Posted: 03.17.2011

Fresh fruit and vegetable growers are invited to attend one of the following Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin workshops to learn more about food safety. The “Food Safety for Diversified Fruit and Vegetable Growers” workshops will be held in April 2011 in Viroqua, Oconomowoc, and Green Bay.

Participants will learn the implications of the new Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act for their farms. In addition, presenters will discuss GAP/GHP food safety inspections, tips for handling raw and processed products, and buyer specifications.

These workshops are made possible by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program, which seeks to provide growers the resources needed to be successful in the marketplace and find new business opportunities.

Presenters include: Jill Ball, a DATCP Food Safety Scientist; Larry Hood, the Managing Director of Technical and Business Services, LLC; Steve Ingham, DATCP’s Food Safety Division Administrator; and Tim Leege, DATCP’s GAP/GHP Program Manager.

Workshop dates, times, and locations are:

●  Monday, April 4, 2011, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., Western Technical College, Viroqua

●  Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m., Oconomowoc Lake Club, Oconomowoc

●  Friday, April 15, 2011, 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay

Interested individuals can find a brochure or online registration at datcp.wisconsin.gov, under Business, Buy Local Buy Wisconsin. Cost is $20 per person to attend. For more information, contact Theresa Feiner at theresa.feiner@wisconsin.gov or 608-224-5112.

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