Institutional buyers of fresh, whole produce need assurances that growers followed safe food handling practices during production, harvest and delivery. These buyers may include the food service staff at schools, hospitals, care facilities and others. The US Food and Drug Administration offers guidelines for farmers to follow, known as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). But third-party … Continue reading New tool helps food service evaluate on-farm food safety practices
Risk Management Education for Farmers with On-Farm Visitors is a free online course now available from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Producers will learn practical management techniques to enhance the safety and health of their on-farm visitors. Register for the course here. Participants will spend about eight hours on the course and have three … Continue reading Online course teaches agritourism risk management
Kick It with Carrots! The Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Network‘s statewide campaign and associated materials highlight carrots as the most chill vegetable of the summer. With this collective focus on this familiar, readily-available local veggie, we hope to increase participation of children at summer meal sites and support local producers. CLICK HERE … Continue reading 2021 Farm to Summer application now open: Kick It with Carrots!
by Craig Chase, FFED program manager At FFED, we get a lot of questions from both beginning and established farmers about alternative agricultural enterprises. These can range from hops to other horticultural crops to dairy goats to organic crops in general. The reason for farmers’ interest varies. Profitability from conventional corn and soybeans has been poor for … Continue reading Evaluating alternative farming enterprises