Category: Announcements

UCANR Offers Reduced-Cost Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Courses for California Produce Growers and Handlers

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CDFA Produce Safety Program & University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources logos above text: UCANR Offers Reduced-Cost Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Courses for California Produce Growers and Handlers

Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Courses are available at a reduced cost for California produce growers and handlers through June 2026. These courses are provided by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) in sponsorship by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

Courses will be offered in a web-based, remote format over two consecutive days with live instructors to provide convenient accessibility for individuals located across California. The course registration fee is $10.00 for California residents. If you are a California resident, be sure to select the “California” registration option on the event registration page to receive the reduced registration cost.

To learn more and register for an upcoming course, please visit: ucsmallfarmfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/events/produce-safety-schedule-2025-2026.

Questions regarding the UCANR courses can be sent to Zann Gates and zgates@ucdavis.edu.

To learn more about the PSA Grower Training Course, please visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/growertraining/.

Additional produce safety resources are available on the UC Small Farm Food Safety website.

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule sets minimum food safety standards for the production of fresh fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts. The PSA Grower Training Course provides participants with information on the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to assist with the implementation of on-farm produce safety practices.

Completion of the PSA Grower Training Course fulfills the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement 21 CFR 112.22(c) that states “at least one supervisor or responsible party from your farm must have successfully completed food safety training equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.”

If you have questions about the Produce Safety Rule, please contact producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov. To stay up to date with news related to CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, sign up for the Produce Safety Program Mailing List by checking the Inspection Services Division (ISD) / Inspection and Compliance Branch / Produce Safety Program box. To learn more about CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/.

UCANR Hosts Free Monthly Produce Safety Webinars

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Image of various fruits and vegetables

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) is hosting a series of free monthly produce safety webinars August 19, 2025 – June 16, 2026. The lunchtime produce safety webinar series is noon to 2 p.m. Pacific Time on the third Tuesday of each month.

A guest speaker will join each webinar to provide a 1-1.5-hour presentation on food safety-related topics followed by questions from attendees and a general discussion.

These webinars will be held online via Zoom. The Zoom link will be the same each month and provided when you register. There will be no webinar in December. Webinars will be recorded and archived for on-demand access.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program will be joining the UCANR team during the webinar on October 21, 2025, to present on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) inspection process, what to expect, and how to prepare for an inspection.

To view the full upcoming schedule and register for the webinar series, please visit the UCANR Month Produce Safety Webinars website.

Additional produce safety resources are available on the UC Small Farm Food Safety website.

To stay up to date with news related to CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, sign up for the Produce Safety Program Mailing List by checking the Inspection Services Division (ISD) / Inspection and Compliance Branch / Produce Safety Program box. To learn more about CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/.

CDFA Offers Food Safety Training for Farm to School Network Producers and Handlers

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CDFA PSP and CDFA F2S logos above Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Information and Produce Images

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program is partnering with the CDFA Office of Farm to Fork to provide Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Courses at no cost to California Farm to School Network produce growers and handlers. The free training also is open to all interested California produce growers and handlers.

The PSA Grower Training Course covers Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule requirements that set food safety standards for the production of fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts. It also covers good agricultural practices for the enhanced safety of fresh, nutritious and wholesome produce supplied to local schools and communities across the state.

Courses are July 22-23, 2025, and September 23-24, 2025, via Zoom with live instructors to provide statewide accessibility. Each registered course participant will receive a training manual and informational handouts. Upon course completion, participants are eligible to receive a Certificate of Course Completion from the Association of Food and Drug Officials. Completion of the PSA Grower Training Course fulfills the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement 21 CFR 112.22(c) that states “at least one supervisor or responsible party from your farm must have successfully completed food safety training equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Additional course dates will be announced on an ongoing basis. To learn more and register for an upcoming course, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/growertraining/.

CDFA’s California Farm to School Network endeavors to source school meals from regional farms and educate students about food to ensure California students have access to fresh, nutritious, locally sourced produce. This initiative is an interagency, multi-pronged effort to reimagine school meals while benefitting students, the environment, local farmers and local economies. CDFA’s Produce Safety Program (PSP) conducts on-farm inspections on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to verify FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliance. PSP’s “educate before and while we regulate” goal helps California produce growers and handlers understand enhanced produce safety practices.

CDFA IT department honored for work on Produce Safety Program webpage

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CDFA’s Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) – working with the Inspection Services Division’s Produce Safety Program (PSP) – was recognized with five awards from the California Public Sector Chief Information Officer Academy for stellar work in government technology.

