PSP – Produce Safety Rules!

Produce Safety Alliance Offers Free On-Demand FSMA Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Webinar

October 19, 2026Posted in EducationTagged agricultural water requirements, CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, Grower Training, Grower Training Course, pre-harvest water, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSA Grower Training, PSA Grower Training Course, PSP, webinar

The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) is offering a pre-harvest agricultural water webinar in English and Spanish at no cost for past PSA Grower Training Course participants to understand the new requirements. A certificate of completion on the revised Module 5-1 Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Update will be emailed to webinar participants who attend one full session. Participants can download handouts (English) | (Spanish) to take notes. If you have any questions on the webinar, please contact the PSA team at psatrainers@cornell.edu.

Pre-recorded PSA webinars:

If you have not yet completed the PSA Grower Training course, reduced-cost courses are offered by the University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources (UCANR) as sponsored by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). To learn more and register for an upcoming course, please visit the UC Small Farm Food Safety website. Additional upcoming courses can be found on the Produce Safety Alliance website.

Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water, Final Rule Compliance Dates

Large Farms: April 7, 2025
Small Farms: April 6, 2026
Very Small Farms: April 5, 2027

The compliance dates for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) began for Large Farms^[1] in April 2025 and for Small Farms^[2] in April 2026. The compliance date for Very Small Farms^[3] will go into effect in April 2027.

Educational Resources

Resources including educational materials, PSA Grower Trainings, On-Farm Readiness Reviews and the CDFA Technical Assistance Program are available to assist you with preparing for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements. For more information on these resources, please visit our blog post.

What is Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water?

Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water refers to water used during growing activities where water is intended or is likely to contact covered produce or food contact surfaces. Covered produce means produce that is subject to the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule including the harvestable or harvested part of the crop.

Examples of growing activities can include irrigation, crop sprays, fertigation, frost protection, dust abatement and any other uses where water directly contacts produce or food contact surfaces.

Background on the Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule

On May 6, 2024, FDA published a final rule on pre-harvest agricultural water revising certain requirements in Subpart E of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) for covered produce (other than sprouts) for enhanced produce safety. The new rule shifts from an emphasis on testing pre-harvest water to performing agricultural water assessments on pre-harvest water sources. It does not change existing agricultural water requirements for sprouts or harvest and post-harvest water uses. The final rule went into effect on July 5, 2024.

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/.

^[1]Under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, farms sizes are classified by the average annual gross produce sales adjusted for inflation over a three-year period. Click here to learn more about the FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut Offs. “Large” farms have average annual produce sales above $500,000 (adjusted for inflation).

^[2] “Small” farms have average annual produce sales between $250,000 and $500,000 (adjusted for inflation).

^[3] “Very Small” farms have average annual produce sales between $25,000 (adjusted for inflation) and $250,000.

CDFA Food Safety Series: Produce Safety Program Inspections and Trainings Facilitate Safe Food for California and the Nation

September 21, 2026September 21, 2026Posted in EducationTagged CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, National Food Safety Education Month, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP

CDFA’s Produce Safety Program recognizes September as National Food Safety Education Month.

California is committed to keeping our food safe. In recognition of National Food Safety Education Month, CDFA is sharing more information about the programs that help make sure food grown and processed in California is as safe as possible.

As presented in a previous CDFA Planting Seeds blog, our Produce Safety Program protects California food safety through conducting more than 2,770 on-farm inspections since 2019 and offering outreach and education. But what do these processes include?

PSP Farm Inspection Process

A CDFA Produce Safety Program (PSP) inspection, conducted under authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), starts with an inspector contacting a farm to confirm it is covered under the federal Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule (PSR). The inspector then asks questions about the timeframe of on-farm activities covered under the PSR (growing, harvesting, packing and holding of covered produce) to appropriately schedule an inspection.

