Securing the Food Chain: The 2000-04 Southeastern U.S. Fresh Produce Food Safety Train-the-Trainer Program

Abstract

<jats:p>Between 2000 and 2004, a 12-state consortium in the southeastern United States used a “train-the-trainer” effort to introduce good agricultural practices (GAPs) to the region's fresh produce growers, packers, and consumers. Supported by the National Food Safety Initiative, the consortium created and implemented training by using a program and supporting materials specifically applicable to conditions and commodities in southern states. Because several factors distinguish the southeastern U.S. fresh produce industry from that of other regions in the U.S., a region-specific training program addressing distinguishing factors was needed. Distinguishing factors include: 1) southeastern U.S. producers are typically grower-packers, with some notable exceptions in Florida and Texas; 2) most such producer entities are seasonal, have their own packinghouse operation, are small-scale in that they pick what they grow and pack and often use migrant and seasonal labor; 3) modern worker training, sanitary practice, and facilities and supervisory expertise are either somewhat limited or completely lacking; and 4) the use of seasonal and migrant labor dictates the use of Spanish language interpreters and training. To meet fresh produce food safety training needs for the region, project leaders created a 329-page training program and associated PowerPoint presentation-containing compact disc, nine four-page crop-specific brochures relating GAPs to crop “groups,” a Spanish language handwashing video and a new model recall program for the fresh produce industry. The leveraging effect of this train-the-trainer effort ultimately reached nearly 20,000 people in this multi-disciplinary, multi-state, integrated project, thus expanding and reinforcing regional cooperative extension efforts.</jats:p>

Development and Evaluation of a Training Program on Whole Farm Nutrient Planning for Organic Farms

“…In this program, 14 educators participated in three intensive training sessions on whole farm nutrient management for organic farms and extended the information through workshops and presentations to at least 714 growers, industry representatives, and agricultural educators and 2575 more people through publications. As has been observed in previous train-the-trainer initiatives (Osborne et al, 2005), accomplishments were likely facilitated by the intensive training program participant's extensive familiarity with their clientele, which was boosted by visiting an organic grower before the start of the program. Also, as has been reported with university students, this success may have been influenced by the relatively small-sized group of participants in the intensive training program.…”

“…A NESARE Professional Development grant facilitated this approach by providing funding. The train-the-trainer approach has the benefit of creating a multiplier effect for reaching people, which can be logarithmic (Osborne et al, 2005). Additionally, due to the multiplier effect, cost per person trained ends up being very low (Osborne et al, 2005).…”

“…The train-the-trainer approach has the benefit of creating a multiplier effect for reaching people, which can be logarithmic (Osborne et al, 2005). Additionally, due to the multiplier effect, cost per person trained ends up being very low (Osborne et al, 2005). In this program, 14 educators participated in three intensive training sessions on whole farm nutrient management for organic farms and extended the information through workshops and presentations to at least 714 growers, industry representatives, and agricultural educators and 2575 more people through publications.…”

Crops & Soils Volume 45, Issue 4, 2012

“…Simply put, the importance of the South region's crop simply cannot be measured by CEUs, by the area used in its production, or by its market value. As world population increases and foodstuffs move globally, we also have to look at rice in relation to new concerns about American nutrition and food safety (Osborne et al, 2003). Further, waterintensive production systems demand that production oc-cur while not depleting the "natural capital" (Robinson et al, 2009).…”