To Develop A Food Safety Plan For Your Farm
On January 31, 2019
To Develop A Food Safety Plan For Your Farm
Winter is the time to be thinking about whether having a 3rd party audit/inspection is necessary for your vegetable marketing plans. Many wholesale buyers are requiring their growers to have a 3rd party food safety audit. Unfortunately, waiting until the produce is picked and packed is not the time to start the process. Farmers first need to develop a Food Safety Plan for their farm. Then farmers begin to keep the necessary records for worker training, manure use, pesticide use, etc. When the plan and logs are in place and harvest is approaching farmers then arrange with the PA Dept. of Ag. or a Food Safety inspection company to come and inspect their records, plan, and practices. When the growers pass the inspection, they are now ready to market their product as 3rd party audited produce.
To help get this process started, Penn State is offering Food Safety Plan writing workshops in three locations this winter. The goal of this workshop is to get growers started on writing a plan. Growers should come prepared to write so that when they leave they will be well on their way to having a completed plan. Previous participants have left the course with a started, if not mostly completed, farm food safety plan in hand. Plan Writing Workshops will be held in the following locations and times.
The first workshop will be held on February 5 at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road Lancaster from 9:00 A.M.-2:30 P.M. The workshop will be repeated
on February 27, 2019 at the Penn State Center at Overlook Park, 445 Hanover Ave., Allentown, PA from 9:00 A.M.-2:30 P.M. The workshop will be held a final time on March 22 at the Romano 4H Center 1841 Horseshoe Pike, West Brandywine Township, PA from 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Prior to attending this course, it is helpful, but not necessary, to have attended the FSMA Produce Grower Certification Training or another introductory GAPs course that covers farm practices and food safety risks. Cost for these workshops is $50. To register go to extension.psu.edu/developing-a-farm-food-safety-plan or phone 1-877-345-0691. Lunch is included.
Prior to attending this course, it is helpful, but not necessary, to have attended the FSMA Produce Grower Certification Training or another introductory GAPs course that covers farm practices and food safety risks. Cost for these workshops is $50. To register go to extension.psu.edu/developing-a-farm-food-safety-plan or phone 1-877-345-0691. Lunch is included.
To Enjoy Winter Horse Back Riding
There might be times when you wish you could ride your horses during the winter months, even in the coldest of weather. Extension Horse Specialist Ann Swinker explains when conditions are not slippery, riding can be excellent exercise for rider and horse.
Here are a few things to remember. If you are riding in cold weather, you must take special care when cooling out horses or you will be guilty of inflicting another form of winter stress. Other stresses are decreased water intake, increased energy needs (increased calories) and seeking comfort (standing out of drafts or standing in the sun). In addition, your horse’s work/training schedule may become somewhat altered or stopped in the winter months. Therefore, your horse maybe got somewhat out-of-shape and not be ready for a full riding session, so instead consider a long walk or gentle jog that might do the equine and rider plenty of good. If your horse is out of condition do not force a lot of exercise during bitter cold temperature. However, equine are very capable of handling the cold temperatures and weather conditions that make most humans huddle inside.
If a horse has exerted itself to the point where it is wet with sweat beneath the saddle, use special care to prevent chilling. Sudden changes in body temperature, such as a cold wind blowing on a sweaty back, can have harmful results. However, placing a heavy insulated blanket on the horse immediately after unsaddling might do more harm than good. The heavy covering can trap moisture between skin and blanket, preventing the horse from drying. Place a light blanket over the sweating horse in cold weather and lead it around until the hair is dryer. The exercise of walking helps keep the body from cooling too rapidly, and the light blanket protects from wind and cold while allowing moisture to evaporate. When the horse’s coat is dry, remove the now-damp light blanket and either turn the horse out or cover it with a dry blanket. If your horse is breathing with flaring nostrils after exercising, then you may need an extra-long cooling out period before returning the equine to the stall or turnout area.
You need to prepare yourself for the cold. Dress in layers so that you can maintain a comfortable body temperature. Just as you want to prevent your horse from becoming chilled from perspiration, people should also avoid excessive perspiration. Layering apparel allows you to add or remove clothing easily as your body temperature changes.
With a little bit more consideration for both horse and rider, winter riding can be enjoyed and both can experience the exhilaration of being in a winter wonderland.
Quote Of The Week: “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” Martin Luther King Jr.