Peace Garden News

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is organizing a training session for produce growers throughout the state. The event is set to take place on January 15, 2025, and will be conducted remotely.

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring emphasized the importance of this session: “Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety should attend.” He added that attending will fulfill the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement for having at least one supervisor or responsible party on a farm complete FDA-recognized food safety training.

The session is free for produce growers across the United States. However, non-produce growers will need to pay $100 for course materials after registration.

The topics covered in the session include an introduction to produce safety, worker health, hygiene and training, soil amendments, wildlife management, agricultural water use, postharvest handling and sanitation, as well as how to develop a farm food safety plan. Each topic will highlight key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements. Participants are encouraged to engage with questions and discussions during the full-day event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. A lunch break is scheduled for 30 minutes.

Interested parties can register by visiting https://forms.office.com/g/Ct33hhgg5z. For further inquiries regarding the session or FSMA Produce Safety Rule details, contact Katrina Hanenberg at 701-328-2307 or kmhanenberg@nd.gov.