Burlington--Workshops for fruit and vegetable growers interested in developing a produce safety plan for their operation will be held at five locations in February.
University of Vermont (UVM) Extension's Center for Sustainable Agriculture will sponsor the full-day workshops, which are geared to operators of small and diversified farms that market directly to restaurants, schools and other local markets. The fee, which covers lunch and all materials, is $18 and $10 for each additional person from the same farm.
In addition to hearing from local producers about how they developed and implemented produce safety plans for their farms, participants will learn how to identify potential food safety risks and the steps to take to reduce risk and improve the quality and safety of their produce. They also will draft a food safety plan designed to help them follow proper procedures from planting to storing produce.
All workshops will run from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dates and locations are:
- Feb. 18: UVM Extension Office, 374 Emerson Falls Rd., Suite 1, St. Johnsbury. Farmer presenter: Mary Skovsted, Joe's Brook Farm, St. Johnsbury.
- Feb. 19: Yankee Farm Credit, 52 Farm Vu Dr., White River Junction; Farmer presenter: Pooh Sprague, Edgewater Farm, Plainfield, New Hampshire.
- Feb. 20: Workforce Investment Board Training Center, 10 Precision Lane, Swanton (co-sponsored by Healthy Roots in St. Albans). Farmer presenter: S'ra DeSantis, Diggers Mirth Collective Farm, Burlington.
- Feb. 23: Green Mountain College Library, Poultney (co-sponsored by Green Mountain College); Farmer presenter: Carol Tashie, Radical Roots Farm, Rutland.
- Feb. 24: UVM Extension Office, 23 Pond Lane, Suite 300, Middlebury; Farmer presenter: Jeremy Gildrien, Gildrien Farm, Leicester.
Registrations will be accepted up until one week prior to the workshop. To register, go to http://go.uvm.edu/susagctr-registration. If requesting a disability-related accommodation to participate, please contact Cheryl Herrick at (802) 656-5459 at least three weeks in advance.