Good agricultural practices: Farm food safety training held in Sioux Falls Feb. 24

BROOKINGS - A training in farm food safety will be held in Sioux Falls on Feb. 24 for fruit and vegetable growers at the SDSU Extension Regional Center (2001 E 8th St.).

Training begins at 8:30 a.m. and will run until 4 p.m. Preregister by Feb. 20 - registration details below.

"Much of the training will focus on creating farm food safety plans, focusing on potential food safety risks ranging from watering practices, animal contact, people, and equipment," said Rhoda Burrows, professor and SDSU Extension horticulture specialist.

Attendees will have the opportunity to map their own farm's features and assess their own operations for potential risks and scale-appropriate best practices.

Both digital and hard-copy plan templates will be available; attendees may bring their laptops to input data directly or they can simply make notes on handouts.

Topics covered will include the latest rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and determining if or when those rules will apply to a given operation.

The latest research-based recommendations for reducing risks from the field to the market will be presented, as well as information sources, templates, and other tools for optimizing production and post-harvest handling practices.

Register by Feb. 20

Space is limited. The registration deadline is Feb. 20.

The registration fee for this training is $25 and will cover materials, lunch and coffee breaks. The fee increases to $35 after deadline, and is subject to availability.

Support from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Block Grant, and the United States Food and Drug Administration allows SDSU Extension to keep the cost for participants at a minimum.

For registration information, contact Burrows at [email protected] or 605-394-2236.