Charleston, W.Va. – Every agribusiness, no matter how large or small, must make farm safety a priority. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) along with WVU Extension Service and the West Virginia Food Safety Training Team have put together a one-day Writing Your Food Safety Plan workshop.
Those who sign up for the course can choose from two locations. The first training opportunity is set for Thursday, June 8 at the WVU Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown, or you can attend the class on Friday, June 9 at The Market Place at Heart and Hand in Philippi.
Participants will receive a comprehensive notebook designed to reduce paperwork duplication and prepare their farm for a GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) audit.
“More and more West Virginia farmers are marketing their goods to schools, businesses and agencies. Those entities require more than just a hand shake and a promise the food they’re purchasing meets safety guidelines. The USDA GAP Audit Program gives our growers a chance to learn from industry leaders on how to prepare and maintain audit standards,” stressed Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt.
The program focuses on how to document best production and handling practices in the form of a “Farm Safety Plan.” This farm-specific plan is required for a GAP audit and is an excellent agricultural management and decision making tool.
The guest speaker for both classes will be Wythe Morris, a retired educator and Virginia Cooperative Extension employee. He’s spent the past decade helping more than 800 individuals prepare and pass their GAP Food Safety audit. He’ll walk through the GAP manual and share his knowledge with program participants.
Check-in time for both events starts at 8:30 a.m. The workshop runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There is no charge to participants. To sign up for one of the Farm Food Safety Review classes, go to: http://epay.wvsto.com/WVU/WVUANREvents/Default.aspx or contact Lisa Smith at Lisa.Lagana@mail.wvu.edu (304)-293-2715.
