The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and University of Maryland Extension (UME) will be conducting a series of regional food safety training workshops for fruit and vegetable producers.

These one-day workshops, offered across Maryland, are important for small- and large- scale producers who want to understand how to meet current U.S. Food and Drug Administration food safety requirements or are considering Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) certification. The training will provide assistance in writing and implementing a GAP program for both wholesale growers and direct marketers.

Topics covered include: highlights of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA); Good Agricultural Practices such as addressing pre-harvest and post-harvest water quality issues; an update on current food safety research; writing a food safety plan; and MDA/University of Maryland programs to assist producers in implementing GAP. A portion of the training will be spent helping producers write their own food safety plans. Producers are encouraged to bring their own personal laptops. Laptops will also be provided to those who cannot bring them.

Registration, Cost and Locations: Participants are encouraged to register online or if you have questions or encounter difficulties registering online, please contact the organizer for the specific location. Registration is required to ensure adequate materials are available.

Each workshop will take place from 8:30 am to 4 pm. The fee for the program will be $15, and will cover lunch costs and materials provided to each participant. Attendees will receive a certificate of participation following the program. The workshop dates and locations for 2016 are listed below.

February 25, 2016 Upper and Central Eastern Shore GAP Training.
Wye Research and Education Center, 124 Wye Narrows Dr.; Queenstown, MD 21658.
Workshop site contact; Nevin Dawson; email: ndawson@umd.edu
Phone: 410 479-4030 Ext(5)

March 2, 2016 Western Maryland GAP Training.
Washington County Extension Office, 7303 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro, MD 21713
Workshop site contact. Jeff Semler; email: jsemler@umd.edu
Phone: 301 791-1304

March 8, 2016 Southern Maryland GAP Training.
St. Mary’s Ag. Services Center. 26737 Radio Station Way; Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Workshop site contact Ben Beale; email- bbeale@umd.edu
Phone: 301-475-4482.

March 10, 2016 Lower Eastern Shore GAP Training.
Wicomico County Extension Office, 28647 Old Quantico Rd,; Salisbury, MD 21801.
Workshop site contact Ginny Rosenkranz; email: rosnkrnz@umd.edu
Phone: 410 749-6141 ext.106

March 15, 2016 Central Maryland GAP Training.
Carroll County Extension Office, 700 Agriculture Center Dr.; Westminster, MD 21157
Workshop site contact Bryan Butler; email: bbutlers@umd.edu
Phone: 410 386-2760

MDA offers two GAP certification programs for fruit and vegetable producers.

- MDA GAP certification is geared toward direct marketers or other producers that want to start with a basic food safety program and is available to Maryland fruit and vegetable producers at no cost.

- USDA GAP/GHP and USDA Harmonized GAP pre-harvest and post-harvest certification is provided through a cooperative agreement with USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service and is a nationally recognized certification that meets the requirements of many wholesale buyers. USDA specialty crop grant funding is available for cost share of the USDA audit fees.

For more information on these certification programs, contact Deanna Baldwin with the Maryland Department of Agriculture at Deanna.baldwin@maryland.gov or 410-841-5769 or Justine Beaulieu with the University of Maryland at jbeauli1@umd.edu or 301-405-7543.