Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

NEW FOOD-AS-MEDICINE MARKETPLACE OPPORTUNITIES ARE OPENING UP FOR FOOD HUBS AND FARMERS. HOWEVER, TO ACCESS THESE NEW MARKETS, FOOD HUBS NEED TO INCREASE THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND THE CAPACITY OF THE FARMERS THEY BUY FROM. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY OF SEVEN PARTNERING FOOD HUBS AND THE FARMERS THEY WORK WITH BY IMPLEMENTING QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, DEVELOPING STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, IMPLEMENTING FOOD SAFETY PLANS, AND PROVIDING DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS (OBJECTIVE 1) AND PROVIDING FOOD SAFETY TRAINING (OBJECTIVE 2) AND DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS IN WRITING, IMPLEMENTING AND OBTAINING GAP CERTIFICATION (OBJECTIVE 3). THE PROJECT WILL BENEFIT 415 FARMERS SELLING PRODUCTS THROUGH THE PARTICIPATING FOOD HUBS, AND AN ADDITIONAL 180 WHO PARTICIPATE IN A CFSA WORKSHOP AND/OR RECEIVE DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON FOOD SAFETY, FOR A TOTAL OF 595 BENEFICIARIES. OF THOSE, 60% (353) WILL BE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND/OR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED.THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN 400 FARMERS LEARNING ABOUT AND INCREASING THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF FOOD SAFETY AND PREVENTION; 240 INCREASING THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES; 300 JOBS MAINTAINED; 260 FARMERS REPORTING INCREASED REVENUE; AND 66 NEW FARMERS SELLING TO FOOD HUBS

SINCE 2012, THE CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION'S (CFSA) LOCAL PRODUCE SAFETY INITIATIVE HAS DELIVERED RESEARCH-BASED, PRACTICAL, AND APPROACHABLE FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO GROWERS SERVING MARKETS FOR LOCAL FOODS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THROUGH THE TWELVE YEARS OF THIS PROGRAM, CFSA HAS TRAINED OVER 3,400 FARMERS AND AG EDUCATORS ON GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (GAP), INCLUDING WATER TESTING AND SAMPLING, MANAGEMENT OF SOIL AMENDMENTS, AND FOOD SAFETY PLAN DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM HAS ALSO DIRECTLY ASSISTED IN DEVELOPING AND WRITING FOOD SAFETY PLANS FOR MORE THAN 650 FARMERS. IT HAS ALSO ASSISTED 220 FARMERS IN PASSING A GAP AUDIT, HELPING THEM INCREASE ACCESS TO LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD MARKETS. THIS FSOP PROPOSAL WOULD ALLOW CFSA TO BROADEN THE SCOPE OF OUR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM BY ADDING A TRAIN-THE-TRAINER COMPONENT WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ENABLING US TO COORDINATE OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF MORE FARMERS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, 990 FARMERS WILL INCREASE THEIR FOOD SAFETY RISK MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE BY ATTENDING A FIELD DAY, WORKSHOP, OR WEBINAR. NINETY OF THOSE FARMERS WILL COMPLETE TRAINING THAT MEETS THE FSMA PRODUCE SAFETY RULE REQUIREMENTS. NINETY-SIX WILL RECEIVE DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TAILORED TO THEIR SPECIFIC GOALS AND NEEDS. WE ANTICIPATE THAT 500 WILL IMPLEMENT AT LEAST ONE FOOD SAFETY PROCEDURE, 60 WILL BE 'AUDIT READY,' AND 30 WILL OBTAIN GAP CERTIFICATION.

THE LOCAL PRODUCE SAFETY INITIATIVE IS A COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT BETWEEN CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY'S SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION, AND NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION THAT WILL FURTHER DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ON FOOD SAFETY MODERNIZATION ACT REGULATIONS AND GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES SPECIFICALLY FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FARMERS AND ORGANIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. THE LONG TERM GOAL IS TO PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL-SCALE, LIMITED-RESOURCE, HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED, AND NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS IN DISTRESSED COUNTIES IN NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, SEEKING ACCESS TO HIGH-VALUE MARKETS FOR LOCAL FOODS IN CAROLINA COMMUNITIES. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL REVIEW AND MODIFY EXISTING TRAINING MATERIAL AND CURRICULUM AND DEVELOP TECHNICAL FACT SHEETS ON BIOLOGICAL SOIL AMENDMENTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN, WATER USE, NAVIGATING THE APPROVED SUPPLIER LIST, AND USING SANITIZERS (OBJECTIVE 1), CONDUCT TWELVE 1-DAY WORKSHOPS COVERING PRINCIPLES OF FRESH PRODUCE SAFETY AND NAVIGATING THE GAP AUDIT TO 180 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS (OBJECTIVE 2), CONDUCT TWELVE 1-DAY WORKSHOPS COVERING FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT TO 180 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS (OBJECTIVE 3), PROVIDE DIRECT FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO 90 SMALL-SCALE FARMS SEEKING GAP CERTIFICATION (OBJECTIVE 4) AND PROVIDE 15 PSA GROWER TRAININGS TO 225 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, 3 WORKSHOPS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SPANISH (OBJECTIVE 5).

