All interested parties are invited to register for a free webinar series starting this week about best food safety practices for agricultural neighbors. Hosted by the California Farm Bureau Federation in partnership with Monterey County Farm Bureau and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the webinars include:
- Reservoirs of E. coli O157:H7 and other STEC – 1–2:30 p.m. (PDT) June 30 – Details & Registration: https://cfbf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p3GFEq5dQ5SIL2VSXTBc6A
- Off-farm factors that may affect STEC movement on the landscape – 9–10:30 a.m. (PDT) July 7 – Details & Registration: https://cfbf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_l1lsNiWTQAaXURGmkfioxw
- On-farm factors that may affect STEC survival and contact with produce – 9–11 a.m. (PDT) July 14 – Details & Registration: https://cfbf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qaVf0oSzRyGCC5IDMFrtTg
This webinar series is related to the California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) group release of its interim report, “California Agricultural Neighbors: Neighbor-to-neighbor best practices to help enhance localized food safety efforts.” CAN membership includes representation from the agricultural production community (leafy greens, cattle ranching, viticulture, compost), academia, associations (industry, consumer/retail) and government (local, state, federal). CAN was formed in response to continued outbreaks of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 associated with leafy greens in California’s Salinas Valley. CAN provides a roundtable forum to foster collaboration and discuss enhanced neighborly food safety practices when agriculture operations are adjacent to one another.
Click here to read a CDFA Planting Seeds blog post with more details about CAN and the webinar series.