Three ITSD staff members received individual awards. Senior Project Manager Ed Lee was awarded for outstanding leadership and project management expertise as well as the ability to motivate and inspire those around him. Senior Project Manager Robin Root was awarded for exceptional leadership and organization acumen while fostering a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Technology Governance Section Chief Sherri Winfree was awarded for a proactive leadership style that sets a high standard and inspires her colleagues to excel.

A Project Implementation Team Award was given for CDFA’s launch of the PSP Portal, a groundbreaking farm and inspections data repository launched in August 2024. Completed on time, in scope and within budget, this transformational project positions California as a leader in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety, ensuring safer food production through technology-driven oversight. ITSD team members named in the photo, as well as Daniel Godinez and former CDFA employees Cyndi Reimer and Marc Grijalva, helped the project launch. Produce Safety Program members named in the photo, as well as Sarah Standiford and Benjamin Taylor, helped develop the project before ITSD made it live.

A Contracts and Procurement Team Award was given to CDFA’s Technology Governance Section (TGS) for playing a critical role in financial management, strategic planning, and project execution. Through strategic leadership and dedication, the TGS team has strengthened CDFA’s ability to implement innovative solutions, ensuring that technology, fiscal responsibility and sustainability align with California’s long-term conservation and development goals.

Click here to view this original CDFA Planting Seeds blog post.

Pictured: (Top) CDFA Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) Technology Governance Section Chief Sherri Winfree holds an award received for proactive leadership. (Middle) Members of CDFA ITSD staff (standing, L-R) Amar Hariharan, Trey White, Fredrick Gomez, Rudy Martinez and Peter Betschart and (sitting, L-R) Celeste Payne, Becky Moore and Sherri Winfree show all awards given to CDFA from the California Public Sector Chief Information Officer Academy. (Bottom) PSP team members (L-R) Geetika Joshi, Ben Reische, Briana Russell, Angela Terrazas and Peiman Aminabadi hold the award for implementation of CDFA’s Produce Safety Program (PSP) Portal, which they initiated and helped developed.

CDFA Produce Safety Program Hosts Quarterly Virtual PSP Portal Training Workshops through Fall 2025

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Save the date for virtual CDFA PSP Portal Workshops banner with image of computer

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) will host a series of quarterly PSP Portal Virtual Training Workshops through Fall 2025. 

The virtual workshops will include a presentation that provides an overview of the CDFA Produce Safety Program and PSP Portal. The first hour will offer live training tutorials on how to navigate the PSP Portal with the remaining time reserved for a Q&A session and one-on-one technical support.

In Fall 2024, CDFA PSP hosted a series of PSP Portal Training Workshops in person across California and virtually. An additional virtual webinar was hosted on January 28, 2025 and the workshop series will continue to be offered to California produce growers and handlers for the remainder of 2025. 

If interested in attending an upcoming virtual workshop, please register using the links below for your preferred date of choice.

Virtual Workshop | via Zoom

May 1, 2025 | 9am – 11am | Click here to register

July 29, 2025 | 9am – 11am | Click here to register

October 28, 2025 | 9am – 11am | Click here to register

What is the PSP Portal? The PSP Portal is a cloud-based farm data repository platform that allows California produce farmers and growers to view their own farm information and have on-demand access to their digital produce safety inspection reports related to their own farms. In addition, the PSP Portal provides resources to support on-farm compliance with the requirements of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and provide a convenient way for California growers to connect with PSP staff. The new technology allows the Produce Safety Program to focus inspection efforts based on food safety risk factors to help ensure a safe and quality food supply for all consumers of California fresh produce in the state, nationally and beyond.

CDFA Produce Safety Program Offers Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Courses at No Cost for California Produce Growers and Handlers

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) is offering Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Courses at no cost to California produce growers and handlers starting February 2025.

Courses will be offered in a web-based, remote format via Zoom with live instructors to provide convenient accessibility for individuals located across California.

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule sets minimum food safety standards for the production of fresh fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts. The PSA Grower Training Course provides participants with information on the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to assist with the implementation of on-farm produce safety practices.

Each registered course participant will receive a PSA Grower Training Manual and informational handouts to support compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Upon successful completion of the course, participants are eligible to receive a Certificate of Course Completion from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO).

Completion of the PSA Grower Training Course fulfills the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement 21 CFR 112.22(c) that states “at least one supervisor or responsible party from your farm must have successfully completed food safety training equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.”

To learn more and register for an upcoming course, please visit: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/growertraining/