Resources

This video will show growers the adequate parameters agricultural water must meet for post-harvest activities as regulated under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR).

This video will show growers information on microbial standards for agricultural water used during production as regulated under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR).

This video will show growers the procedure for agricultural water testing.

This video will show what standards growers should follow while preparing post-harvest and wash/pack settings for a mock inspection.

This video will show what standards growers should follow while preparing pre-harvest settings for a mock inspection.

This video will show growers risk factors associated with field contaminants such as fecal matter, urine, saliva, vomit, and blood.

This video highlights the best practices for cleaning and sanitizing walk-in coolers for storing fresh produce.

Safely producing fruits and vegetables requires everyone involved in planting, growing, harvesting, packing, and transporting fresh produce to understand food safety practices, as well as commitment from company owners and managers. This video was developed to support fresh produce growers as they implement employee training to reduce risks during fruit and vegetable production. 

This video training for volunteer gleaners discusses the handling of produce and the importance of using food safety practices. Reducing the risk of human pathogen contamination onto produce is important for everyone. The topics in this training are specific to human pathogen risk prevention during the harvesting of produce. 
 

This video will show growers the risk factors and preventative measures associated with water infiltration in produce that could occur during washing.

This video will show grower measures to prevent pests from coming in contact with covered produce, food contact surfaces, and food packing materials.

Este vídeo mostrará a los productores el procedimiento de análisis del agua para uso agrícola.

Este vídeo destaca las mejores prácticas para la limpieza y desinfección de las cámaras de refrigeración para el almacenamiento de productos agrícolas frescos.

Este vídeo mostrará a los productores los parámetros adecuados que tiene que cumplir el agua de uso agrícola para las actividades postcosecha, tal y como se regula bajo La Norma de Inocuidad de Los Productos Agrícolas Frescos de la Ley de Modernización de la Inocuidad de los Alimentos (FSMA, por sus siglas en ingles).

It is important for buyers of fresh, whole produce to have assurances that safe food handling practices were followed on the farm and during delivery to their facilities. Completion of this checklist can provide documentation to the buyer that GAPs were followed on the farm, and that the buyer took reasonable care when purchasing fruits and vegetables directly from a grower. This checklist can also guide the conversation between retail buyers of fresh produce and local growers as they establish terms of the purchasing arrangement to ensure safe food practices are followed.

It is important for buyers of fresh, whole produce to have assurances that safe food handling practices were followed on the farm and during delivery. However, not all produce growers are required to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Due to cost, many produce farms in Iowa are not GAP certified or certified organic. The purpose of this guide is to help food buyers evaluate the Food Safety checklist submitted by a farmer and identify areas of concern (red flags). 

The templates and additional items in this collection have been designed to assist Iowa produce growers in meeting the record keeping requirements of the FMSA Produce Safety Rule.   

The Clearinghouse is a curated and crowd-sourced collection of Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (PCHFR) resources.  They all relate to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Official page. The Produce Safety rule establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. The final rule went into effect January 26, 2016.

Iowa Valley RC&D's Clean Start program provides technical assistance, coaching and resources for produce farms. Check out their publications and videos. 

Resources on:
Forms and Licensing
Organic Certification
Farm to School programs
Farmers’ Market Directories
Administrative Rules

Information on food processing, farmers' markets, and home-based food operations.

Resources on:
Upcoming FSMA trainings
Specific resources for different fruits and vegetables
Contact information for state leaders around the Midwest

Resources on:
Produce Safety Rule
Upcoming Trainings
How to get trained as a lead trainer

Post-harvest sanitation can be very confusing, especially when it comes to selecting an antimicrobial pesticide (sanitizer) appropriate for use on fruit and vegetable crops and food contact surfaces. The Produce Safety Alliance developed this tool to help growers find an EPA-labeled sanitizer suitable for their operation. The tool provides product and label information, as well as trade names and active ingredients. 

Practical Farmers of Iowa offers a cost-share program for specialty crop farmers seeking to make on-farm food safety improvements. 

Administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency, the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification.

Information for Farms that are Exempt or fall under the Modified Requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act's Produce Safety Rule.  A resource from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
 

Information about the new water testing requirements and where to have your water tested.
Summary - New Water Test Methods.pdf
List of Water Testing Labs in Iowa