MSU Extension Agrifood Safety

Check out these six Twilight Highlight Workshops below!

Our team of specialists from SCRUB (Sanitizing and Cleaning Resources for your Business) is available to help you overcome a post-harvest bottleneck, or improve your wash/pack!

Our team is offering a series of "Twilight Highlight Workshops” help farmers as they plan and implement projects to address one of six specific wash/pack topics listed below. Space is limited to 15 farms for each topic.

To indicate your interest in participating please complete this short form!

Please sign up by August 16th.

Farms that sign up for individual assistance with their projects will be asked to take part in a virtual-workshop with other growers working on the same topic, where challenges, plans and resources are discussed as a group. As a participant, you will:

• Complete a draft project improvement plan (a template will be provided to guide this process)
• Attend and actively participant in the workshop
• Implement the revised project improvement plan on your farm
• Document your results with photos and a brief description of what you did and share with workshop leads

SCRUB Twilight Highlight Workshop Schedule

All virtual workshops are held live on Wednesday evenings, 6:00pm – 8:30pm, and will also be edited and posted for future viewing.

September 1st, 2021 – Bin Blitz--Experienced growers and UVMs Ag Engineering present new strategies and cleaning tools to increase the efficiency and efficacy of bin cleaning, sanitation and management practices. Lead growers show and tell their bin systems, with lessons learned. Participants leave with a plan to improve/ implement new practices.

September 8th, 2021 – Low Cost and High Value--Evaluate low-cost (either money or time) improvements that make a big difference. Experience growers show and tell the thrifty improvements they made and summarize lessons learned, including trade-offs of spending money (or not) to lower risks and increase efficiency.

September 15th 2021 – Wash/Pack Floors--Learn to improve or repair a concrete floor so that it is smooth and easy to clean. This workshop highlights concrete repair, cleaning and sanitation techniques, water management, products and resources, as well as show and tell from experienced growers, and Chris Callahan (UVM’s Engineering)

September 22nd, 2021 – Wash Water Management--Experienced growers and facilitators dig into the fundamentals of managing produce wash water, including show and tell with lessons learned about wash water management, use and monitoring of sanitizers. All participants leave with a plan to improve/ implement new practice

September 29th, 2021 – Tools for Employee Management and Empowerment--Develop management strategies/systems to retain and empower high-value workers, while improving crew morale and culture.. Learn from experienced managers of loyal and reliable crews, the pros and cons of their current management systems, and how they came to be. Participants leave with resources and a plan to improve/ implement one or more new practices or strategies.

October 6th, 2021 – Bubblers/Aerators for Greens Washing--For growers wanting to install or improve a greens bubbler/aerator. Get feedback from growers who built / improved their own systems. Examine designs and DYI resources, as well as perceived quality and efficiency gains from bubblers as compared to other washing methods.