Performing Department
Cooperative Extension
Non Technical Summary
The proposal helps Kentucky State University address the need for training of small-scale, minority, and socially disadvantaged farmers and producers to develop strategies for the handling of produce and making of value-added products to be in compliance with Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations, as well as processing and marketing requirements/standards for COVID-19, even after vaccines are developed. Therefore, the objectives of this proposal are to: 1) Provide in-person workshops and online training programming for handling of produce and packaging, as well as value-added product development as result of COVID-19, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and FSMA policies; 2) Assist producers in recipe and label approval and farmers market tasting trials with COVID-19 limitations; 3) Offer workshops and trainings on new potential value-added products such as confections, dried fruit, granola, hot sauce, and more; 4) Provide additional equipment enhancements for the KSU Fruit and Vegetable Mobile Processing Unit; and 5) Create undergraduate research and practicum opportunities in the research areas in Objective 3, which will develop leadership and critical thinking skills in students. Extension capacity will be enhnced through creation of a new safety curiculum and additional Equipment purchased. The new equipment will support additional research and curriculum development in food science and safety in the sciences area and assist in the continuation of the project.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Objectives:Provide in person workshops and online training programming for handling of produce and packaging, as well as value-added product development as result of COVID, GAPs, and FSMA policies (Nelson, Crabtree, Pomper, and Tope)Assist in producers in recipe and label approval, farmers market tasting trials with COVID limitations (Extension Associate partially supported by grant)Offer workshops and trainings on new potential value-added products such as confections, dried fruit, granola, hot sauce, soap, lotion, etc (Nelson and Extension Associate)Provide additional equipment enhancements for the KSU Fruit and Vegetable Mobile Processing Unit (Nelson and Extension Associate); andCreate undergraduate research and practicum opportunities in the research areas in objective 3, which will develop leadership and critical thinking skills in students. (Pomper)
Project Methods
Objective 1) Provide in person workshops and online curriculum training on handling of produce and packaging, value-added product development as result of COVID-19, GAPs, and FSMA policies 1. Survey Process: Develop survey for stakeholders to address COVID-19, GAPs, and FSMA policies for Small and Limited Resource Farmers (SLRF). The survey will ask for demographic data age, sex, income level, farm size, crops and value added product status. Participants will be asked to rate the importance of issues to their operations. Issues could include processing, facilities, PPE, GAP training, value-added processing, marketing, FSMA, and other COVID-19 concerns. 2. An application process for Training services will be created to identifySLRF for assistance in training services. Through KSU Small Farms Extension Program and Dr. Marion Simon,SLRF will be recruited in person by KSU small farm assistants to participate in program and Third Thursday. Participants be recruited using traditional approaches; newsletters, including UK Fruit Facts and the Kentucky Nut Growers Association Newsletter, and on websites. An application will be created that includes questions for potential participants such as gross farm income more than $1,000 and less than $250,000 year, minority owned or female farm business owner/operator, net household income less than $23,000 per year, Types value-added product interested in creating, any previously developed products or received any processing training, does the product that you are interested in contain low acid or dairy components. 3. Training services and support for qualifyingSLRF that meet the criteria above for fruit and vegetable value-added products, grant funds would pay for slrf's to complete ($225): Better Process Control School. FDA regulations require acidified foods and low acid canned foods to be produced under the watchful eye of trained supervisors. The UK Better Process Control School is designed to provide the necessary training in processing acidified foods under FDA regulations to ensure safe products and reduce liability. Topics covered include FDA Regulations, Acidified Foods, Principles of Thermal Processing, and Food Plant Sanitation. The course is specifically designed to meet the requirements of manufacturing plant operators and all acidified food manufacturers. A Certificate of Training will be provided upon successful completion of the course. Food Safety Modernization Act-Grower Training Program is free course by the Food Systems Innovation Center. A developed fact sheet will help guide farmers whether this course is relevant to their operations. Requirement for GAP Training. Participants interested