On December 8^th there will be two webinars related to on-farm food safety.  The first is part of our Lunchtime On-the-Go On-Farm Food Safety Webinar Series.

Using Sanitizers in a Postharvest Setting: Selecting a Sanitizer and Understanding its Label

Presented by: Donna Clements, Produce Safety Alliance Coordinator and NE Regional Extension Associate, Food Science Cornell AgriTech from 12:00-1:00. This series is Free! Connect with computer, the mobile app, or by calling in! You will get the link to sign on or call in a few days before the event.

Growers are taught “the label is the law” but finding the right information and understanding what the language means can be difficult. This webinar will make understanding and following the label instructions more manageable in the postharvest setting and discuss the FSMA Postharvest water compliance requirements and timeframes.

At the end of the webinar participants will understand:

• • EPA labeling, what to look for and what it means
  • Ideal chemistries for use in surface sanitation and postharvest water
  • Best practices for sanitizing surfaces and postharvest water
  • Management of postharvest sanitation systems
  • FSMA Postharvest water compliance dates

To sign up or for more information go to: Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Programs Deadline to register is December 5, 2022

Agricultural Water “Risky to You?”

The second webinar scheduled from 3:00-5:30 is a continuation of the prior webinar on agricultural water and will feature Dr. Don Schaffner from Rutgers University. He will explain what attributes of a water testing program need to be included if it is to be risk based. The webinar will consist of a one-hour presentation followed by 30 min of interactive Q&A.

Registration link 👉 https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GKkO7INqSUGnhPVCdAZX_Q

We mentioned a new program from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to off set some expenses to help an operation prepare for food safety requirements earlier this year.  The “Food Safety Certification For Specialty Crops (FSCSC)” will cost share expenses for:

• Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification.
• Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan.
• Food safety certification.
• Certification upload fees.
• Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water.
• Training.

The FSCSC application period for 2022 is June 27, 2022, through January 31, 2023, and the application period for 2023 will be announced at a later date. FSA will issue payments at the time of application approval for 2022 and after the application period ends for 2023. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated.

Interested specialty crop producers can apply by completing the FSA-888, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) application. All documents and additional information can be downloaded at farmers.gov/food-safety.  The application, along with other required documents, can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. Producers can visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find their local FSA office. Specialty crop producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to assist.

Farm Storage Facility Loans

A second program that has been available for several years is the farm storage loan program.  This covers cold storage construction along with equipment in a packing operations such as baggers, brush polishers, bulk bin tippers, cement flooring, circulation fans, dip tanks, conveyors, graders, refrigeration units, sizers, sorting bins and tables, trucks, washers, waxers, etc.  A grower may borrow up to $500,000 for up to 12 years.  If an operation needs to make major changes in a packinghouse or needs a refrigerated truck this program is worth considering.  Contact the FSA office listed above.

 RAM-AMS Harmonized GAP Assistance Program

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) have covered the cost of voluntary USDA Harmonized GAP and Harmonized Plus audits over several years.  This program ended with the announcement of the new FSCSC program.  If you have used the RMA program to cover your audit, seriously consider applying for the new program.  The advantage of the new program is it covers many things which RMA did not cover.

November 17, 2022, 12-1 PM EST Free Webinar

Growers who attend this food safety trainings will leave with a ton of information to help teach their employees. This will help make the task more manageable with practice tips.  The webinar will be given  by Phil Tocco, Extension Educator at Michigan State University Extension.

At the end of the webinar participants will:

• Understand how to verify training is working.
• Discern what training is required for different employees.
• Develop a process for training folks on your farm.

For more information on this free webinar or to sign up:  Go to: https://go.rutgers.edu/8bgart4a

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a new program to offset some expenses related to preparing for the food safety requirements.  The “Food Safety Certification For Specialty Crops” (FSCSC) will cost share expenses for:

• Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification.
• Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan.
• Food safety certification.
• Certification upload fees.
• Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water.
• Training.

The FSCSC application period for 2022 is June 27, 2022, through January 31, 2023, and the application period for 2023 will be announced at a later date. Farm Service Agency will issue payments at the time of application approval for 2022 and after the application period ends for 2023. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated.

Interested specialty crop producers can apply by completing the FSA-888, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) application. The application, along with other required documents, can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. Producers can visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find their local FSA office. Specialty crop producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to assist.

Farm Storage Facility Loans

A second program that has been available for several years is the farm storage loan program.  This covers cold storage construction along with equipment in a packing operations such as baggers, brush polishers, bulk bin tippers, cement flooring, circulation fans, dip tanks, conveyors, graders, refrigeration units, sizers, sorting bins and tables, trucks, washers, waxers, etc.  A grower may borrow up to $500,000 for up to 12 years.  If an operation needs to make major changes in a packinghouse or needs a refrigerated truck this program is worth considering.  Contact your local FSA office for details.

 RAM-AMS Harmonized GAP Assistance Program

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) covers the cost of voluntary USDA Harmonized GAP and Harmonized Plus audits.  This is only available for growers, producer cooperatives and food hubs.  Once the audit is completed USDA will generate a bill to the auditee which summarizes the cost and then show a credit for the same amount.  The funds will cover 100% of the audit fees.  These funds are available for 2022 which may be the last year of availability.