Source: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA submitted to NRP
SOUTHERN REGIONAL AND LEAD COORDINATION CENTERS FOR FSMA FOOD SAFETY TRAINING AND OUTREACH
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1032692
Grant No.
2024-70020-42861
Cumulative Award Amt.
$2,324,692.00
Proposal No.
2024-03242
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2024
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2027
Grant Year
2025
Program Code
[A4182]- Regional FSMA Center
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This proposal aims to build a collaborative infrastructure in the Southeast to support Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliant training, education, and extension outreach to the produce industry. The proposed Southern Center (SC) includes participation from land-grant institutions in AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, and VA. The Center will lead, manage, and coordinate regional assistance programs targeted at owners and operators of small and medium-sized farms, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, small food processors, and small fruit and vegetable merchants. In addition to land-grant institutions, partnerships with state and local regulators and community-based and non-governmental organizations will be leveraged to maximize training effectiveness and delivery opportunities. The objectives are as follows:1) Develop a cadre of FSMA Lead Trainers/Instructors and support the delivery of regional and stakeholder-specific education, training curricula, and technical assistance programs in the Southern US.2) Coordinate a regional communication strategy to discuss ongoing efforts and best practices for FSMA-related training, education, and technical assistance.3) Create strong partnerships with representative government and non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, and tribal organizations to build capacity and strengthen collaboration within the Southern US.4) Evaluate the impact of SC education and training through ongoing program assessments.Programs will focus on helping audiences understand FSMA regulations and implement systems to meet all current requirements to ensure a safe produce supply.In addition, UF will serve as the lead institution for all four Regional Centers and will facilitate communication and information sharing between the centers.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
9025010000150%
9035010000150%
Knowledge Area
902 - Administration of Projects and Programs; 903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
0001 - Administration;
Goals / Objectives
The four major objectives for Southern Regional Center:Objective 1.Develop a cadre of FSMA Lead Trainers/Instructors and support the development and delivery of region and stakeholder-specific education, training curricula, and technical assistance programs in the southern US.Built upon the backbone of PSA and FSPCA Trainers-of-Trainers (TTT), and our PSA partnerships developed over the previous nine years, we will continue to identify, recruit, train, and mentor a network of food safety professionals, including representatives from academia, state and local regulatory agencies, NGOs, commodity group associations, and local food hubs, to reach our target audiences at the regional and local levels by continuing to sponsor train-the-trainer courses across the Southern US. We will offer continuing education courses and mentoring opportunities to increase knowledge for PSR, PCHF, and other programs as needed; and to build awareness and expertise in the new curricula.Objective 2:Coordinate a regional communication strategy to discuss ongoing efforts and best practices for FSMA-related training, education, and technical assistance within the southern US.In addition to organizing SRIPS, the SC will coordinate with partner institutions to bring a core group of co-PIs and collaborators together on a bi-annual basis. The SC staff will manage a website including the center objectives, the consortium of involved institutions, contact information for all PIs and Collaborators, regional and center-specific resources, and a calendar of future training events.Objective 3.Create strong partnerships with representative government and non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, and tribal organizations to build capacity and strengthen collaboration for FSMA-compliant trainings within the southern US. Activities for this objective include:a) provide training opportunities for existing curricula such as PSA, alternative PSA, and FSPCA; b) create innovative and up-to-date training materials for industry partners; c) develop and deliver regional, commodity, and audience-appropriate training programs; and d) update and deliver the Advanced PSA Training targeted at industry partners.Objective 4.Evaluate the impact of Southern Center education and training through ongoing program assessments.The annual evaluation for the project is framed using the Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP; Harder, 2009; Rockwell & Bennett, 2004) model. The use of the TOP Model is appropriate as its focus on both process and outcome indicators will help guide discussions with the project team regarding progress towards project goals and areas for improvement.Implement standardized evaluation procedures to measure outputs, reactions, knowledge, and behavioral outcomes associated