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OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES
February 6, 2021 - 6:07pm -- uhlenbrock.9@osu.edu

The Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Clermont County OSU Extension Office are announcing a Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training to be held on 3/4/2021 at the OSU Extension Clermont County Office, 1000 Locust St, Owensville, OH 45160.

The training will be one day starting at 9AM. There is no cost for Ohio produce growers. There will be an hour allotted for lunch; however, it’s not provided due to grant funding restrictions. We are required to wear masks and follow the Governor’s COVID requirements. Course is limited to 9 registered participants in the room per training. A mask can be provided if you don’t have one.

The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) which states ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’

The course will cover basic produce safety; worker health, hygiene, and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use; agricultural water (both production and postharvest); postharvest handling and sanitation; and developing a farm food safety plan. As a participant you can 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; how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm; parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one; and requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

To receive a completion certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to their trainer at the end of the course.

Registration closes one week before each training date. To register for a course, contact me at (614)600-4272. Please leave name, mailing address and a phone number contact in the voicemail. We will contact you to confirm your registration.