June 13, 2014 and

Audit Ready:
On-Farm Food Safety Lessons Learned Series

If you have written your food safety plan and are preparing for a third party audit, the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team offers farm “walk-throughs” to help evaluate your written plan and compliance activities. Over many years of performing walk-throughs, we’ve found some common situations that can foil the goal of making it through the audit process on the first go-round. Take a moment to make sure you’ve handled these areas that have tripped-up fellow NJ growers.

Know the Contents of Your Food Safety Manual

If a grower hires someone to write his or her food safety manual, the grower must know what is in the manual and adhere to the contents! There have been instances when the auditors came to do the audit, that it was obvious the grower did not know what was in their own farm food safety manual.

Food-Safety-Manual

Know Your Manual

  • Sit down with the person developing the manual to make sure there is agreement about what to put in the manual.
  • Once the manual has been developed, review each section to clarify and make necessary changes for the final version.

Remember, auditors use the grower’s food safety manual as the basis for the audit. If the grower does not know and understand the contents of their manual, they won’t be able to answer the auditors’ questions.

Have an On-Farm Food Safety question concerning your commercial NJ farm? Email us.

Filed Under: Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
June 3, 2014 and

Why On-Farm Food Safety Will Not Go Away

racoon-tracks-on-plastic

Racoon Tracks on Black Plastic

Cumberland County Ag Agent Dr. Wesley Kline, has been educating farmers statewide about on-farm food safety for over ten years. Most people don’t know that Wes chose this focus not because of a passionate interest in it, but because farmers asked him to do it and he agreed that it represented an important issue confronting growers.

The introduction of third party audits began the need for food safety education on New Jersey farms. Educational demands continue due to increasing produce buyer requirements and establishment of the federal government Food Safety Modernization Act. Meredith Melendez, Senior Program Coordinator of Mercer County and Wes Kline, make up the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team. We are supported by Chris Kleinguenther of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

We expect to hold 8 to 10 training workshops this coming winter focusing on four tracks:
1) Preparing for a third party audit
2) General food safety training
3) Preparing for the Food Safety Modernization Acts Produce Rule
4) Advanced food safety

Here is a brief overview of food safety related programming offered by the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Program.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Food Safety
April 3, 2014

Farm Storage Facility Loans & Food Safety Equipment

The USDA has expanded the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, giving growers the opportunity to purchase equipment to enhance food safety. Visit your FSA county office to learn more.

Farm Storage and Facility Loans security requirements have been eased for loans between $50,000 and $100,000. Previously, all loans in excess of $50,000 required a promissory note and additional security, such as a lien on real estate. Now loans up to $100,000 can be secured by only a promissory note.

The low-interest funds can be used to build or upgrade permanent facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include grains, oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, hay, honey, renewable biomass commodities, fruits and vegetables. Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables.
http://goo.gl/o0OYEI

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety
March 11, 2014 and

2014 Food Safety Workshops

There are two remaining farm food safety workshops scheduled for the 2014 growing season.

Wednesday March 19, 9:00 – 4:00
Introduction to Food Safety and Third Party Audits
Rutgers Snyder Research Farm, Pittstown
$40.00 includes materials and lunch
RSVP with 3/19/14 registration form

Wednesday March 26, 9:00 – 4:00
GAPs and Farm Food Safety Writing Workshop
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County
$40.00 includes materials and lunch
RSVP with 3/26/14 registration form

Filed Under: Food Safety, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops
November 18, 2013 and

FSMA Comment Period Extended to November 22

The comment period for both the Produce Safety Rule and the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule has been extended until November 22, 2013.  To review these rules and to comment please click on their titles above.

Filed Under: Food Safety, Vegetable Crops
October 31, 2013

Marketing for Profit: Tools for Success

This webinar series for farmers and educators is supported by USDA NE SARE and runs November 2013 through February 2014.

Designed with the assistance of regional and national marketing experts to provide critical marketing insights for farmers and farm markets throughout the northeast, the webinars are free, approximately an hour and a half long, and easy to access with a basic internet connection. This winter, 6 webinars will be held and interested participants are encouraged to register.
For more information and to register go to:
http://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/ work-shop-programs/online-marketing-for-profit-course.html?massmail=122

Sponsors: The Farmers Market Federation of NY and the NY Farm Viability Institute in partnership with USDA Northeast SARE

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates