USDA Grants Help Specialty Crop Industry Build Food Safety Partnerships

It's summer and specialty crops – fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and dried fruits – fill our plates with color, taste and nutrition.  Consumers are finding their favorite fresh produce in the grocery store or their farmers market.  Other specialty crops like cut flowers and nursery crops lend beauty and interest to our homes and yards. And the growers responsible for the produce are making sure it is safe through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

USDA is working closely with FDA and the specialty crop industry to help address concerns and research needs as they work to implement the produce safety rule.  One resource to help growers address food safety issues is the new Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP), administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). This grant program brings together multi-state teams to research and develop solutions to practical problems that cross State boundaries within the specialty crop industry.

For instance, a grant was awarded to Washington State Department of Agriculture to work with LINC Foods, Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, Farm Commons, and Rural Roots to increase the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) by specialty crop growers and provide them education and resources on FSMAs. Participating in programs like USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is one way that farmers and producers can demonstrate to buyers and consumers that they are adhering to industry food safety standards.  This project will create a unique opportunity in the region to build the capacity required to increase specialty crop sales with growers and grower organizations in, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA Blog