A food safety workshop help aid growers access new markets is scheduled for 9 a.m., Thursday, March 15, at the East Arkansas Enterprise Community at Forrest City.
The announcement was made by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences.
The event is aimed at socially disadvantaged specialty crop producers and packing shed owners. The workshop will provide food safety, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) training and technical assistance, according to a news release.
“Most of these specialty crop producers in eastern Arkansas are not GAP certified,” Iris Cole-Crosby, UAPB Demonstration Outreach Center coordinator, said. “And the lack of certification prevents them from accessing certain markets, such as the Walmart fresh squash market.”
Producers and packing shed owners will also learn how to qualify for partial reimbursement of the cost of the GAP/GHP audit after taking and passing the U.S. Department of Agriculture GAP/GHP audit, according to the release.
Producers interested in GAP/GHP workshops or audits should contact Crosby at 870-295-3199 or crosbyi@uapb.edu.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all of its Extension and Research programs and services without discrimination.