DATCP: Food safety Train the Trainer program online

Contact: Ashley Huibregtse,
608-224-5002,
ashley.huibregtse@wisconsin.gov
Jim Dick, Communications Director,
608-224-5020,
jim.dick@wi.gov

MADISON – One of the goals of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s (DATCP) Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program is to address potential obstacles that might impact the development of local food systems. On-farm food safety is one of those challenges identified by growers themselves. Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin’s Train the Trainer Program is a new resource available to meet on-farm food safety needs of Wisconsin’s fruit and vegetable growers.

“During the Food Safety Project for the Wisconsin Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry, we asked growers what types of assistance would help them increase their competitiveness and profitability,” said Mike Powers, DATCP’s Division Administrator of Agricultural Development. “One of the results was the Train the Trainer Program. Working with county-based extension professionals, growers will be provided another source of accurate information needed to meet on-farm food safety standards.”

The Train the Trainer Program is online at http://datcp.wi.gov/OnFarmFoodSafety/ResourcesExtension. The primary focus of the Train the Trainer Program is to provide information and resources for educators, who can share this knowledge with area growers to improve their operation. Four training sessions have been developed, presented, recorded and archived online for future viewing.

Each session is 90 minutes long and educates viewers about a specific aspect of on-farm food safety. The Train the Trainer Program sessions and presenters include:

● Food Safety Essentials: An Overview of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and How to Apply Them on Small Farms – Dr. Erin Silva
● Good Handling Practice (GHP) Guidelines for Fresh Market Vegetables – John Hendrickson
● Third Party Food Safety Audits: Details and Dilemmas – Betsy Bihn
● Building a Food Safety Plan/GAP/GHP and Wisconsin Resources for You – Betsy Bihn and Teresa Engel

“The Train the Trainer Program sessions are easily accessible online to maximize their impact with as many growers as possible,” added Teresa Engel, Manager of DATCP’s Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Program. “Share this valuable information so Wisconsin fruit and vegetable growers can improve production and ensure consumer confidence.”

DATCP contracted with the University of Wisconsin-Extension to develop the new Train the Trainer Program. The project also included the creation of grower workshops and an interactive web-tool last year in partnership with the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.

Find all of the on-farm food safety resources at http://datcp.wi.gov/OnFarmFoodSafety.
For questions or more information, contact DATCP’s Engel at teresa.engel@wisconsin.gov or 608-224-5101.
You can also connect with DATCP on Twitter at twitter.com/widatcp or Facebook at facebook.com/widatcp.