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December 23, 2023
Happy Holidays to all of our PSA Newsletter subscribers!
The end of another year provides an opportunity to reflect on the many things that have allowed the PSA to remain productive and engaged. There are so many things for which to be thankful. I will begin with the PSA Team. They are a dedicated, tolerant, hard-working group of food safety professionals that nimbly adjust to the ever-changing landscape of produce safety. As you might imagine with a group of 15 professionals, they do not always see things the same way but they are always kind and respectful as they debate topics that ensure the PSA is always moving in the right direction. As director, I could not ask for more. Next, our PSA Trainers continue to actively engage with course participants to keep trainings relevant and available. These PSA Trainers are keeping up with changes, supporting course participants, and providing us with feedback on ways to improve. This dialogue is critical to the PSA. Our collaborators, including our colleagues in industry, state and federal regulatory agencies, extension programs, and audit firms, offer support and feedback that aids in our understanding and helps us identify new needs to address. Lastly, we are thankful to all of our PSA course participants, including our primary audiences of fruit and vegetable growers, packers, and workers. Not only do they continue to share their experiences including their challenges and successes, but they also dedicate their time to growing, harvesting, packing, and supplying us with a bountiful array of fruits and vegetables. We are so very fortunate to have traveled domestically and internationally to get to know these people, see their operations, and learn from them. Though there are many more things I could add to this list, I will stop here to save some of your energy for the rest of the newsletter! No matter what holiday you celebrate, I hope it brings you joy and time with family and friends. Looking forward to all the good work we will do together in 2024!
Sincerely,
Betsy Bihn, PSA Director
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Upcoming Train the Trainer courses:
Remote delivery course | NY, USA: 1/16/2024 - 1/19/2024
Contact Information: Mariana Villarreal Silva, Phone: 949-230-4200
Cost: $300-350; Course #: NY-240116-TRRD - Registration Information
Training Language: English
Registration closes January 2, 2024 or when course capacity is reached
Remote delivery course | NY, USA: 2/26/2024 - 2/29/2024
Contact Information: Laurie George, Phone: 607-882-1500
Cost: $300-350; Course #: NY-240226-TRRD - Registration Information
Training Language: English
Registration closes February 12, 2024 or when course capacity is reached
2nd Online Spanish Grower Training Course Pilot.
We are launching a second pilot for interested individuals to take the course and to provide feedback based on their experience. The course is completely free (including Certificate of completion for those successfully completing the course). We have a few spots available. Please contact Laura Acuña Maldonado lea6@cornell.edu by January 3, 2024 for registration eligibility and details.
Course date: January 24 – February 13, 2024.
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Spanish-Language Podcasts | |
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We released 6 parts to our Spanish-language podcast series “¿Qué vaina con la inocuidad?”. The podcast series aims to expand produce safety understanding and promote food safety culture in farms and packing houses for Latino/Hispanic farmers. PSA Team members Mariana Villareal-Silva, Davis Blasini, Yulie Meneses, and Laura Acuna-Maldonado recorded six short but very informative interviews with experts in the field that provide answers to common questions about food safety on the farm. All 6 episodes are now available! Please let us know your opinion about the episodes by answering the brief survey related to each episode. We want to know if this effort should be continued and/or expanded.
1. Training new hires in food safety (Capacitación a nuevos trabajadores en inocuidad alimentaria). Guest speaker: Flavia Bordato, Patagonia Leafy Greens). Interview: Yulie Meneses. Survey here
2. Impact of PSR requirements on small growers (Impacto de los requisitos de la Norma de inocuidad de los productos agrícolas frescos en los pequeños productores). Guest speaker: Antonio Acosta, ALBA. Interview: Mariana Villarreal Silva. Survey here
3. Establishing a farm food safety culture (Establecimiento de una cultura de inocuidad de los alimentos en la huerta). Guest speaker: Alejandro Castillo, Texas A&M. Interview lead: Mariana Villarreal Silva. Survey here
4. Risk reduction when using water in the harvest and postharvest activities (Reducción de riesgos cuando se utiliza agua en actividades de cosecha y postcosecha). Guest speakers: Blanca Ruiz-Llacsahuanga (confirmed). Interview lead: Yulie Meneses. Survey here
5. Composting: using scientifically valid methods (Compostaje: Cómo utilizar métodos científicamente válidos). Guest speaker: Heriberto Godoy Hernández, UMass. Interview: Davis Blasini. Survey here
6. Integrated pest management and produce safety (Manejo integrado de plagas e inocuidad de los productos agrícolas frescos) Alejandro Calixto, NYS Integrated Pest Management Director. Interview lead: Davis Blasini. Release date: Dec 18th. Survey here
More details about this project here
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Southeast
Tommy and Yulie continue to closely work with those in the Southeast region, they just wanted to give big “Thank You” to everyone in the region! Through continued collaboration in training and especially to all colleagues that have submitted Letters of Support for continued funding with PSA efforts. Happy Holidays to all and we are looking forward to working with you in 2024!
