Chesapeake Harvest, Future Harvest CASA, the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are sponsoring workshops November 4 and 6 on Post Harvest Handling for Improved Quality.
The workshops are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s County Farm Service Agency in Leonardtown, Md. on November 4 and at the Talbot Agriculture Education Center in Easton, Md. on November 6. Each session begins with classroom training and then move to an area farm for hands-on experience. Sassafras Creek Organic Farm for the November 4 event and Cottingham Farm for the November 6 event.
According to Niamh Shortt, a Delmarva program manager with Future Harvest CASA, growers will learn practical ways to meet industry quality standards for harvest techniques, packing, grading, pack size, packaging and shelf-life. The economic success of fruit and vegetable production is highly dependent on postharvest quality preservation, she said. When marketing them, understanding the processes affecting product quality during storage and transportation is essential to obtaining a premium price and maintaining long-term buyer relationships.
Trish Tripp, a food safety and postharvest handling expert with Artisan Food Solutions, will lead the workshops. She has “helped more than 200 growers add value to their farms through similar workshops and individual assistance,” Shortt said.
Tickets are $20 (BFTP $10). Registration can be found on Eventbrite. The events are funded through Town Creek Foundation with support from USDA Rural Development, USDA’s Food Safety Outreach Program, SMADC and UMES’ Small Farms Program.