with Obj 1-3.The four major objectives for Lead Regional Coordination Center (LRCC) sub-award?Objective 1: Identify strategies to coordinate FSOP projects and provide a framework for collecting project outputs and impacts, helping RCs standardize data collection and evaluation practices: A coordination/assessment-related objective of this subproposal is providing a means of capturing the output and impacts of current and future FSOP projects.This objective will leverage the concurrent FSOP-related communication efforts of Objective 2 of the LRCC. The LRCC will conduct tangible activities that, when completed, will accomplish this objective.Objective 2: Develop and execute an effective plan for the duration of the project that will encourage and facilitate communication across the RCs, the FSOPs, NIFA, FDA and other program leaders:The primary coordination objective of this subproject proposal is to facilitate communication and coordination, through the LRCC and the RCs. The requirements of the RCs are to lead, manage and coordinate the regional development and implementation of food safety training and outreach for the target audience described in the introduction in each regional area. Year 1 activities will focus on maintaining the continuity of the third-generation awards and transitioning to the fourth-generation awards (2024-2027). Co-PI Benge will prepare annual reports for the LRCC project team framed using the TOP model discussed above.Objective 3: Develop a system for tracking and reporting information on training, training resources, best practices, intended audiences, and providing resources directly to stakeholders.This objective will be carried out through the communication infrastructure established in Objective 2, as well as that established in the third-generation RCs.Major outreach efforts conducted by the RCs will be captured in a unified format, with workshops, trainings, outreach, and technical assistance and audience profile document.Objective 4: Develop a continuity plan for communicating with the currently funded RCs: The LRCC is committed, should we be funded, to building on the effective communication infrastructure and partnerships developed over our previous award. We have established relationships with the current RCs, who have provided support letters on their intent to work collaboratively for the overall benefit of the target audience for this program, namely stakeholders affected by FSMA requirements. We anticipate no major pitfalls and commit to working successfully with the RCs, sponsors, and all stakeholders regardless of to whom the awards are made.
Project Methods
Southern Regional CenterObjective 1.Develop a cadre of FSMA Lead Trainers/Instructors and support the development and delivery of region and stakeholder-specific education, training curricula, and technical assistance programs in the southern US.Techniques to be Employed: The TTT approach has proven itself as an effective method for building a cadre of instructors that has enabled the training programs to reach more people in diverse locations and with distinct needs. One of the most important factors for success is selecting the correct individuals to be trained and providing continued support as they begin to train. This method allows for regional teams of proficient educators who can train the stakeholders. This creates a multiplier effect, effectively expanding the overall impacts of the program to reach greater numbers of people (Skelton and Josiah, 2003). It also has the added advantage of reducing the travel costs associated with small numbers of trainers and increases the flexibility in scheduling programs (Richards et al., 2012).Objective 2:Coordinate a regional communication strategy to discuss ongoing efforts and best practices for FSMA-related training, education, and technical assistance within the southern US.Techniques to be Employed:In addition to organizing SRIPS, the SC will coordinate with partner institutions to bring a core group of co-PIs and collaborators together on a bi-annual basis. The Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Association (SRFVA) Conference and the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) serve as excellent 'anchor' events for grant participants, stakeholders, and regulators to meet and discuss outcomes and share ideas. These also serve as meeting points for working groups. The SC staff will manage a website including the center objectives, the consortium of involved institutions, contact information for all PIs and Collaborators, regional and center-specific resources, and a calendar of future training events.Objective 3.Create strong partnerships with representative government and non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, and tribal organizations to build capacity and strengthen collaboration for FSMA-compliant trainings within the southern US.Techniques to be Employed:Working with the other regional centers, the SC and targeted stakeholders will leverage resources to 1) develop training curricula to aid industry partners, 2) provide training opportunities around the southeast and virtually, and 3) provide technical assistance as needed to ensure that our industry partners have the most current information to implement their food safety programs effectively. Building upon the success of the PSA Advanced training and other training workshops, we will continue to refine existing