To make educational materials more relevant to fruit and vegetable growers and packers, the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) and personnel from the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) at the University of Vermont would like to understand the costs of and the barriers to beginning or expanding food safety practices on farms and in packinghouses. The groups have developed a survey to collect food safety information from fruit and vegetable growers across the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced its new Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program, which will provide financial assistance to specialty crops producers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses while pursuing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023.
The closures of restaurants, hotels, and schools have left growers with heaps of fresh produce without a destination. With crops often grown exclusively for the foodservice industry, growers who produce crops with a large percentage of production destined for this vital market segment are faced with incredible challenges amidst COVID-19 closures.