in bagging or freezing fruits/vegetables for resale will be required to attend a session from Kentucky Cooperative Extension Agents and KDA on best practices that will reduce the risk of their product becoming contaminated with a GAP Training Certificate issued by the KDA. After completion of the above points, it will be the responsibility of the participant to pay insurances and show proof prior to any processing of product. Certain requirements exits for use of FVMPU to ensure people understand the food safety aspects of why the processing protocol is needed; however, the participants will still need to be inspected on their own as a business.Objective 2) Assist in producers in recipe and label approval, farmers market tasting trials with COVID-19 limitations; Recipe Approval and Design. The Extension Associate, partially supported by the grant, will assist the participant in recipe approval and assist on the development of an appealing label with assistance from KSU media and publications personnel. Recipes are reviewed and approved by the UK Food Systems Innovations Center for $65, which will be supported by the grant. Demonstration Run and Product Tasting Events at Farmers' Markets and Third Thursday Workshops. The Extension Associate will assist in production of a limited run of products based on approved recipe, and at least 3 value-added products taste test will be conducted at Third Thursday Workshops. The taste test will be subject to IRB approval and excludes minors. At the beginning of each survey/tasting event, demographic data (age, sex, income level) and tobacco use will be asked. Participants will be asked to rate product samples individually for color, flavor, texture, tenderness, aftertaste, and overall acceptability and willingness to pay for the products. A curriculum will be developed and offered online on how producers can safely conduct sampling of their products at farmers markets while following COVID-19 restrictions. A series of YouTube videos will be made on the steps that must be taken to sell a product, such as information about the UK Food Systems Innovation Center offerings, the Better Process Control School, GAP training, and steps that producers of confections, dried fruit, bagged vegetables etc. for retail sale would need to understand before selling products. These videos will be placed on the KSU Pawpaw and Organic Working Group websites, and for distribution at County Extension Offices. These electronic presentations will train growers, producers, and Extension personnel in proper food safety handling procedures for processing value-added products.Objective 3) Offer workshops and trainings on new potential value-added products such as confections, dried fruit, granola, hot sauce, etc. "The Third Thursday Thing" is in its 23rd year and has drawn more than 20,000 farmers, ranchers, researchers, educators and others from across the country to share hands-on training in sustainable production practices. The workshops include hands-on training for Extension Agents and paraprofessionals through a monthly educational "mini-field day" offering topics on animals and plants, with an emphasis on emerging issues, sustainable agriculture, new potential enterprises, and hands-on identification of plants and insects as participants tour the farm. Third Thursday Workshops will be held with participants learning about food safety and production of confections, dried fruit, granola, hot sauce, bagging of vegetables, etc.Objective 4) Provide additional equipment enhancements for the KSU FVMPU. Steam kettles are an improved, self-contained version of a large stockpot. That are used to boil large quantities of food. The Cleveland KGT-6-T gas-fired 6 gallon tabletop steam jacketed kettle will be purchased (about $10,000) to allow the filling of large quantities of jars with product and benefits production of larger quantities of jams, jellies, or other jarred products. A commercial multifunctional tilt skillet ($15,000) can be used for several cooking tasks including hot water bathing jars, steaming vegetables, and more. The tilting design with center pour lip means finished batches of food can be quickly and safely transferred into another container and water for jars can be safely easily removed.Objective 5) Create undergraduate research and practicum opportunities in the research areas in objective 3, which will develop leadership and critical thinking skills in students. Research projects will examine new pawpaw, hemp, and sorghum kombucha, fermented vinegar, fruit, and vegetable products for small-scale producers. To develop superior pawpaw jam three levels of pawpaw (2 oz, 4 oz., and 8 oz.) of pawpaw pulp per 12 oz of jam in a recipe development. New flavor combinations for kombucha recipes using pawpaw/ginger or pawpaw/ginger/hemp will also be examined. Pawpaw fruit will be extracted from KSU cultivars and advanced selections at the KSU farm. Pawpaw fruit flavor changes as the fruit over-ripens so an experiment will also be conducted using pulp from ripe or over-ripe pawpaw fruit with tasting during Third Thursday workshops and surveys with data collected used to write an undergraduate research paper.