workshops and develop new ones to meet stakeholder needs.Objective 4.Evaluate the impact of Southern Center education and training through ongoing program assessments.Techniques to be Employed:Process evaluation, also known as program monitoring, "is the systematic and continual documentation of key aspects of program performance that assess whether the program is operating as intended or according to some appropriate standard" (Rossi et al., 2004). Process evaluations compare what was done to what was planned. Records (Hatry, 2004) are an important data source for process evaluation. Outputs to be monitored in the process evaluation include, but are not limited to: (a) workshop/training attendance, (b) number of individuals successfully becoming Trainers/Instructors, (c) geographic distribution of Trainers,/Instructors (d) number of workshops conducted, (e) dissemination of regional training materials on the SC website and/or the NE clearinghouse, (f) number and type of produce safety trainings conducted beyond PSA, alternative PSA, and FSPCA, (g) development and dissemination of standardized, FSMA compliant curricula, (h) number and type of standardized rubrics created to assess compliance of FSOPs with FSMA rules, (i) development and dissemination of standardized evaluation instruments, (j) number of grant personnel trained to implement the project's standardized evaluation procedures, and (k) development of a strategy for communication with FSOPs.Lead Regional Coordination Center SubproposalObjective 1: Identify strategies to coordinate FSOP projects and provide a framework for collecting project outputs and impacts, helping RCs standardize data collection and evaluation practices: A coordination/assessment-related objective of this subproposal is providing a means of capturing the output and impacts of current and future FSOP projects.Objective 2: Develop and execute an effective plan for the duration of the project that will encourage and facilitate communication across the RCs, the FSOPs, NIFA, FDA and other program leaders:The primary coordination objective of this subproject proposal is to facilitate communication and coordination, through the LRCC and the RCs. The requirements of the RCs are to lead, manage and coordinate the regional development and implementation of food safety training and outreach for the target audience described in the introduction in each regional area.Objective 3: Develop a system for tracking and reporting information on training, training resources, best practices, intended audiences, and providing resources directly to stakeholders.This objective will be carried out through the communication infrastructure established in Objective 2, as well as that established in the third-generation RCs.Objective 4: Develop a continuity plan for communicating with the currently funded RCs: The LRCC is committed, should we be funded, to building on the effective communication infrastructure and partnerships developed over our previous award. We have established relationships with the current RCs, who have provided support letters on their intent to work collaboratively for the overall benefit of the target audience for this program, namely stakeholders affected by FSMA requirements. We anticipate no major pitfalls and commit to working successfully with the RCs, sponsors, and all stakeholders regardless of to whom the awards are made.Techniques to be Employed:The four objectives of the LRCC will focus on the collection of data from theRegional Centers, FSOP grantawardees, and Center partners for the purpose of evaluation and reporting. Dr. Matt Benge will lead the effort to collect and coordinate these efforts.

Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences include owners and operators of small and medium-sized farms, beginning and family (generational) farmers, small food processors, and small fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers affected by FSMA rules. This project also targets the development of lead instructors and trainers at consortium institutions, primary stakeholders from federal and state regulatory agencies, NGOs, and other trade organizations, and collaborating institutions in the Southeast and around the country with education and training initiatives. Changes/Problems:The grant team continued its use of in-person and web-based meetings to fulfill FSOP communication and information-sharing deliverables. While this is not necessarily viewed as a problem, the switch to virtual training has shifted the way the team conducts these trainings. While the team will continue to conduct live meetings of the LRCC and regional centers when possible, the switch to more virtual meetings has become entrenched. I do not see this changing for this iteration of the grant. