upcoming events
N.C. MarketReady Fresh Produce Safety Training for Growers
November 18, 2009, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Goldsboro, N.C.
The training focuses on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and what it takes to obtain GAPs certification. Diane Ducharme, N.C. MarketReady Fresh Produce Safety, will conduct the Tier 1 training workshop at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in Goldsboro on November 18, 2009.
Tier 1 will address GAPs that are directly related to field production and harvest. The training will include an introduction to common food-borne pathogens and diseases as well as recognizing points of potential contamination, proper use of biosolids as a nutrient source, effective hand-washing procedures, packing facility cleanliness and verifying water quality for field application and postharvest handling.
Anyone involved in handling fresh produce, from farmers and field hands to packinghouse employees and distributors will benefit from the training by learning to identify and prevent contact between sources of contamination and fresh produce.
Event Location
Service Building
201 Stevens Mill Rd.
Goldsboro, NC 27530
Click Here for Map
Contact
Diane Ducharme, N.C. MarketReady, 704-250-5402
Amie Newsome, N.C. Cooperative Extension, 919-989-5380
The 5th Annual Commissioner's Food Safety Forum
August 18, 2009, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kerr Scott Building, N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, N.C.
The Commissioner's Food Safety Forum discusses the future of food safety with national experts, congressional delegation, industry leaders, public health officials, academia and more. The landscape of food safety is changing rapidly. Join us for the latest updates on regulations, best industry practices, marketing, identifying foodborne illnesses and more.
The forum includes keynote speakers and presentations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition and N.C. State University.
Register today at: www.ncagr.gov/ncfoodsafetyforum
Please contact Chrissy Lucas at (919) 733-7125 or christina.lucas@ncagr.gov for more information.
Commissioner's Food Safety Forum flier >>
Upcoming Trainings and Events focused on Fresh Produce Safety
April 30 & May 1, 2009, -- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
NC Fresh Produce Safety Training (West)
Designed to offer trainings for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP)
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center, Fletcher
NC Cooperative Extension Agents should register through LIMS
More info: Diane Ducharme, (704) 250-5402
Fresh Produce Safety Train-the-Trainer Workshop Series
North Carolina Cooperative Extension and the North Carolina Fresh Produce Safety Task Force would like to invite NC Extension Agents to Fresh Produce Safety Training. The intended audience is Agriculture, Family Consumer Science, and any other agents having an audience dealing with fresh produce production, harvesting, storing, transporting, and marketing.
Consumer perception of food safety is driving much of the guidance environment as it relates to Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). As industry responds to the recent foodborne outbreaks, large and small growers of NC's farm enterprises are affected by the market expectations. Large-chain wholesalers as well as retail chains, school systems and some restaurants are requiring producers/suppliers to have GAPs certification. Producers/sellers, without food safety plans in place and who cannot demonstrate use of recognized Good Agricultural Practices are experiencing reduced market opportunities and negative impacts to the economic viability of their farm operations.
The workshops will provide two days of train-the-trainer sessions that deliver a 9 module-based curriculum on guidance for Fresh Produce Safety, including the eight basic principles for Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), managing liability and risk, and communication during controversial issues. These presentations will be given as resources for agents including a great deal more!
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THESE SESSIONS!
WHEN and WHERE: Three sessions are available:
- April 30 & May 1, 2009
Location: Mountain Horticultural Crop Research & Extension Center, Mills River, NC. Registration required by April 16th. Please register through the Extension Learning Management System
Research Campus Farmers Market Opening with Reinforced LOCAL Brand
The Farmers Market on the N.C. Research Campus opens for its second year beginning on Thursday, May 7. New to the market this year are rules that ensure a LOCAL brand on all the strawberries, broccoli, lettuce, onions and other produce sold there. All produce sold at the market is grown within 100 miles of Kannapolis and vendors must display a card telling customers the farm where each type of produce is grown. Click here for more information.
Discovering Nature's Possibilities
N.C. State University Seminar Series
Join N.C. State University on the new N.C. Research Campus for a series of seminars that will introduce you to our scientists, staff and groundbreaking research in Kannapolis. Presentations are open to the public and will take place each Tuesday in May from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Event Room on the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Presentations will be delivered by our researchers and will provide the community with health, nutrition and produce safety information they can use to enhance their daily lives. These seminars have been developed for producers and consumers, so everyone is encouraged to attend!
The seminars are free but registration is required due to limited seating. Call us at 704-250-5400 or Click here to Register.
Upcoming N.C. State University Seminar Series
Tuesday, May 5
Making Sure You Get Your Piece of the PHHI! – Mary Ann Lila, Ph.D., N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute
Meet N.C. State’s Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) and its director, Dr. Mary Ann Lila.
Dissecting the Blueberry – Jeremy Pattison, Ph.D., NC State University Plants for Human Health Institute
Learn the essentials of growing blueberries whether you’re a professional producer or backyard grower.
Tuesday, May 12
From Farm to Fork: Understanding Food Safety Today – Diane Ducharme, N.C. Cooperative Extension Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture
Gain a better understanding of how to minimize risks with the foods we eat.
Tuesday, May 19
North Carolina’s Changing Agriculture – Blake Brown, Ph.D., N.C. Cooperative Extension Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture
Blake’s goal is to answer the question: “Why is agriculture important to you?”
Tuesday, May 26
Apples to Zucchinis: How Postharvest Studies Affect Your Food Choices – Penelope Perkins-Veazie, Ph.D., N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute
Discusses the processes fruits and vegetables go through before they make it to markets and shelves.
Building a Better Broccoli – Allan Brown, Ph.D., N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute
Learn how we hope to extend the broccoli growing season in N.C and increase its nutritional value.
The Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutritional Science at NC State University offers many learning opportunities.
Cooperative Extension Calendar
Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences offers numerous fall workshops & trainings.
If you need more information or have questions, please call Diane Ducharme at 704.250.5402 or email her at diane_ducharme@ncsu.edu.
