New Castle County Food Safety Training: Good Agricultural Practices, Good Handling Practices for Produce Growers, Packers and Shippers

Keeping Food Safe is a priority for Delaware growers, packers, retailers and consumers. Food safety good agricultural practices (GAPs) and good handling practices (GHPs) are important to ensuring food and worker safety. These trainings will assist the industry in better understanding how to implement GAPs/GHP in their operations in an efficient and timely manner. The training programs are designed for the Delaware Agriculture audiences.

Who Should Come?

● Fresh market vegetable growers (small or large)

● Growers with packing operations, growers that ship (local, regional)

● Watermelon/vine crop growers, potato growers, sweet corn growers, leafy greens/cabbage growers, pepper growers, strawberry growers

● Processing growers that ship some fresh market product (examples: spinach, peppers, snap beans, fresh pack limas)

● Growers who are selling wholesale to restaurants; supermarkets, food service companies; and institutions such as schools, hospitals, retirement homes, prisons and businesses with full cafeteria services

● Growers that sell directly to the public at farm stands and farmers markets.

● Extension agents and specialists, Agency personnel

● Consultants and field personnel that work with produce growers

Upcoming Programs:

On-Farm Delaware Food Safety Training for Small Produce Growers– Level I certification GAPs/GHPs
Tuesday, November 10     9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Filasky’s Produce 1343 Bunker Hill Road, Middletown, DE

Lunch will be provided. Tour local farm operation and learn about designing and implementing GAPs/GHPs for your farm.

After attending this session, growers will receive a Level 1 Produce Food Safety Certification

GAPs/GHPs for Packers and Shippers, Farm Food Safety Plans and Third Party Audits
Monday, November 16, 2009     9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Site to be determined

Lunch will be provided.

Optional: Food Safety Plan writing segment November 16, 2009 – from 2 pm to 5 pm at New Castle County Cooperative Extension – 461 Wyoming Rd, Newark, DE  19716.  Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan and learn about third-party food safety audits and how to be prepared.

After attending this session, growers will receive a Level 2 Produce Food Safety Certification

Call 302-831-2506 to for more information or to register today! 

Funding to support this initiatives has been provided by the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the Northeast Center for Risk Management and Education.