 2022
February 15th, 2022
March 8th, 2022
March 22nd, 2022
April 12th, 2022
April 26th, 2022
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
Pre-registration is required at least two weeks in advance of the course date to ensure participants receive their training manual in time. It is best to register early, as a limited number of classes are available and each class is limited to a maximum of 20 attendees. Those growers who earn the certificate of course completion will receive it about a month after the training after all course paperwork has been submitted and reviewed. Participants must attend all seven modules to earn a certificate.
To register, please click your preferred training date at the following link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/agrifood_safety/psa-training
— Michigan State University Extension