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training Opportunities The next tableprovides the number of trainings and participants during Year 1 presented by grant personnel over year one of the grant period. Data was collected by grant trainers and staff throughout the southern region and sent to the SRC evaluation team for management, analysis, and reporting. A total of 40 PSA and FSPCA trainings were conducted during Year 1, which resulted in 639 agriculturalists receiving training. Participants by State or Territory TrainingsParticipants StateFSPCAPSAFSPCAPSA Year 1Year 1Year 1Year 1 Alabama-1-16 Arkansas -3-34 Florida 11216186 Georgia---- Kentucky-6 -111 Louisiana 141761 Mississippi---- North Carolina254066 Oklahoma ---- South Carolina-3-53 Tennessee -1-10 Texas -1-29 Virginia ---- Total43673566 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This participants of this grant used numerous modalites to disseminate information to stakeholders. A briefsummary of activities is presented below. Short-Term Outcomes - Knowledge The pre-test mean was 14.19, while the post-test mean was 19.09 (n= 378). Results for the PSA trainings showed post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores (t= 26.36,p< 0.001), indicating a significant increase in knowledge after participation in the training. The effect size is medium (d= .83). Medium-Term Outcomes - Practices Adopted Participants were asked to report on their adoption of PSA-compliant practices, with a response rate of 16.4%. Table 3 shows the respondents' adoption of new or different food safety practices following the PSA training. The data in Table 4 were collected between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025. The most adopted practice was implementing new or different practices for monitoring on-farm facilities (n= 40). Participants were able to describe what 'other new or different methods related to produce safety' they implemented due to their participation in the PSA training program, which included: Awareness of ground produce and watereborneListeria Cleaning tools Cross contamination policy Handle Fruit more carefully. Make sure picking containers are clean and safe Implemented changes to wash water use Monitoring the water irrigation protocol More education on hand hygiene for visitors on the farm Naming and organizing beds Written protocols Recordkeeping and documentation of every and all things Re-worked SOP's related to new water treatment process Started using plastic mulch and drip irrigation to reduce our risk of contaminants coming in contact with the produce Designed and built a rain water catchment system utilizing knowledge gained from the training. Installation of two emergency eye-flush stations Application of corrective actions Working on improvement plan Conceptualization of farm food safety plans Participants also were able to indicate what infrastructure and equipment changes they implemented, which included: Completed a new vegetable packing facility. A commercial sink Added drip irrigation & removed overhead irrigation, landscape fiber, added vegetable wash stations, and new handling equipment for both picking and storage Better watering methods with less plant contact Changed irrigation system Drip irrigation Drip irrigation, system for washing produce trays Harvester cleaning and sanitation Built my wash pack and procedures after taking the training Irrigation Sanitizing and washing equipment Changed the hard surface sanitation and planning to replace wooden packing tables and flooring in our packing room Installation of portable hand washing stations on sight when needed New grading machine and changed water treatment product and equipment Washing equipment What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Southern Regional Center The SRC team will continue to host PSA and FSPCA training in FY2 as outlined in the objectives. The training group will continue to workon conducting national and regional meetings and are well positioned based on extensive experience with this program.These trainings will include trainers from all of our partners on this grant. The SRC plans to host our annual meeting of SC partners on Jan 8, 2026, in Savannah, GA, at the annual Southern Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Additionally, the SRC will host the Southern Region Integrated Produce Safety Conference (SRIPS). This meeting is in the planning stage at the time of this report, but will be held sometime in spring/summer2026. Lead Regional Coordination Center To assist in achieving grant goals for 2025-2026(year 2),the LRCC will continue to use the FSOPliaison model developed in the previous reporting period to continue open communications. This model was successful in thedevelopment of thisyear's FSOP program director's meeting held in May 2022,May-June 2023 and May 2025. A two-day, national program director's meeting webinar was held on September 20 and 24, 2024 and another virtual meeting is in discussion for spring of 2026. The LRCC plans to host our semi-annual meeting of SC and regional centers in New Orleans, LAin July 2026at the annualIAFP conference.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The SRC held two meetings in Year 1. The annual meeting was held January 9, 2025 at the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah, GA. The semi-annual meeting was held at IAFP on July 27, 2025. Additionally, the 2025 SRIPS Conference was hosted February 11-13, 2025, in Montgomery, AL, and the FSOP National Project Directors Meeting was hosted May 28-29, 2025, in Tampa, FL. A total of 40 trainings were conducted during Year 1 of the grant period, which resulted in 639 participants. A summary of activities and outputs for Year 1 are provided in following table. Summary of outputs for Year 1 Output Description Year 1 Number of PSA workshops conducted 36 Number of PSA participants 566 Number of FSPCA workshops conducted4 Number of FSPCA participants73 Dissemination of regional training materialssc.ifas.ufl.edu (Southern Center Website) on the