Tag: PSA Grower Training

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/.

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 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/