NMSU Extension offers online produce safety training June 29-30

DATE: 06/11/2020
WRITER: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu
CONTACT: Janet Witte, 575-639-6910, jswitte@nmsu.edu

Harvesting of vegetables and fruits is beginning. Soon fresh produce will be available at growers’ markets.

In preparation for providing for this season’s harvest and sales, a food safety practices course is available to growers to meet the regulatory requirements included in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule.

New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture are offering the training online from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30.

“We are excited to offer New Mexico’s third remote delivery of the Produce Safety Alliance’s growers training,” said Bob Silver with the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center. “This training is intended for New Mexico fruit and vegetable producers and importers who grow, harvest, pack or hold produce and fruit that is usually consumed raw, and who sell more than $25,000 per year.”

The Produce Safety Rule requires at least one supervisor or person responsible for the farm to have successfully completed food safety training in accordance with the annual monetary value of produce the farm sold during the previous three years.

Participants who complete the course receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials that verifies they have completed the training. The certificate is also useful for meeting buyer requirements for food safety.

“Attendance at the training the whole eight hours is mandatory and if someone does not attend all the sessions, they will not be given a certificate or refund,” Silver said.

NMDA is covering the cost of the manual that will be mailed directly to the participant prior to the video training. The manual is a useful reference for farm safety practices and to develop a farm safety plan.

Registration closes at noon on June 22 to allow for postal delivery of the manuals. The link and password for the webinar will be provided upon registration. Registration fee for New Mexico residents is $45 and $90 for out of state growers. To register, visit https://aces.nmsu.edu/preparedness/psa-training.html.

“Participants will need internet access, webcam and microphone for the session,” Silver said.

For details on the Zoom requirements and instructions, visit https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/training/zoom/.

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