Rutgers University | New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station | Pesticide User Responsibility

January 28, 2025 , , and

FSMA PRODUCE SAFETY RULE GROWER TRAINING

February 6, 2025 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Pre-Registration Required Deadline to register online is Monday February 3

 New Jersey Vegetable Growers Convention at Harrah’s Waterfront, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ

 This training fulfills the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that at least one person from each farm needs to receive a standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA.

Topics Include:

  • Introduction to Produce Safety
  • Worker Health, Hygiene & Training
  • Soil Amendments
  • Wildlife, Domesticated Animals & Land Use
  • Agricultural Water – Production Water
  • Agricultural Water – Postharvest Water
  • Postharvest Handling & Sanitation
  • How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan

Each attendee will receive a grower manual and be eligible for a certificate from the Association of Food & Drug Officials of the United States (AFDO). Note: Each participant must stay the entire training to be eligible for the certificate of training.

The cost is $50/per person,

Registration is separate from the registration fee to the Vegetable Growers Convention.

*Participants must be registered with VGANJ for the convention to attend this workshop.

For more information, email Jennifer at jmatthews@njaes.rutgers.edu

(Lunch is on your own)

Register at:  https://onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu/fsmaac/

This training is partly funded through grants from the United States Department of Agriculture & the Food & Drug Administration.

Note:

Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training is available from the USDA Farm Service Agency. This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on the farm. For more information on this program please go to: Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops for Program Years 2024 and 2025

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, training, Tree Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
October 17, 2024 , and

Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training

This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on their farms.

For 2024:

  • Applications are due between July 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025
  • Eligible expenses must be between June 26, 2024 and December 31, 2024

For 2025:

  • Application is due between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026
  • Eligible expenses must be between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025

Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) by working directly with the Farm Service Agency offices at your local FSA office for details. Applications will be accepted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.

How the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program Works

The FSCSC program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in years 2024 and 2025. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements.  FSCSC will cover a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a percentage of their related expenses.

Program Eligibility

Eligibility requirements for FSCSC applicants are outlined below. We recommend you review these requirements before initiating your FSCSC application.

To be eligible for FSCSC, an applicant must:

Have obtained or renewed:

  • 2024 food safety certification issued between June 26, 2024, and December 31, 2024
  • 2025 food safety certification issued during calendar year 2025.
  • Be a specialty crop operation (growing fresh fruits and vegetables); and meet the definition of a small business or medium size business.
  • A small (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of not more than $500,000.
  • A medium (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
Category of Eligible Expenses Payment Amount of Eligible Costs
Developing a Food Safety Plan for First Time Certification ·                     75% (no maximum)
Maintaining or Updating a Food Safety Plan ·                     75% up to $675
Food Safety Certification ·                     75% up to $2,000
Certification Upload Fees ·                     75% up to $375
Microbiological Testing of Produce ·                     75% up to 5 tests
Microbiological Testing of Soil Amendments ·                     75% up to 5 tests
Microbiological Testing of Water ·                     75% up to 5 tests
Training Expenses ·                     100% up to $500

FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs based on the percentages and maximum payment amounts.  The FSCSC application and associated forms are available online at  farmers.gov/food-safety.

You are encouraged to contact the Farm Service Agency office about FSCSC, program eligibility, or the application process. You may also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to provide one-on-one assistance.

For our current trainings please go to: Our Trainings – Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, training, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,