BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is hosting a free food safety course for the state’s local food producers. The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course will be hosted March 3, 2022, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Baymont Inn & Suites in Mandan to coincide with the annual Local Foods & Pride of Dakota Conference, March 4-5, 2022.
“Fruit and vegetable growers interested in learning about produce safety and developing an on-farm food safety plan should attend,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “Attending the session will satisfy the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule requirement that requires at least one supervisor or responsible party on a farm to complete food safety training recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.”
The grower training course was developed after the Produce Safety Alliance was asked to develop standardized national produce safety training for fresh produce growers that meets both the requirements of FSMA and FDA rules. Producers that complete the course will receive a certificate of completion through the Association of Food and Drug Officials.
Topics to be covered include:
- Worker health, hygiene and training
- Soil amendments
- Wildlife, domesticated animals and land use
- Agricultural water
- Postharvest handling and sanitation
More information on FSMA training may be found at https://www.nd.gov/ndda/psr. Producers interested in participating may register at https://forms.office.com/g/NFBuCgZ7LF. Additional information about the Local Foods & Pride of Dakota Conference may be found at https://www.nd.gov/ndda/2022-local-foods-pride-dakota-conference.
For further questions about either the training session or the Local Foods & Pride of Dakota Conference, please contact Kristine Kostuck, local foods marketing specialist, at 701-328-2659 or krkostuck@nd.gov.