Training Opportunities & On-Farm Readiness Reviews
We partner with the University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension program to offer both classroom and on-farm training opportunities related to produce safety. These educational opportunities help farmers understand and comply with regulations and best practices for food safety.
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule Grower Trainings
Our FSMA Produce Safety Rule Grower Training courses provide in-depth information about the requirements of the federal Produce Safety Rule.
Training Dates and Locations
More information to come.
Who should participate?
This training is for produce growers, including workers or farm representatives, who are excluded, qualify for an exemption, or subject to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. It's also helpful for anyone wanting to learn about produce safety, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and FSMA regulations.
Note: Virtual courses are currently available only for Minnesota residents. If you’re from outside Minnesota, email us your name and address to get notified if space becomes available.
Why participate?
Protect and grow: Strong food safety practices can help protect your business, help meet market requirements such as a GAP audit, and help keep our local foods safe and healthy.
Meet a regulatory requirement: If your farm is not excluded or exempt from the Produce Safety Rule, at least one supervisor or responsible party from your farm must complete a training that uses FDA-recognized curriculum or equivalent. This course meets those requirements. Contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Produce Safety Program to learn if your farm is covered by the Rule.
Receive additional consideration for future funding opportunities: The Produce Safety Program offers mini-grant opportunities. Completion of a Produce Safety Rule Grower Training is one way to receive additional consideration during the selection process.
What to Expect
Key topics include:
- FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements
- Potential sources of contamination on the farm
- Water management and testing
- Worker hygiene
- Biological soil amendments
- Risk reducing practices and how to implement them
- Answers to your questions about the rule
Trainers include MDA staff, UMN Extension staff, and experienced fruit and vegetable growers.
Registration and Requirements
Register: Visit the online registration portal
Cost: $26.50. (Note this is a subsidized cost and will likely rise in following years)
Registration includes: Training materials (mailed before virtual training), a certificate of course attendance, and lunch for in-person trainings.
Requirements for virtual courses: Individuals must have a web-cam, two-way audio (speakers & microphone), reliable internet, and will be required to have the web-cam on during the full course of the training. This is to verify participant's presence and participation.
Certificate: Participation for the entire training is required to receive the certificate.
On-Farm Readiness Reviews
Farmers who have participated in a Produce Safety Rule Grower Training are eligible to request an On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR). This free, voluntary service provides a walk-through of your farm with staff from the MDA Produce Safety Program and the UMN Extension educators. Together they'll discuss how the Produce Safety Rule applies to your operation.
What is an On-Farm Readiness Review?
An On-Farm Readiness Review is a free, voluntary visit to your farm where experts from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension will talk with you about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. During this visit, they’ll walk around your farm with you, look at your farming practices before, during, and after harvest, and help you figure out what’s working well and where you can improve food safety on your farm. It’s a chance to get one-on-one advice to make sure your farm meets food safety standards.
How is an On-Farm Readiness Review different from an audit or regulatory inspection?
An On-Farm Readiness Review is not an inspection, audit or any type of regulatory evaluation. It’s a helpful visit to support you, not to check if you’re following regulations. During the visit, experts will look at your farm to see where you can improve produce safety and help you get ready for a FSMA Produce Safety Rule inspection (if needed). All notes taken by the reviewers will be left with the farm at the end of the visit.
How do I sign-up for an On-Farm Readiness Review?
To be eligible for an On-Farm Readiness Review, someone from your farm must have attended a Produce Safety Rule Grower Training. After you’ve completed a course, contact the Produce Safety Program at 651-539-3648 or email producesafety.mda@state.mn.us to sign-up. Staff will follow up with you to schedule your OFRR.
If my farm is not covered under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule can I still request an On-Farm Readiness Review?
Farms may request an On-Farm Readiness Review regardless of whether they are covered, qualified exempt, or excluded under the Rule, however, priority will be given to those farms covered under the Rule since they are subject to inspection. Others are welcome to request an OFRR and we will fill these requests as scheduling permits.
For answers to more frequently asked questions or to help us spread the word, check out What to Expect During an On-Farm Readiness Review.
These events are sponsored and planned for you by:
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- University of Minnesota Extension
- Minnesota Farmers Union
- Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association
- Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
Funding for these events was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137 and United States Department of Agriculture through a Specialty Crop Block Grant. The views expressed in written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of 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.
