Michigan State University Extension offers training specifically for supervisors in charge of on-farm produce safety

Phillip Tocco, Michigan State University Extension - May 16, 2023

Michigan State University Extension continues to offer a training opportunity designed specifically for farm supervisors who deal with on-farm produce safety.

Field workers pick yellow squash and place them in green buckets.

This online training provides education and resources regarding the requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule as well as a resource for supervisors seeking annual produce safety re-training. The course is self-paced and requires a time commitment of 4 hours over the span of three weeks.

At the end of the course, on-farm produce safety supervisors can expect to have a better understanding of the basic requirements under FSMA that fall within their job responsibilities. They will also be better equipped to identify food safety risks in their daily work, and they will leave the course with actionable plans for better skill-based employee trainings and emergency response measures for their farm. All participants will receive a certificate of course completion for finishing all assignments and quizzes. Those achieving 90% or higher on quizzes and assignments will receive a certificate of mastery.

The course is available through Michigan State University’s Desire to Learn (D2L) online learning platform and includes two weeks of short lessons on relevant produce safety topics and one additional week to submit quizzes and assignments.

The course is comprised of nine modules that relate to Good Agricultural Practices and regulations within the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.

Course modules

Module 1. The Basics
Module 2. Keeping Things Clean
Module 3. Hygienic Design
Module 4. Worker Training Soft Skills
Module 5. Wildlife Scouting
Module 6. Worker Re-training
Module 7. Water
Module 8. On-Farm Composting
Module 9. Record Keeping

Who should attend

Farm supervisors in charge of on-farm produce safety and/or worker training are invited to attend. The class is limited to a maximum of 15 attendees. Registration for each course closes one week before the course starts.

Cost

The cost for this training is $100.

When/where

This course is available online through Michigan State University. Preregistration is required!

Please click one of the dates below to register.

For more information about the course or to check back about future dates, please visit the Online Produce Safety Supervisor Training website.

This presentation is not and was not intended to fulfill requirement §112.22 (c). Though these learnings supplement an individual’s understanding of food safety and the Produce Safety Rule, individuals that must meet §112.22 (c) are strongly encouraged to take either the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training or equivalent.

Funding for this program was made possible by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect the official policies if the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).