Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:NECAFS's target audience during this project primarily included educators, regulators, and researchers. These key stakeholders are pivotal in providing education, technical assistance, and compliance support to growers and processors. The focus was on enhancing the fundamental understanding of these professionals so that they can effectively implement and disseminate food safety practices. Educators: These are individuals or institutions responsible for teaching and training others about food safety. Their role includes developing and delivering educational programs, materials, and resources to a variety of audiences, from small and medium sized farmers to small and very small processors. By equipping educators with the latest food safety knowledge and tools, NECAFS ensures that they can provide accurate, up-to-date information and practical advice to their learners. Regulators: These professionals work within government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels to enforce the Food Safety Moderization Act. Their responsibilities include conducting inspections, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and providing guidance to food producers and processors. NECAFS's efforts aimed to enhance regulators' understanding of food safety issues and improve their ability to support and enforce effective food safety practices with consistancy across the region. Researchers: Researchers involved in food safety study various aspects of the field, including microbial risks, safety protocols, and the impact of different practices on food safety outcomes. Their work is crucial for developing evidence-based guidelines and innovations in food safety. NECAFS focused on connecting researchers with practical applications and stakeholders to ensure that their findings are effectively translated into real-world practices. By concentrating efforts on these key groups, NECAFS has created a robust network of professionals dedicated to improving food safety practices across the Northeast region. This approach facilitates knowledge transfer, collaboration, and the implementation of best practices. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Maintain Regional Capacity and Competency Training Support Stipend Program This activity financially supported the development of 8 trainers and the delivery of 14 training courses of the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) curricula to growers across the Northeast region, spanning across six states in the Northeast region. These activities allowed our partners across the region to become trainers and deliver the necessary required trainings needed for growers to meet compliance and market-based requirements, including reaching underserved and hard-to-reach audiences. Facilitate Regional Communication and Collaboration NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) held its 8th Annual Conference and Meeting in Portland, ME on January 22-23, 2024. The event featured plenary sessions, concurrent meetings for Northeast Regulator and Program Staff, and Food Safety Educators, along with networking opportunities and poster sessions. The conference aimed to unite Northeast stakeholders to identify regional needs and engage in consensus-driven discussions. Structured sessions, including plenary discussions, research panels, and risk-based decision tool evaluations, fostered collaboration and shared learning, ensuring attendees were better prepared and informed about food safety. The event offered a platform to learn from other states, share practical examples, and address the challenges of translating research into practical solutions. Networking and structured sessions enhanced communication and collaboration among educators, regulators, and community-based organizations, supporting NECAFS's overall goals. Evaluation Method: The evaluation was distributed at the conclusion of the meeting, with 53% of approximately 160 attendees completing it. Respondents reported on their perceptions of the meeting and NECAFS resources, providing valuable insights into the impact of both the meeting and ongoing efforts on regional food safety work. Impact Results: Learning and networking: 99% of respondents learned something new, with themes including increased knowledge about partner efforts, others' perspectives, observational data, and continuing education. Networking is the top rated benefit. Professional Development: The agenda focused on risk-based decision-making tools, interactive educational materials, and research-education communication gaps. Attendees appreciated learning from others' experiences, understanding common challenges, and affirming their own decision-making through shared approaches. Specific ratings for NECAFS activities (where 5 = excellent) included: Regional Communication: 51% rated as 5, 45% as 4. Building Capacity and Collaboration: 57% rated as 5, 39% as 4. Educational Programs: 58% rated as 5, 32% as 4. Preventive Controls Workgroup This year, significant focus was placed on completing the analysis of the collected survey responses and coordinating with PC workgroup members on the results and discussion section for the publication of the peer-reviewed journal article, "Understanding the Food Safety Needs of Small and Very Small Processors in the Northeast United States: Food Safety Communicator and Regulator Perspectives." Food Protection Trends, 44(3), 160-181. High-Level Takeaways Presented in the Paper: The needs assessment marks the first collective look at the needs of small and very small processors in the Northeast. Key findings include the critical need for raising awareness and providing tailored support and resources that address the unique challenges faced by these processors. Recommendations from the study emphasize