GROWING LOCAL FOOD CAPACITY FROM FIELD T

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WE PROPOSE TO PARTNER ACROSS CALIFORNIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND NEW MEXICO TO COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF A PSA-EQUIVALENT CURRICULUM FOR DIVERSIFIED, SUSTAINABLE, ORGANIC, BEGINNING, AND SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS GROWING PRODUCE FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD MARKETS. THESE PRODUCERS ARE HIGHLY LIKELY TO BE OPERATING FARMS THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY OR QUALIFIED EXEMPT FROM THE FSMA PRODUCE SAFETY RULE (PSR). AMONG THIS AUDIENCE, THOSE THAT ARE COVERED OFTEN NEED SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (GAPS), AND MAYBE UNAWARE OF THE PSR.THE PROJECT PARTNERS, CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION (CFSA), COMMUNITY ALLIANCE WITH FAMILY FARMERS (CAFF), NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE COALITION (NSAC), AND NEW MEXICO FARMERS' MARKETING ASSOCIATION (NMFMA), COMBINED HAVE THE EQUIVALENT OF OVER A CENTURY OF SERVING THE NEEDS OF THIS FARM AUDIENCE AND HAVE BEEN LEADERS AMONG COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING GAP, FOODSAFETY, AND FSMA SUPPORT TO THESE FARMERS SINCE FSMA WAS PASSED. THEY HAVE WORKED AT THE STATE, REGIONAL, AND FEDERAL LEVELS TO DEVELOP A VARIETY OF SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THESE FARMERS. THESE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN COOPERATING WITH THE US FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) IN CREATING A PSA-EQUIVALENT GAP CURRICULUM TARGETED TO THE NEEDS OF THIS AUDIENCE. THE PROPOSED DIVERSIFIED FARM FSMA TRAINING INITIATIVE CONTINUES THAT COLLABORATION BY TAKING THAT CURRICULUM AND DEVELOPING A FULL PROGRAM FOR DELIVERY TO THE TARGET AUDIENCE, INCLUDING HOSTING WALK-THROUGH TRAININGS, CONDUCTING PILOT TRAININGS ON-FARM, CREATING A TRAIN THE TRAINER CURRICULA, ESTABLISHING A REVIEW AND MONITORING PROCESS FOR CURRICULUM MAINTENANCE AND DISTRIBUTION, AND HOSTING AN INITIAL ROUND OF TRAININGS.TOGETHER, THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL FOR THE DIVERSIFIED FARM FSMA TRAINING INITIATIVE, THE PROJECT PARTNERS WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A CUSTOMIZED FOOD SAFETY EDUCATIONAND OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR SMALL FARMS THAT USE CONSERVATION-FOCUSED, SUSTAINABLE, AND ORGANIC PRACTICES AND DISTRIBUTE THEIR PRODUCE IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD MARKETS, ESPECIALLY FARMS IN THIS CATEGORY THAT ARE OPERATED BY BEGINNING AND SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS.

BUILDING RESILIENCY TO CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS

LOCAL PRODUCE SAFETY INITIATIVE

PROVIDE TA TO FARMERS ON HIGH TUNNEL PURCHASING, CONSTRUCTIO, PRODUCTION, AND MANAGEMENT; AND ON ORGANIC PRODUCTION ANDCERTIFICATION.

EMPOWERING SMALL ON FARM AND LIMITED RESOURCE PROCESSORS WITH CUSTOM FSMA TRAINING

CONSERVATION OUTREACH CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH CAROLINA FRM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION

EMPOWERING SMALL ON FARM AND LIMITED RESOURCE PROCESSORS WITH CUSTOM FSMA TRAINING