Experience firsthand how to prepare for a Good Agricultural Practices audit June 24 at a UMES Extension workshop. Attendees will visit Wood Duck Landing Farm and Tallawah Farms on Deal Island Road in Princess Anne from 9 a.m. to noon, where a trainer will conduct mock GAP audits for demonstration.
Gap audits are voluntary and verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled and stored to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards. They certify adherence to the recommendations made in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.
“This is an opportunity for agricultural producers to see two farms set up for a GAP audit and to find out what an auditor is looking for to determine if food safety requirements are met,” said Dr. Nadine Burton, an alternative crop specialist with UMES Extension and organizer for the workshop.
Carol Allen, an agent associate with the University of Maryland Extension, will lead the free training opportunity. The event is presented in collaboration with Dreaming Out Loud, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. aimed at building community-based food systems through cooperative social enterprise for the benefit of at-risk residents.
Preregistration required by visiting www.umes.edu/extension/events or clicking HERE. Lunch is included.
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications and media associate, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, gcstephens@umes.edu, 410-621-3850.
Photo by Todd Dudek, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, tdudek@umes.edu.
