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Kentucky produce growers asked to complete survey, food safety training

 
By Doug Schmitz
Iowa Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. – With spring planting season starting, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) is requesting the state’s produce growers complete the Produce Farm Inventory Survey and take the required food safety training, with the main focus on preventing microbial contamination.
“While producing delicious, nutritious food is the ultimate goal, Kentucky producers always work hard to put safety first,” said Ryan Quarles, Kentucky agriculture commissioner. “The survey and training requirement through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Produce Safety Rules make sure safety is top of mind as the season begins.”
In 2011, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, a law that tasked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with implementing new protocols aimed at increasing food safety across the nation.
But instead of allowing the FDA to inspect Kentucky farms, Quarles worked to secure passage of legislation in 2020 called Kentucky’s Produce Safety Statute and Regulation, which allowed the KDA to enter into a state-led program, which eliminates federal inspection of the state’s produce farms.
The department’s Produce Safety Program helps producers comply with federal regulatory standards for the growing, harvesting, packing and holding of produce.
Mark Reed, KDA-Plant Division produce safety program manager, said the requirement for completion of both the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course and the Produce Farm Inventory Survey became effective in 2020 with the passage of Kentucky’s Produce Safety Statute and Regulation.
“Rather than focusing on a deadline for completion at this point, our Produce Safety Program is instead concentrating on conducting statewide outreach to ensure that all Kentucky fruit and vegetable growers are aware of these requirements,” he said.
He said the survey, which can be completed online or via a mail-in-survey card, is a requirement of Kentucky’s Produce Safety Regulation for all state produce growers, regardless of farm size or sales.
“Completion of the survey is considered the first step in compliance with the new rules,” he said. “These surveys are utilized by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program to determine which growers may be exempt from actual farm inspections.
“Completion of the survey, which can be found on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Produce Safety webpage, should take less than five minutes,” he added. “It contains general information regarding farm name, location and contact information, as well as general information regarding average annual produce sales (over the last three years), types of crops grown/harvested, harvest season and types of practices utilized on the farm.”
He said the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training course is based on a national curriculum developed by Cornell University.
“This approximately seven-hour course is currently offered free of charge (through the department’s cooperative agreement grant) to Kentucky residents through a partnership with the University of Kentucky, both remotely and in-person,” he said. “Upcoming training dates and registration information can be found on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Produce Safety webpage.”
The course is divided into seven modules: Introduction to Produce Safety; Worker Health, Hygiene and Training; Soil Amendments; Wildlife, Domestic Animals and Land Use; Agricultural Water; Post-harvest Handling and Sanitation; and How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan.
“Each module contains both farm produce safety best practices and federal/state produce safety rules that emphasize microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm; how to identify microbial risks; farm practices that reduce risks; and how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm,” he said.
He said the main focus of the training is on preventing microbial contamination of produce, which could result in human illness.
“Each individual who completes the course receives a Certificate of Training from the Association of Food and Drug Officials,” he said. “The survey also helps the department determine if growers are subject to further requirements under the federal Produce Safety Rule.”
In addition to the survey, he said fruit and vegetable growers averaging $25,000 or more in annual sales during the previous three years must complete the grower training course. He added the survey and grower training course help the KDA determine if an inspection is required for a produce farm.
He said while civil penalties for non-compliance are contained in Kentucky’s Produce Safety Statute, currently, the primary focus of the KDA Produce Safety Program is also conducting outreach across the state to ensure Kentucky’s fruit and vegetable growers are aware of the new rules.
“In fact, our current motto is ‘to educate before we regulate,’” he said. “Our program’s emphasis is on gaining voluntary compliance, and ensuring that Kentucky’s growers continue to produce safe, wholesome fruits and vegetables.”
For more information about the survey, the grower trainer course, or the inspection process, contact Reed at (502) 782-7809, or mark.reed@ky.gov.
For more specific information regarding the new federal and state requirements for growers, as well as the full text of the federal and state rules, visit the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Produce Safety at  https://www.kyagr.com/marketing/produce-safety.html.

5/17/2022