Completed Project Report


Bilingual Food Safety Training for Southeast Asian and Latino Small-Scale Farms

  • Award Amount: $50,000
  • Regional Center: Western Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2019 Education Projects
  • Project Director: Ruth Dahlquist-Willard
  • Email: rdahlquistwillard@ucanr.edu
  • Organization: University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

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Project Overview

Small-scale farmers face legal risk under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). While farms selling at farmers' markets will be qualified exempt, many small farms sell primarily to wholesale packing houses and will be fully covered by FSMA and subject to on-farm inspections. The legal and financial impact of FSMA will be greatest on fully covered small farms, including many immigrant and refugee farmers in Fresno County whose primary language is Spanish or Hmong. The goal of this project was to conduct workshop and one-on-one trainings on food safety to assist small-scale farmers in achieving compliance with FSMA and other food safety requirements. We adapted our activities to address new risks and challenges during COVID-19. We conducted an on-farm socially distanced workshop with farmers rotating in small groups for training and provided remote technical assistance with food safety compliance questions. We provided essential support to Southeast Asian strawberry stands through distribution of masks and sanitizing supplies, safety guidelines for farm stands, signs to promote social distancing, and other safety measures for farm stand customers. Small-scale farmers received training in English, Spanish, and Hmong on food safety requirements as well as new guidelines for operating safely during COVID-19.

Number of Participants: 327

Outcomes

Project Steps

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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DELIVERY AREA

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