From the Ground Up:
Produce Safety for New and Beginning Farmers

“From the Ground Up” is the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team’s new programming initiative to equip new and beginning growers in New Jersey with on-farm produce safety skills and knowledge. This will empower growers to achieve early success in produce safety and business planning by fostering the development of good habits associated with produce safety culture from the start- positioning them for regulatory compliance when needed.

Not sure if your farm falls under the FSMA: Produce Safety Rule? Click here to find out

What will we offer:

  • A Beginning farmer focused food safety training class
  • An on-farm food safety plan writing workshop
  • A Food Safety Hot Topics Webinar Series
  • A Best Practices for Training Employees Webinar
  • On-Farm Produce Safety Risk Walkthrough

Who is this program for?

  • New and Beginning Growers
  • Growers who want to improve food safety practices on their farms
  • Growers who want to work to develop a food safety culture on their farm
  • Growers whose operations don’t fall under the FSMA:PSR yet but who will as they expand.
  • Next generation growers taking over a family farm
  • Anyone thinking about starting a farm

Upcoming Program Classes!

For more information or to sign up, click on the event’s image or go to our
Eventbrite page here: Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Eventbrite

 

From the Ground Up: Produce Safety Planning for Beginning Growers
at Rutgers Specialty Crop Research and Extension Center
Wednesday March 26, 2025, from 10:00am – 2:00pm. Registration is $30.00, includes lunch and the deadline to register is March 19, 2025

 

 

From the Ground Up: Online Food Safety Plan Writing Workshop

 

 

From the Ground Up: Produce Safety Planning for Beginning Growers

 

 

 

From the Ground Up: Online Food Safety Plan Writing Workshop,
April 9, 2025 from 6:00PM – 8:00PM EST via Zoom
$15 per person, deadline to register is April 2, 2025

 

FTGU Program Online Video Content 

 

Managing Food Safety Risks in Hydroponic Operations
August 2023

 

Using Sanitizers in a Postharvest Setting: Selecting a Sanitizer and Understanding its Label
December 8, 2022

 

On Farm Food Safety Culture
from our March 1, 2023 Advanced Audit Training

 

Training and Upskilling Workers for Produce Safety
from our November 17, 2022 program

To stay informed of class offerings sign up for the email list here!

 

Add your name to the OFFS Team's "Ground Up" email list!

Sponsored by USDA NIFA FSMA Outreach to Small Farmers grant number 2022-70020-37591
*Funding for this statement, publication, press release, etc. was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant 2022-70020-37591. The views expressed in written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.*