Purdue workshops to cover fruit, vegetable food safety

March 11, 2014  


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue Extension workshops across the state will teach current and prospective fruit and vegetable farmers about practices that help keep food safe from seed to market.

"Good Agricultural Practices from A to Z" will be held in March and early April at several locations. The workshop will include sessions on health and hygiene, water quality and treatment, animals and animal products, sanitation on the farm, documentation and recordkeeping, and farm food safety plans.

The workshops' goal is to present current science-based information on how to reduce risk of contamination during production of fruits and vegetables, as well as provide practical knowledge on planning and documenting food safety practices from planting through marketing.

Attendance will satisfy the Indiana State Department of Health food safety training requirement for producers of fresh fruits and vegetables who sell to wholesale and institutional accounts.

The workshops will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at most locations, with an evening program planned at LaGrange. Events will be held on the following dates and at the following locations:

* March 25: Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center, 11371 E. Purdue Farm Road, Dubois. Contact: Kenneth Eck, kjeck@purdue.edu, 812-482-1782.

* March 27: Clearspring Produce Auction, 2050 S. 300 W, LaGrange. Contact: Steve Engleking, sengleking@purdue.edu, 260-499-6334.

* March 28: Wakarusa Produce Auction, 65460 County Road 9, Goshen. Contact: Jeff Burbrink, jburbrink@purdue.edu, 574-533-0554.

* April 4: Wabash Valley Fairgrounds, 3901 U.S 41 S, Terre Haute. Contact: Jim Luzar, luzar@purdue.edu, 812-462-3371.

* April 10: Wayne County Produce Auction, 8025 Carlos Road, Williamsburg. Contact: Jonathan Ferris, ferrisj@purdue.edu, 765-973-9281.

Registration is requested at least one week before each program date and costs $30 per person and $10 for each additional person from the same farm. Those interested in registering should call the contact at the site where they wish to attend.

Producers who need the training but are unable to make one of the workshops might be interested in a coming online course that covers the same topics. The course is expected to be available in late March.           

Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu 

Source: Liz Maynard, 219-531-4200, emaynard@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2014-18 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Integrity Statement | Copyright Complaints | Brand Toolkit | Maintained by Marketing and Media

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact us at online@purdue.edu so we can help.