These resources may be especially helpful for people who have taken a Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training course. It is arranged by modules that correspond to the course.
Here is the content as a single PDF document: Post PSA Grower Training Resource Links 2025 (UC Small Farm Food Safety, April 7, 2025) (PDF 242 KB)
General
- The Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse is a crowdsourced site containing resources for Produce Safety Rule and another FSMA rule, the Preventive Controls for Human Foods.
Module 1: Introduction to Produce Safety
- FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut Offs (FDA) (scroll down and click on Produce Safety)
- FSMA Produce Safety Rule: How does it apply to my farm? (University of Minnesota Extension Small Farms) (YouTube, 7:02 min.) This video guides you through the basics of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and helps you figure out how the Rule applies to your farm.
- FDA Fact Sheet about Raw Agricultural Commodities (RAC) (FDA) (PDF 160 KB)
- FDA Fact Sheet about Dropped Covered Produce (FDA) (PDF 125 KB)
- Recordkeeping fact sheet and templates on the PSA General Resources page (Produce Safety Alliance) (PDF 732 KB)
- Resources for SOPs and record keeping
Sample Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) (Food Safety Clearinghouse) These template SOPs can be used to tailor your own SOP. They are available in English and Spanish. - Food Safety Resources for Food Hubs
Farm and Packinghouse Record Keeping Sheets (CornellCALS)
- Resources for SOPs and record keeping
- Farm Food Safety Plan Writing Resources & Templates (CornellCALS)
- Why Behind Food Safety Training Video - ENGLISH with SPANISH subtitles (CA LGMA) (YouTube, 4:34 min.) (viewed up to 2:45)
- Produce Farms, Foodborne Illness, and Legal Liability (Extension Legal Services Initiative)
Module 2: Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
- The Public and Their Animals: Regulations and Risks to Your Direct Market Farm ADA & Farms Factsheet (Rutgers University)
- Build a low-cost handwashing station for food safety on the farm (Univ. of Minnesota) & Building a Better (and Cheaper!) Handwashing Station (Univ. of Vermont)
- Worker Health and Hygiene (Penn State Extension)
- Required Records by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (Produce Safety Alliance, Cornell University) (PDF 747 KB)
- PSA Recordkeeping Templates (Produce Safety Alliance, Cornell) (will download as Word doc, 78 KB)
- Volunteers and Food Safety: A Tipsheet for Urban Growers (National Young Farmer's Coalition) (PDF 1.9 MB)
- Visitor Compliance Guide (K-State, FSMA PSR for Produce Growers)
- Worker Training Templates and Handouts (Kansas State University)
- Worker Training Compliance Guide https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/produce/fsma/docs/compliance-guide-worker-training.pdf (K-State, FSMA PSR for Produce Growers) (PDF 4.6 MB)
- Service Animals on U-Pick Farms (University of Georgia Extension) (as PDF 987 KB)
Module 3: Soil Amendments
- GAPs Decision Trees (Cornell/CALS)
- Log sheet compost treatment record template (Cornell - opens in Box app)
- Slide 24: Required Records for 3rd Party Commercial Soil Amendment Suppliers (Cornell PSA) (PDF 318 KB) AND Model Certificate of Conformance (Cornell Produce Safety Alliance) (opens in Word format, 78 KB)
- Classes of biosolids (EPA)
- Soil Amendments (North Carolina State University Extension)
- Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin (BSAAO) & the Produce Safety Rule (Food Safety Clearinghouse)
- Produce Safety Alliance Produce Safety Factors to Consider when Using Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin (BSAAOs) (Cornell Produce Safety Alliance) (PDF 228 KB)
- Produce Safety Alliance-Documentation Requirements for Commercial Soil Amendment Suppliers (Cornell Produce Safety Alliance) (PDF 318 KB)
Module 4: Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use
- Assessing Environmental Hazards (Food Safety Clearinghouse) (PDF 5.1 MB)
