Registration is open for six Good Agricultural Practice workshops that will be offered this spring, said Angela Shaw, a food safety specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
GAP workshops will be offered in Lewis on Feb. 12 (Level 1) and Feb. 20 (Level 2), in Spencer on Feb. 17 (Level 1) and Feb. 24 (Level 2), and in Cedar Rapids on March 2 (Level 1) and March 24 (Level 2).
The fee is $25 per workshop with discounts for farms and multiple level participation. Participants will receive a certificate of completion following the program. Register online at http://bit.ly/IOWAGAP. For more information, please contact Shaw at 515-294-0868 or angelaml@iastate.edu.
Level 1 training is for growers who provide food to consumers through community-supported agriculture or farmers’ markets, or are considering retail foodservice sales. Training covers good agriculture best practices and market considerations.
Level 2 workshops guide farmers in the development of a written farm food safety plan. Farmers considering sales to retail foodservices such as grocers, restaurants, hospitals and other institutions, and those interested in adding value to fresh produce and selling products in a convenience form will have the tools to demonstrate GAPs are in place after attending the workshop. Farmers then can offer food safety assurances to buyers, Shaw said.
ISU Extension and Outreach faculty and specialists instructing the workshops include Angela Shaw, food safety; Catherine Strohbehn, food safety and local foods systems; and Linda Naeve, value added agriculure. The workshops are funded through a grant from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Services Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
Source:iastate.edu