Progress 06/15/22 to 06/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience:For this reporting period, we have worked directly with farmers located within Sullivan County, Delaware County, and Wayne County, PA. The farmers were primarily of white ethnicity and ranged in age. As part of the Food Safety outreach to consumers, we served community members at public farmers' markets. The demographics included a mixture of white, black, hispanic and Asian ethnicities, along with a range of ages. The efforts used to deliver the information to the above target audiences included virtual workshops, recorded webinar trainings and direct community outreach at a public farmers' market and tabling events. Changes/Problems:The proposal included providing technical assistance to help producers become GAP certified. However, there were limited farms who wanted to partciipate in this process. While Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification is increasingly essential for accessing wholesale and institutional markets, small-scale farmers often face significant barriers in obtaining and maintaining certification. These challenges limit their ability to grow their businesses, meet food safety requirements, and participate in larger food systems. The cost of GAP audits presents a major hurdle. Unlike larger operations that can absorb the expense of third-party audits, water testing, facility upgrades, and documentation systems, small farms often operate on limited margins with little room for additional overhead. These costs are further compounded by the need to implement physical infrastructure changes--such as sanitary wash stations or covered packing areas--to meet GAP requirements. Time and labor demands also place a disproportionate burden on small farmers. Many are owner-operators who manage all aspects of production, sales, and administration. The extensive recordkeeping, training, and procedural documentation required by GAP can be overwhelming without dedicated staff or administrative support. Furthermore, existing GAP standards are not always scaled appropriately for small or diversified farms. Requirements designed for larger operations often fail to account for the realities of farms with minimal labor, mixed crops, or limited access to technology. This mismatch can make compliance particularly burdensome and discourage participation altogether. Overall, I do see in the future that more farms in our region will become GAP audited for accessing other markets and buyers. But for now, these farms are in the earlier stages of expansion and are implementing food safety practices with FSMA and not by a third party audit. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over the reporting period, we successfully engaged111 workshop attendeesthrough a series of regionally hosted, hands-on educational events focused on produce safety and farm operational readiness. These workshops included: On-Farm Composting and Washing/Packaging Produce "Alphabet Soup" Session: Understanding FSMA, GAPs, and PSR Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Trainings Food Safety Plan Writing and Wholesale Market Readiness Workshops Farmworker Health & Hygiene and Post-Harvest Handling Trainings Our outreach strategy prioritizedsmall and exempt farm operations, resulting in strong participation from these groups. We delivered content throughin-person workshops, webinars, and one-on-one technical assistance, ensuring accessibility and relevance. To reinforce learning, we distributed tailored educational materials aligned with each workshop topic. These resources were made available in multiple formats--print, website, newsletter, and email--to maximize reach and retention. This comprehensive approach not only increased awareness and understanding of produce safety regulations but also equipped farmers with practical tools to implement food safety practices and access wholesale markets. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Catskills Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) has implemented a multi-channel dissemination strategy to ensure that food safety education reaches a broad and diverse audience across Sullivan and Delaware Counties, NY, and Wayne County, PA. Key dissemination efforts include: Direct Community Engagement: Educational materials were distributed to both consumers and farmers atpublic farmers marketsandcommunity outreach events, including the Sullivan Fresh Market on the Move and Community Cupboard stops. These events also featuredsafe food handling demonstrationsdelivered by CCESC ServeSafe-certified staff, reaching over 400 low-income consumers. Digital and Print Outreach: Food safety factsheets, guidance documents, and workshop materials were shared throughemail, postal mail, newsletters, and theupdated food safety section of the CCESC website. This ensured ongoing access to resources for producers and community members. Partner Collaboration: Partner organizations, including CCEDC and PSEWC, played a critical role in extending the program's reach by distributing educational materials and providing technical assistance to their networks of farms and producers. Targeted Technical Assistance: Over55 on-farm visitswere conducted, and40 farms received individualized supportto implement food safety practices, reinforcing workshop content and ensuring practical application. Workshops and Trainings: With111 attendees, FSOP hosted a range of workshops and PSA Grower Trainings, complemented by webinars and one-on-one support. These sessions were designed to be accessible tosmall, socially disadvantaged, and veteran-owned farms, aligning with the program's equity goals. This comprehensive dissemination approach has not only increased awareness and compliance with food safety standards but also strengthened the capacity of local producers to access new markets and serve their communities with safe, nutritious food. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The Catskills Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) successfully expanded food safety education and outreach in the underserved regions of Sullivan and Delaware Counties, NY, and Wayne County, PA. Through targeted technical assistance, producer training, and regional collaboration, the program delivered measurable improvements in food safety compliance, producer readiness, and market access for small and medium-scale fruit and vegetable farms, many of which are socially disadvantaged or veteran-owned. Key Deliverables & Outcomes 1. Technical Assistance - 40 farms received individualized assistance on Farm Food Safety Practices - Over 55 on-farm visits conducted regionally - Farms supported in updating practices based on the Final Rule on harvest/post-harvest water 2. Training & Education -111 workshop attendees Hosted regionally attended workshops, including: * On-Farm Composting, Washing/Packaging Produce * Alphabet soup: Understanding FSMA, GAPs, and PSR - Engaged farmers in hands-on trainings and webinars, with strong participation from small and exempt operations - Delivered regional Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Trainings - Hosted Food Safety Plan Writing and Wholesale Market Readiness sessions - Provided Farmworker Health & Hygiene and Post-harvest Handling training -Distributed and educated on educational material relating to each workshop topics. Resources were provided via paper, website, newsletter, and email 3. Recordkeeping & Compliance Support - 20 farms achieved food safety recordkeeping compliance - Helped 15 farms meet certification requirements for the NYS Grown & Certified Program 4. Market Impact - Sullivan Fresh Market on the Move and Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard increased purchases from GAP-audited or food safety plan-compliant farms by 20%, showing the market value of improved practices 5. Safe Food Handling: As part of our direct community engagement strategy, the Catskills Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) successfully implementedsafe food handling demonstrationsat mobile farmers market stops, reaching over400 low-income consumersacross Sullivan County. These demonstrations were conducted byCCESC ServeSafe-certified educatorsat key community access points, including theSullivan Fresh Market on the Moveand theSullivan Fresh Community Cupboard. These mobile markets serve as vital food access hubs for underserved populations, making them ideal venues for delivering practical, high-impact food safety education. Key components of this deliverable included: Live Demonstrations: Staff provided hands-on demonstrations covering topics such as proper handwashing, safe produce washing, cross-contamination prevention, and temperature control for perishable items. Interactive Engagement: Consumers were encouraged to ask questions and participate in demonstrations, reinforcing learning through direct interaction. Resource Distribution: Attendees received take-home materials, including food safety tip sheets, refrigerator magnets with safe temperature guidelines, and links to additional online resources.

