The Vermont Produce Program will provide 40 produce farms with new harvest crates, storage bins, and cleaning supplies to improve produce safety and efficiency. Interested farms must apply for the Produce Safety Supply Kits by Friday, October 22, 2021 at 12 PM (noon).
These Produce Safety Supply Kits will support farms in improving container cleaning and management procedures. Strong cleaning and management procedures are important because clean farm containers can reduce the risk of cross-contaminating crops with human pathogens or spoilage microorganisms. Forty approved applicants will receive a complete Produce Safety Supply Kit, including a bucket, hygienic brush, bench squeegee, and a custom number of containers. Farms will receive the customized number of containers based on their request and the available supply.
To be eligible, farms must:
- Be enrolled in the Vermont Produce Portal
- Grow, harvest, pack, or hold “covered produce” as defined by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
Farms of all sizes are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to farms with average annual produce sales of greater than $28,561 over the past three years. Learn more and apply by Friday, October 22nd at 12 PM.
Questions?
Contact Gina Clithero (she/her), gina.clithero@vermont.gov or (802) 585-6225