A PSP inspection takes a systems-based approach, where inspectors observe as many farm activities as possible and ask numerous questions to better understand a farm’s processes and approaches to food safety at every step. Required inspection elements include: personnel qualifications and training; health and hygiene; agricultural water; biological soil amendments of animal origin; domesticated and wild animal intrusion; growing, harvesting, packing and holding activities; equipment, tools, buildings and sanitation; analytical methods used for testing; and records related to these topics.

Observing farm activities and conversations with the responsible personnel on the farm helps an inspector evaluate potential food-safety risks on the farm (including due to adjacent land use) and demonstrate the farm’s understanding of those risks, as well as measures taken to address them.

PSP Outreach and Education

To ensure farms covered by the Produce Safety Rule know with what food safety regulations they’re required to comply, they must have an individual employed on the farm who has completed an FDA-approved Produce Safety Rule Grower Training or equivalent course. PSP provides the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course to ensure California farmers are properly trained.

CDFA’s Produce Safety Program also offers non-regulatory On-Farm Readiness Reviews for small and very small farms to gain a better understanding of what to expect during a routine inspection. Visit PSP’s Educate webpage for more information.

For an extra level of outreach and education in helping farmers be compliant with the Produce Safety Rule, CDFA’s Technical Assistance Program offers outreach in multiple languages. Through an agreement with the University of California Cooperative Extension, advisors and community educators fluent in multiple languages further promote the success of small-scale farmers in following safe farming practices.

Through inspections, outreach, education and inspections, CDFA’s Produce Safety Program is proud to partner with California’s vibrant agriculture industry in providing safe food to California and the nation.

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

CDFA Food Safety Series: Produce Safety Program Protecting California Food Safety through 2,770 On-Farm Inspections since 2019

September 17, 2026Posted in EducationTagged CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, Inspections, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP

CDFA’s Produce Safety Program recognizes September as National Food Safety Education Month.

California is committed to keeping our food safe. In recognition of National Food Safety Education Month, CDFA will be sharing more information about the programs that help make sure food grown and processed in California is as safe as possible.

California plays a major role in feeding the nation. We grow about half of the country’s vegetables and three‑quarters of its fruits and nuts. Because of this, CDFA takes food safety seriously. Our responsibility is to make sure the food produced here meets the highest standards, and we hold ourselves accountable to those expectations.

One of the key programs leading this work is CDFA’s Produce Safety Program (PSP). Created in 2017 through an ongoing partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PSP supports California farmers in meeting the requirements of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

About the Produce Safety Rule

FSMA, passed in 2011, marked the nation’s first major produce safety law. It shifted food safety efforts from reacting to problems to preventing them. In 2015, FDA finalized the Produce Safety Rule, which established basic national standards for how fruits and vegetables should be grown, harvested, packed and stored. When the rule took effect in 2017, California created the Produce Safety Program to help farmers meet these new requirements.

About the Produce Safety Program

Under its cooperative agreement with FDA, the Produce Safety Program carries out several important responsibilities. One of the biggest responsibilities is on-farm inspections. These inspections are meant to ensure farms are compliant with all the harvesting, packaging and storing requirements from the federal Produce Safety Rule.

The Produce Safety Program also supports farmers and farmworkers through hands-on training. These sessions teach simple, practical steps, like safe irrigation and good hygiene practices, that help prevent accidental contamination.

For smaller or newer farms preparing for their first inspection, PSP offers On-Farm Readiness Reviews, giving growers a chance to ask questions and feel confident before the official visit. PSP also provides technical assistance through its partnership with the University of California Cooperative Extension, ensuring farmers have trusted experts they can turn to.

This layered system of training, guidance and support helps farmers and their communities work together to keep food safe at every stage, from growing and handling to harvesting and packaging.

Since 2019, PSP has conducted more than 2,770 farm inspections, offered 665 Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training courses and completed over 190 On-Farm Readiness Reviews for small farms that are about to be inspected. The program has become a national model in helping farms grow, harvest and pack produce safely. Through these efforts, CDFA works every day to help ensure the produce grown in California is safe for everyone.

