📢Please join us for an in-person Produce Safety Grower Training!
Join us to learn about produce safety regulations and good agricultural practices for fruit and vegetable producers. Topics covered will include agricultural water, soil amendments, worker health and hygiene, wildlife management, postharvest handling, and food safety plans. For fresh produce farms, the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule sets mandatory federal standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding produce. Most produce farms will be affected by this Rule. This training satisfies the FSMA PSR training requirement for covered farms and can be used for audits.
📆When: April 9, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍Where: Arkansas 4-H Center
1 Four H Way
Little Rock, AR 72223
💵Registration Fee: FREE (includes coffee, lunch, snacks, and materials), registration is required for attendance. Attendees MUST be present for all modules in order to receive certification. Please be advised that absentee sign-ups will not transfer to future trainings.
📝Important: Late registrations received less than 3 days prior to the event date may NOT be accepted. NOTE: Attendance is limited to 25 participants per training. Walk-ins will NOT be accepted. Registration Deadline: April 6, 2026
Please register here➡️: https://uada.formstack.com/forms/lr_psagrower
We look forward to seeing you!
| |  |
FDA Establishes Regulatory Program Standards to Strengthen Produce Safety Oversight Activities with States
On February 24, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in partnership with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), and state produce inspection programs, announced the establishment of the Produce Regulatory Program Standards (PRPS).
These new standards create a consistent framework for produce regulatory programs across federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. By aligning regulatory practices and strengthening collaboration among agencies, the PRPS help advance a more integrated food safety system and support coordinated efforts to protect public health.
For more details, click➡️: FDA Establishes Regulatory Program Standards to Strengthen Produce Safety Oversight Activities with States | FDA
To learn more about the state regulatory program visit the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Produce Safety Program at: Produce Safety - Arkansas Department of Agriculture
| | |
Updated FDA Food Traceability Guidance📚
On February 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released updated guidance for implementing its Food Traceability Rule. Designed to help prevent foodborne illness outbreaks, the rule establishes recordkeeping requirements for entities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods included on the Food Traceability List. The updated guidance clarifies how the rule applies to specific entities and activities and provides additional details on required records.
For produce farms, the rule primarily affects operations that grow, harvest, pack, or hold commodities included on the Food Traceability List, such as leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and certain fresh herbs. These farms must maintain specific records for key traceability events—including harvesting, cooling, initial packing, and shipping—so products can be traced quickly through the supply chain during a food safety investigation. While many small farms may qualify for exemptions, farms that sell into wholesale or institutional markets may still need to comply with traceability record requirements.
Retail operations, including grocery stores, food hubs, and some farm stops, may also be impacted if they receive or transform foods on the Food Traceability List. Retailers must maintain records documenting the receipt and sale of traceability-listed foods, particularly if products are repacked, cut, or otherwise modified before sale. These requirements are intended to help regulators rapidly identify product movement during an outbreak investigation while strengthening overall supply chain transparency.
Public comments on the guidance may be submitted through May 21, 2026. In addition, the agency announced plans to host quarterly listening sessions with regulated entities, in collaboration with the Partnership for Food Traceability, to gather stakeholder feedback and support effective implementation of the rule.
Guidance for implementation: https://tinyurl.com/3yfsskxs
Food Traceability Rule: https://tinyurl.com/6an4d838
Submit public comments on guidance: https://tinyurl.com/akdpyv6y
| | | | Infrastructure and Supply Chain | | |
Market Match Day Recap🫱🏽🫲
This event aimed to connect local buyers looking for locally sourced Arkansas foods including produce or value-added products for direct markets such as farmers markets, retail outlets, and restaurant sales with farmers and value-added food producers in Arkansas. It was an opportunity to build relationships, explore new market channels, and boost the local food economy in Arkansas.
Participants at this event also received an introduction to an online food hub platform designed to assist producers in listing products, streamlining communication, and creating new opportunities for buyers and suppliers to connect.
A special thank you to all of the attendees that participated and made this event possible. We will host 2 other Market Match events later this year. Stay tuned for scheduling and registration.
If you would like more information about this project and future events and meetings, please contact Dr. Amanda Philyaw Perez at aperez@uada.edu.
| | Upcoming Events, Resources, and Partner News | |
📢Attention📢
You're invited to the 2026 American Community Garden Association National Conference. Little Rock is the host city! What a great conference lineup of speakers, tours, and workshops.
This annual gathering brings together diverse voices, innovative ideas, and proven practices that strengthen the role of community gardens inn advancing food security, improving community health, and promoting long-term garden sustainability.
Want to sponsor? There are many perks, including conference passes. Sign up to be a vendor. Check out the flyer and share it with your network.
Register today! ➡️:
American Community Garden Association | June 04, 2026 - June 07, 2026
| | | |
Submit Your Community Event!
Do you have any events regarding local foods that you would like to share out? Please feel free to reach out to our team member here at Local, Regional, and Safe Foods.
📩Questions? Contact Cardeja Triplett at ctriplett@uada.edu
| | |
Amanda Philyaw Perez, DrPH, MPH
Associate Professor, Food Systems and Food Safety Specialist
Department of Horticulture, Cooperative Extension Service
University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture
2301 S. University Ave, Little Rock AR 72204
Office: 501.671.2228 | Email: aperez@uada.edu
| | |
Follow, Like, Subscribe, Watch + Connect Today! | | | | | |