- A Farmer's Guide to Food Safety and Conservation - Facts, Tips, and Frequently Asked Questions (Wild Farm Alliance)
- Article about using falconry to deter nuisance birds (Western Center for Food Safety, UC Davis)
- Interactive Wildlife Scouting Simulator (Food Safety Clearinghouse)
- FSMA Produce Safety Rule: Dealing with Wildlife (Food Safety Clearinghouse)
Module 5: Agricultural Water Part 1 – Production Water
- National Water Quality Testing Labs Map https://www.uvm.edu/extension/necafs/clearinghouse/resources/national-water-quality-testing-labs-map
- UC Davis water system inspection resources: https://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/training/California-Farm-Food-Safety-E-learning-Series (found mid-way down the page)
- Preharvest Ag Water Treatment Explainer videos and test strip app: https://foodsafetyclearinghouse.org/resources/preharvest-agricultural-water-treatment-explainer-videos-and-test-strip-app
- Aseptic Water sampling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmrO8mkcQPY
- Equivalent Testing Methodology for Agricultural Water - Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR 112): https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-food/equivalent-testing-methodology-agricultural-water-produce-safety-rule-21-cfr-112
Module 5: Agricultural Water Part 2 – Postharvest Water
- PSA biofilm video (Produce Safety Alliance) (YouTube, 1:18 min.)
- (Temperature):
- Infiltration demo (Oregon State University) (opens as PPT)
- Susceptibility of Produce to Infiltration: Risk Factors and Mitigations (Virginia Coop Ext. fact sheet) (PDF 395 KB)
- (When should I change my water): Guidance on Wash Water Discharge from Vegetable Pack Sheds - Advice on System Design (Food Safety Clearinghouse)
- (EPA labels on sanitizers):
- Introduction to Selecting an EPA-Labeled Sanitizer (Produce Safety Alliance) (PDF 562 KB)
- PSA Sanitizer tool and tutorial (Look under “Module 5.2”) (Produce Safety Alliance) (YouTube, 7:54 min.)
- Produce Safety Alliance EPA-Labeled Sanitizers for Produce - Database updated: 11/5/24 (Produce Safety Alliance)
- Produce Safety Matters: Dump Tank (New Mexico State Univ.) (YouTube, 3:14 min.)
- Sample SOPs and logs from the National GAPs program (Cornell CALS National GAPS Program)
Module 6: Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
- Planning an Efficient and Safe Wash/Pack Area (Chris Callahan, Hans Estrin, and Andy Chamberlin; University of Vermont)
- One minute video visualizing aerosolization from a pressure washer (Plant Sciene Food Safety Group) (YouTube, 1:09 min.)
- Sanitize vs. Disinfect:
- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLEANING, SANITIZING, DISINFECTING AND STERILIZING? (North Carolina State University) (PDF 314 KB)
- Cleaning, Sanitation, and Disinfection on the Produce Farm (Illinois Extension)
- A Guide to Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfection on Produce Farms (University of Vermont) (PDF 1.8 MB)
- Hygienic & Sanitary Design for Produce Farms (University of Vermont)
- Postharvest Webinar: Buildings & Infrastructure (Session 5) (Use of wood in packinghouses discussed around minute 13) (University of Vermont) (YouTube, 28:17 min.)
- 'Transportation Considerations’ FSMA Sanitary Transportation for Human and Animal Food (FDA)
- Wooden Bins Research (Center for Produce Safety 2012, Killinger & Adhikari)
- Food Safety Considerations for Postharvest Washing of Produce and Sanitation of Packing Areas (Food Safety Clearinghouse) (PDF 853 KB)
- Fact Sheet on Establishing Clean Breaks (University of Florida)
Module 7: How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan
- Farm Food Safety Plan template (Cornell GAPS)
- Food Traceability Final Rule (FDA)
- GAPS Decision Trees (Cornell GAPS)
& Farm Food Safety Decision Tree Checklist (Cornell GAPS) (PDF 220 KB) - Traceability (Cornell GAPS)
Additional Resources
- Information for managing rats (UC Integrated Pest Management)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration-related questions (UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety)