UConn Extension GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) School for Fruit and Vegetable Producers Session 2 (Post-‐harvest, packing facility): March 5 (Snow date, March 6) (Session 1 was held in February—you may attend this session even if you did not attend session 1) Good Agricultural Practices are guidelines developed by FDA (US Food and Drug Association) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) to help produce farmers reduce the chance that their products will be contaminated by foodborne pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Post-‐harvest practices are your last defense against microbial risks. Produce related outbreaks have often been traced to packing house facilities. While there is no regulatory requirement (state or federal) for farmers to have a GAP food safety program, some retailers and distributors want their suppliers to have GAP programs in place. This GAP School will help both farmers who need GAP programs in order to comply with customer demands and also those who want to develop a food safety plan in order to add value to their business, whether required to or not. This school will be comprehensive, providing farmers with the tools they need to develop a GAP food safety program. Pre-‐registration is required. This session will include lectures, handouts, a review of the pertinent audit items, and steps for farmers to take to achieve success in the post-‐ harvest audit section. Course location: Middlesex County Extension Center 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT 06438 (860) 345-‐4511 In the Packing Facility: § Worker health and hygiene § Employee training § Traceability § Water § Packing house sanitation, pest control § Receiving area, washing/packing line, storage areas § Ice and refrigeration § Transportation § Record keeping and documentation § Conducting a self audit § Writing a plan § Writing a plan § Record keeping and documentation March 5, 2015 9:00 am to 3:30 pm Snow Date March 6, 2015 Registration: There is no fee for this Session due to grant program support. Please bring your own lunch. You must pre-‐register. Registration materials for this Session must be received by February 26th. You may register by email. Directions: http://www.extension.uconn.edu/extension-‐centers/middlesex.php From the North: Take Route 9 South, past Middletown, to Exit 10. Follow the ramp to the first light and turn right onto Route 154 (South). The office is 5.7 miles south on the left just past the post office. From the South: Take Route 9 North to Exit 7, Route 82 extension. Follow the route 82 extension to the 'T' (flashing light) and turn left onto Route 154 North. The office is 2.9 miles on the right. From the East: Take Route 82 West across the Haddam swing bridge. Take a right at the 'T' onto Route 154 North. The office is 2.5 miles on the right. Sponsored by: The University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Extension Programs in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture and with the support of funds provided by CSREES/USDA Specialty Crop Project, awarded by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Diane Wright Hirsch at 203.407.3163 or [email protected] or Candace Bartholomew at 860.570.9067 or [email protected]. An equal opportunity program provider and employer Every effort will be made to provide special accommodation if requested at least one month in advance. # -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Connecticut GAP School Registration Form Session 2 (post-‐harvest, packing facility) Registration, no fee, registration must be received by February 26 Please bring your own lunch. Send to: Diane Wright Hirsch, New Haven County Extension Center, 305 Skiff Street, North Haven, CT 06473 Participant Name: Operation (Farm) Name: Address: Phone Number: Email Address: (Please make sure that this phone is one that can be called in case weather causes us to postpone a session) Products/commodities produced on your farm: