Farm Food Safety Training with GAPs (Genesee County)

December 10 - December 11, 2013


In recent years, several food borne illness outbreaks in produce have made national news. Both the produce industry and the federal government have stepped up demands for fruit and vegetable farms to meet food safety practice standards. These standards are known as GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices).

A new program, Harmonized GAPs, has been developed to combine several food safety certifications into one program. New York's retail produce buyers, such as Wegmans, are asking growers to adopt Harmonized GAPs certification in many cases.

In response, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Cornell Vegetable Program, the Cornell Lake Ontario Fruit Team, the Produce Safety Alliance, and the Cornell National GAPs Program, with assistance from NY Ag & Markets, will be presenting a training for farm food safety or GAPs, including Harmonized GAPs. The training is open to all produce farms and related industry people. This workshop is partially funded through a grant from the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority.

Tuesday, December 10
What is GAPs?
How does GAPs work?
What does it mean for my farming operations?

Wednesday, December 11
Write a food safety plan for your farm*

Optional supplemental session
Mock audit (at a participant's farm during the growing season)

$60.00 per person registration includes educational materials, lunch and refreshments. Add $15.00 each for additional attendee from the same farm. Space is limited! Pre-register by December 6, 2013. Mail the GAPs flyer and registration form in with your payment, or register and pay online here.

* A laptop computer is required for the second day. If you need to borrow a computer, please let us know in advance. If you are not computer savvy, please bring a person with you that has computer knowledge and skills.

GAPs flyer & registration form (PDF; 604KB)