Southern Region website and/or the NE Clearinghouse Number of alternative and modified foodTwo SRC reviewers are included the safety training curricula, add-ons, and bestWRCEFS database practice approaches reviewed to ensure consistency with FSMA rules Development and dissemination of standardizedOngoing review of the: evaluation instruments FSPCA pre/post-test, PSA pre/post-test, and the 4-month quantitative follow-up Via Qualtrics for PSA, FSPCA, and Train the Trainer programs. A new PSA evaluation instrument was created and reviewed in Year 1. Number of grant personnel trained to implement the project's standardized evaluation procedures. Evaluation presentations were made at the SRC Annual Meeting, SRC Mid-Year Meeting, and the FSOP National Project Directors Meeting. See attendance records for annual meetings. Development of a communication strategy SRC Annual Meeting: January 9, with SRC and FSOP personnel 2025, Savannah, GA. ?SRC Mid-Year Meeting: July 27, 2025, Cleveland, OH SRIPS Conference: February 11-13, 2025, Montgomery, AL. FSOP National Project Directors Meeting: May 28-29, 2025, Tampa, FL. In additon to trainings, a follow-up survey was conducted to see if we achieved behavioral modification and food safety practice adoption. The following table summarizes those results. PSA Trainees' Follow-Up Adoption of New or Different Practices? Actions taken since participating in the training:NYesNoNA Begin to write or modify farm food safety plans63311220 Create or modify food safety record-keeping systems 66361416 Implement new or different trainings for employees68341123 on food safety/hygiene protocols? Implement new or different practices for monitoring73401023 on-farm facilities Implement new or different practices for the handling71241334 of biological soil amendments of animal origin Implement new or different strategies to reduce the risk63261027 of contamination from wildlife or domesticated animals Implement new or different testing of agricultural 67221530 water for genericE. coli Implement new or different methods for cleaning5728821 or sanitizing food contact surfaces Implement new or different pest control systems57231321 Implement new or different methods for 59191822 transportation of produce Implement new or different traceability systems 62231722 Implement any other new or different methods 801961- related to produce safety (other than above) Added new or modified existing on-farm 782058- infrastructure (such as irrigation systems) or equipment (such as washing equipment, vehicles, etc.) in order to improve food safety practices FSPCA Training FSPCA trainees were also given the opportunity within four months of the training to indicate whether they adopted new or different food safety practices or would recommend the FSCPA training to others. The next tableshows the number of respondents who indicated they adopted one or multiple follow-up behaviors. The highest number of trainees reported they recommended the training to others (n= 314), followed by fine-tuning existing food safety plans (n= 10) and training employees on FSPCA rules (n= 9). FSPCA Trainees' Follow-up Adoption of New or Different Practices Actions taken since participating in the training:NYes Wrote food safety plans for your organization221 Fine-tuned existing food safety plans2210 Implemented new food safety plans 224 Consulted with clients on FSPCA regulations221 Helped manufacturers become compliant223 with FSPCA Trained employees on FSPCA rules229 Recommended the training to others 2214

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: P. Geren, T. OBannon. Food Safety for Workers (Spanish Language Presentation). Annual Citrus Employee Safety Training. Lake Alfred, FL. November 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: P. Geren, T. OBannon, William Mitchell. Food Safety/Seguridad Alimentaria (Spanish Language Presentation). Annual Farm Safety Day Safety Training. Immokalee, FL. May 2025.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Carter, C., Schneider, K.R., M. Danyluk, R. Goodrich Schneider, and M. Benge. 2025. Regional Center Update  Southern Center. West Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety (WRCEFS) Annual Meeting, Oracle, AZ. May 2025.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: P. Geren, K.R. Schneider, R. Goodrich, M. Benge, T. OBannon, A. Jackson-Davis, C. Rodriguez, A. Philyaw Perez, C. Carter, L. Dunn, P. Priyesh Vijayakumar, A. Adhikari, J.L. Silva, E. Rogers, O.D. Simmons, III, L. Johnston, R. Jadeja, L. Orellana-Feliciano, M. Plaza, A. Wszelaki, T. M. Taylor, A. Castillo, L.K. Strawn and M. Danyluk. 2025. Assessing the Southern Regional for FSMA Food Safety Training and Outreach Impacts. International Association of Food Protection Annual Meeting. Cleveland, OH, P2-26 p. 763-764.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: P. Geren, Assessing the Southern Regional for FSMA Food Safety Training and Outreach Impacts. 2025. USDA- FSOP National Program Directors Meeting. Tampa, FL.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: P. Geren, Assessing the Southern Regional for FSMA Food Safety Training and Outreach Impacts. 2025. International Association of Food Protection Annual Meeting. Cleveland, OH.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Geren, P., et al. (editors) Southern Regional Integrated Produce Safety Conference Proceedings. Montgomery, AL. Feb 11-13, 2025.