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Southwest Region
Davis Blasini, our Spanish Language Extension Associate based in Arizona, has continued his collaboration efforts with the University of Arizona’s Associate in Extension, Dr. Shujuan (Lucy) Li to connect food safety with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles in tribal nations across the Southwest. On November 7th, Lucy and Davis teamed up with Africa Dorame-Avalos, Pesticide Program Manager of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, to deliver a seven-hour IPM-Produce Safety workshop in Parker, Arizona. This workshop had the participation of tribal members from several of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (Quechan, Chemehuevi, Hopi, Mohave, and Navajo).
As the end of this year approaches, we would like to thank Dr. Li for partnering with Davis and the Produce Safety Alliance in her project “Increasing Accessibility of Food Safety Resources to Tribal Growers in Arizona to Advance Resilience of Native Nations”. Through our partnership with Lucy this year, we have been able to deliver concepts related to food safety and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the Navajo, San Carlos Apache, Cocopah, and Colorado River Indian reservations. We hope to be able to keep collaborating with Lucy and other groups across the country to bring relevant food safety education and outreach programs to minorities and underserved communities throughout the United States
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Northwest
Warm greetings for the holiday season from Collins. As the training season picks up momentum, Collins has had the opportunity to lead several Grower Training classes alongside other PSA trainers, both within the region and beyond.
Continuing their commitment to providing training opportunities to underserved communities, Collins and the PSA team focused on collaborations aimed at extending these classes where for instance, in November, Collins partnered with the Intertribal Food and Agriculture Institute (IFAI) to successfully deliver a Grower Training in Ramona, California. Similarly, this month, Collins collaborated with the Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC), Pierce Conservation District (PCD), and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to lead a Grower Training tailored for minority growers in Washington (Pictured below).
Collins extends heartfelt appreciation for the collaborations experienced in 2023. The joint efforts, including invitations for Grower Trainings, seminars, workshops, panel discussions, and everyday correspondences, were instrumental in ensuring the success of his work in the Northwest and across other regions in 2023.
Please note that Collins will not be available for any Grower Training requests beyond April 2024. However, feel free to reach out to another member of the team for assistance, particularly if you're facing challenges in finding a lead trainer in your area.
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Northeast Region
Donna Clements, PSA Coordinator and Northeast Regional Extension Associate, would like to offer up her appreciation to all of our collaborators in the Northeast region and across the country! Happy holidays and I look forward to working together in the new year.
Betsy Bihn, PSA Director, has been working with NECAFS personnel and other colleagues to plan sessions for NECAFS Annual Meeting on January 22-24, 2024 in Portland, ME. She also attended the NASDA Consortium in St. Louis, MO to facilitate a postharvest water breakout for state regulatory personnel with PSA’s Don Stoeckel, Michelle Danyluk from University of Florida, and Kruti Ravaliya and Kevin Gerrity from FDA. Betsy also led the annual NY Produce Safety Extension Group call on November 27, 2023 to discuss plans for statewide food safety trainings in the coming year as well as challenges faced when providing growers with technical assistance. Betsy and Donna Clements, PSA Coordinator and Northeast Regional Extension Associate, would like to offer up their appreciation to all of our collaborators in the Northeast region and across the country! Happy holidays and we look forward to working together in the new year.
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Midwest
Laurie George, the Midwest Regional Extension Associate, had the pleasure of traveling with the Missouri group to the Great Lakes Expo (GLEXPO) in Grand Rapids Michigan. If you have never been to GLEXPO, I would suggest making the trek in December 2024. There were a lot of great speakers, workshops, and activities. This conference extends to fruit and vegetable growers, as well as greenhouse producers. One of the many things I enjoy each year is reconnecting with Midwest growers and producers, as well as tasting the new apple varieties!
Next month, I will be presenting at the “From Food to Flower: Everything Local Conference” scheduled for January 17-19, 2024 in Springfield Illinois. I will be talking on “Navigating Regulatory Changes: FSMA PSR Postharvest Water Requirements and the New Traceability Rule”, as well as assisting Illinois Extension with a PSA Grower Training. If you see me at the conference, stop and say Hi!
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