Publications

Progress 06/15/23 to 06/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:For this reporting period, we have worked directly with farmers located within Sullivan County, Delaware County, and Wayne County, PA. The farmers were primarily of white ethnicity and ranged in age. As part of the Food Safety outreach to consumers, we served community members at public farmers' markets. The demographics included a mixture of white, black, hispanic and Asian ethnicities, along with a range of ages. The efforts used to deliver the information to the above target audiences included virtual workshops, recorded webinar trainings and direct community outreach at a public farmers' market and tabling events. Changes/Problems:Staffing changes at partner organizations delayed some outreach and workshops from being completed at originally planned times. In the end, these issues were sorted out with finding new points of contact within those organizations. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Continued efforts have been focused on one-on-one technical assistance for this grant reporting time frame. In addition, there has been scheduled workshops that have been delivered on Food Safety topics. Further webinars and workshops are being scheduled for the remainder of the grant including PSR trainings. Professional development is ongoing with access to Cornell University Produce Safety team's dissemination of updates to the federal rule. Additional train-the-trainer workshop has been completed in May to gain additional knowledge and understanding in the updates to the new water regulations. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have distributed educational materials to consumers and farmers at public farmers markets and outreach events, continued to updated our food safety section on our website, mailed and emailed food safety factsheet and guidance documents. In addition our partner organizations have also assisted in distribution of information to their respective farms/producers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period we plan to accomplish our goals by continuing to implement the Food Safety Outreach plan with our partners. This includes outreach via mail, email, brochures, 8 webinars/workshops on food safety topics, one-on-one technical assistance to farms looking to increase their food safety knowledge, become compliant with the PSR, and increase the number of farms that are grown and certified and have a food safety plan.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? • 3 additional producers are becoming NYS Grown and Certified • Outreach for Wayne and Delaware County farmers has continued and scheduling of FSMA trainings has been established for this time period. • Working with partners to establish goals and training opportunities with the Food Safety Educational Outreach Plan. • 15 farms are in the process of increasing their knowledge of food safety practices on their farm with technical assistance • Working with 10 farms on record keeping compliance for the PSR • Increased the number of producers in Sullivan and Delaware Counties that are NYS Grown and Certified and have the ability to sell to the Catskills Food Hub, the Farm to Food Bank program and the Sullivan Fresh program

Publications

Progress 06/15/22 to 06/14/23

Outputs
Target Audience:For this reporting period, we have worked directly with farmers located within Sullivan County and Wayne County, PA. The farmers were primarily of white ethnicity and ranged in age. As part of the Food Safety outreach to consumers, we served community members at public farmers' markets. The demographics included a mixture of white, black, hispanic and asian ethnicities, along with a range of ages. The efforts used to deliver the information to the above target audiences included virtual workshops, recorded webinar trainings and direct community outreach at a public farmers' market. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Currently individualized training is being provided to farmers within the region by one-on-one technical assistance. Group webinars and workshops are being planned to begin in the winter. Professional development is ongoing with access to Cornell University Produce Safety team's dissemination of updates to the federal rule. In addition, increased training for the PSR Water Regulations has been completed in March, Bridging the GAPs: Approaches for treating Preharvest Ag Water On-farm. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have distributed educational materials to consumers and farmers at public farmers markets, updated our food safety section on our website, mailed and emailed food safety factsheet and guidance documents. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period we plan to accomplish our goals by implementing the Food Safety Outreach plan with our partners. This includes outreach via mail, email, brochures, 10 webinars/workshops on food safety topics, one-on-one technical assistance to farms looking to increase their food safety knowledge, become compliant with the PSR, and increase the number of farms that are grown and certified and have a food safety plan.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 3 additional producers are becoming NYS Grown and Certified Outreach for Wayne and Delaware County farmers has begun and scheduling of PSR and FSMA topics training has been established Working with partners to implement the Food Safety Educational Outreach Plan 4 farms are in the process of increasing their knowledge of food safety practices on their farm with technical assistance Working with 8 farms on record keeping compliance for the PSR Sullivan Fresh Market on the Move (Mobile Farmers Market) and the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard increased purchases from the Hub from small and medium sized farms with Food Safety plans or GAP audits by 20%.

Publications