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

CDFA Offers No-Cost Produce Safety Alliance Training in Fall 2026 for California Produce Growers and Handlers

September 14, 2026Posted in EducationTagged CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, Grower Training Course, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Alliance, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSA Grower Training Course, PSP

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Banner with information that training manual and certificate are included

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program is offering the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course on September 29-30, 2026, and November 17-18, 2026, at no cost for California produce growers and handlers.

To learn more and register for the course, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/growertraining/.

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.

Each free course 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. 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.

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. 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.

CDFA Produce Safety Program Presents at 2026 California Walnut Conference

March 11, 2026Posted in EducationTagged California Walnut, CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP, Walnut, Walnut Conference

Produce Safety Program staff share food safety educational resources at an information booth at the California Walnut Conference in Turlock.

On Feb. 19, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) presented at the 2026 California Walnut Conference in Turlock. PSP Environmental Scientist Trevor Goldsberry spoke to attendees about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and how to prepare for a regulatory inspection including factors affecting farm coverage status, requirements for worker health and hygiene, agricultural water standards, soil amendments, cleaning and sanitation, and requirements around domestic animals and wildlife.

PSP Outbreak Specialist Peiman Aminabadi joined Goldsberry to host an informational booth providing educational resources and engaging with conference attendees on regulatory requirements.

Photo caption: (L-R) Produce Safety Program team members Environmental Scientist Trevor Goldsberry and Outbreak Specialist Peiman Aminabadi provide food safety educational resources at the 2026 California Walnut Conference in Turlock.

If you are interested in partnering with CDFA PSP for a conference or food safety training event, 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/.

Prepare For Your Upcoming Inspection with a Free On-Farm Readiness Review

December 18, 2025Posted in Education, ImplementationTagged CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, OFRR, On Farm Readiness Review, On-Farm Readiness Review, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP

Are you familiar with produce safety regulatory inspection requirements? Are you wondering how the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) applies to your farm and food safety practices?

Get answers to these questions and more by scheduling a free On-Farm Readiness Review!

Produce farms nationwide that are required to comply with the federal FSMA Produce Safety Rule are subject to mandatory regulatory inspections as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In California, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) inspectors are authorized to conduct on-farm produce safety regulatory inspections on behalf of the FDA.

CDFA PSP provides the opportunity for producers to request an On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) to prepare for their initial produce safety inspection. An OFRR is a free, voluntary, customized assessment conducted before an initial regulatory inspection. An OFRR includes a farm walk-around and one-on-one conversations with CDFA PSP staff to discuss how the Produce Safety Rule applies to your operation.

An OFRR aims to help prepare you for your upcoming produce safety inspection and discuss enhanced food safety practices tailored to your unique farm needs. Farms that request an OFRR will receive a free OFRR produce safety manual, FSMA Produce Safety Rule regulatory pocket handbook, and recordkeeping templates. “Small”^[1] and “Very Small”^[2] farms that have not yet undergone an initial FSMA Produce Safety Rule regulatory inspection can especially benefit from an OFRR to aid in the preparation plan for the subsequent initial inspection.

Farm operators are encouraged to request a free OFRR assessment after completing the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course. Scheduling an OFRR is easy! Simply email producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov or call us at 916-654-0466. When requesting an OFRR, please be prepared to provide the following information to support a seamless scheduling process:

Farm name and location
A contact person and how to contact you
What produce do you grow, harvest, pack, or hold?
When are you harvesting?
Have you completed the PSA Grower Training?

The CDFA Produce Safety Program is a unit operating under the CDFA Inspection Services Division with a mission to ensure California produce farmers understand how to comply with the requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, resulting in a safer food supply for the people of California and beyond.

Under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, farms sizes are classified by the average annual gross produce sales adjusted for inflation over a three-year period. Click here to learn more about the FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut Offs. “Large” farms have average annual produce sales above $500,000 adjusted for inflation.

^[1]“Small” farms have average annual produce sales above $250,000 and up to $500,000 adjusted for inflation.

^[2]“Very Small” farms have average annual produce sales above $25,000 adjusted for inflation and up to$250,000.