the importance of increased communication and support from regulators, as well as the development of practical, accessible training materials. Ad Hoc Planning Committees Planning for the Annual Meeting: Ensuring that the agenda is comprehensive and meets the needs of attendees, facilitating a platform for knowledge sharing and networking. Informing and Reviewing Educational Materials: Providing expert insights and feedback to ensure that the educational resources are accurate, relevant, and effective. Supporting Other Outreach Efforts: Coordinating and enhancing outreach initiatives to maximize impact and reach within the region. These committees provide significant engagement opportunities for participants. By involving diverse stakeholders, these committees foster a collaborative environment where members can share their expertise, learn from each other, and contribute to the overall goals of NECAFS. The value for both the NECAFS team members and committee members of additional engagement opportunities includes: Enhanced Collaboration: Bringing together experts from different fields to collaborate on common goals strengthens the overall impact of NECAFS activities. Committee members appreciated learning from others' experiences and shared approaches. Professional Development: Allowing participants to expand their knowledge, skills, and networks contributes to their professional growth and effectiveness in their roles. For instance, members valued the professional development, collaboration, and opportunity to become aware of other work being done in the region. Increased Buy-In: Engaging stakeholders in the planning and implementation process ensures that the activities and materials are well-supported and more likely to be successfully adopted. The collaborative approach of the Annual Meeting was noted by meeting attendees as bringing a stronger impact. Diverse Perspectives: Incorporating a variety of viewpoints and experiences leads to more comprehensive and effective solutions to food safety challenges. Sustain Good Work Leveraging the accomplishments of this award, NECAFS has successfully secured additional funding in the form of 4 additional grants over the past 3 years, significantly increasing our reach and impact. This funding supports four full-time staff members, enabling closer and more frequent engagement with our regional network. As a result, there are more touchpoints, educational outputs, and a greater overall impact. The network is evaluated once a year on the impact of NECAFS ongoing educational and outreach efforts. Impact of Additional Funding: Improved Networking and Communication: 99% of respondents stated that NECAFS improved their food safety training, education, and outreach, with over 50% highlighting networking as the top benefit. Networking "provides new perspectives on challenges" and is crucial for "staying updated and expanding relationships." Access to New Resources: Respondents appreciated learning about new resources, with many planning to compile and share them with farmers, ensuring that valuable information reaches those who might not seek it out independently. Enhanced Regional Communication: Regular and structured communications, such as the reintroduced monthly newsletter, have improved ratings. 51% of respondents rated NECAFS regional communication as excellent, and 45% rated it as very good. These ratings reflect progress in keeping the network informed about new material, webinars, trainings, and federal partner updates. Regional Capacity, Competency, and Collaboration: Attendees rated NECAFS highly for regional capacity and collaboration, with 57% rating it as excellent and 39% as very good. Respondents expressed interest in integrating more preventive controls regulators into the conversation and suggested creating a directory to find subject matter experts more easily. There was also a call for more opportunities to hear directly from growers and processors. Professional Development: The focus on providing a continuing education environment through various activities led to improved ratings. 58% of attendees rated NECAFS's professional development efforts as excellent, and 32% rated them as very good, highlighting the value of practical learning experiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Maintain Regional Capacity and Competency Direct and Indirect Forms of Communication Throughout the past year, NECAFS has organized a variety of impactful events to support food safety education and collaboration among stakeholders. These events included both direct and indirect activities, ranging from conferences and meetings to presentations and surveys. Key highlights include: The NECAFS Annual Meeting, attended by 160 participants, spanned 16 hours, providing an extensive platform for direct engagement. PC workgroup meetings, held five times with 17 attendees each, focused on program activities through one-hour sessions. Presentations at significant conferences, such as the International Association of Food Protection technical session (26 attendees, 15 minutes) and the NCR meeting (46 attendees, 10 minutes), showcased NECAFS's presence in professional gatherings. Posters at the NECAFS meeting (130 attendees) and the North Central Region Annual Meeting (46 attendees) provided substantial indirect exposure. Lead Regional Coordination Center Monthly Meetings, with 8 participants across 12 sessions, facilitated ongoing collaboration and communication. Southern Center Annual Meeting, with 25 participants, included a 15-minute presentation, illustrating proactive involvement. Regulator Meeting Planning, conducted over five sessions, involved 5 participants in each 60-minute meeting. Integrated Research Meeting, attended by 45 participants, included a 20-minute conference session. Produce Safety Research Consortium, with 32 participants, held a 2-hour conference session. The Virtual Sanitation Controls Practitioner Program Advisory Board involved 8 members in a 1-hour advisory committee meeting. Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) Regulatory and Laboratory Training System (RLTS) Design Advisory Committee, with 31 members, held three 1-hour advisory committee meetings. The PC Meeting Planning Survey (engaged 11 respondents) and NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting Survey (engaged 86 respondents) in an indirect format. Summary Direct and indirect forms of communication have been essential in achieving NECAFS goals. Direct interactions through meetings, workshops, and one-on-one support provide immediate, impactful engagement, ensuring timely resolution of issues and effective information dissemination. For example, the Annual Meeting and regular workgroup meetings help stakeholders share experiences, resolve challenges, and implement consistent practices regionally. Indirect communication, like publications, surveys, and posters, broadens engagement and spreads information widely. Peer-reviewed articles provide valuable insights for ongoing and future initiatives, while surveys and posters at conferences share the latest findings and recommendations with a broader audience. Key outcomes of these efforts include: Enhanced collaboration and networking among stakeholders, leading to better knowledge sharing and problem-solving. Increased awareness and understanding of regional food safety needs and challenges. Effective dissemination of research findings and best practices, ensuring broad adoption and implementation. Continuous feedback and improvement of NECAFS activities through ongoing community engagement. Facilitate Regional Communication and Collaboration Monthly eNewsletter Over the past 12 months, NECAFS has seen a steady increase in engagement and reach through its communications. During this period, 63 new subscribers joined the network. On average, each month saw communications sent to 747 subscribers, with an open rate of 42%, reflecting significant interest and engagement from recipients and is 9% higher than the industry standard. The communications generated an average of 237 opens per month, totaling 2,845 opens for the year. The click rate was 6.8%, resulting in 480 total clicks over the year, with an average of 39 clicks per month, surpassing the industry standard by 4%. This data highlights the effectiveness and wide reach of NECAFS's communication efforts. The newsletter plays a crucial role in providing links to upcoming produce safety and preventive controls training sessions in the Northeast, which account for 31% of the average monthly clicks. This demonstrates the newsletter's effectiveness in increasing access to relevant educational materials across the region. NECAFS Websites Over the past period, NECAFS's digital resources have seen substantial engagement from users. The Clearinghouse garnered 37,496 views from 15,839 users, with an engagement rate of 52.78%. The Processors Toolkit received 2,942 views from 1,193 users, achieving a 50.16% engagement rate. The Buyers Handbook, had 1,980 views from 563 users. The ELSI Legal resource showed notable engagement with 30,780 views and 1,520 users, with an impressive 6 minutes and 42 seconds average engagement time and 532 specific engagements. Lastly, the NECAFS Home Page had 5,549 views from 3,228 users, boasting the highest engagement rate of 63.28%. The NECAFS websites collectively received a substantial number of views, totaling 78,747 views, and engaged 22,343 users over the reporting period. These platforms play a critical role in keeping stakeholders connected to NECAFS activities and national educational resources. By offering diverse tools and information, such as the Clearinghouse, Processors Toolkit, Buyers Handbook, ELSI Legal, and the NECAFS Home Page, these websites ensure continuous access to valuable content and updates, fostering an informed and connected community focused on produce safety and preventive controls. Social Media Our social media platforms, Twitter (X) and Facebook, have significantly contributed to our outreach and engagement efforts. Over the reporting period, Twitter reached 397 users and Facebook reached 169 users, each through 228 social media engagements. These platforms keep our audience informed about NECAFS activities, updates, and national educational resources. By leveraging social media, we ensure continuous and broad access to important information, helping to foster an informed and connected community dedicated to produce safety and preventive controls. Support the Lead Regional Coordination Center's National Objectives Key accomplishments include: We implemented an annual digest for all account holders on the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse. Using Google Analytics, we pulled data on views and downloads for each resource, and provided these metrics to contributing authors. This invaluable data supports contributors in evaluating the performance and impact of their work, promoting continuous improvement and engagement with the Clearinghouse. Supporting the peer-review process in partnership with the western regional center, including the review of short courses. This rigorous process helps maintain high standards in food safety research and practice. This year, seven items have been submitted for peer review, highlighting the ongoing commitment to advancing food safety knowledge and practices. Implementing and summarizing regional PSA pre- and post-test results and collaborating with other regional centers to aggregate a national subset of data for 2019-2022. This collaboration resulted in the peer-reviewed publication of "Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Knowledge Assessment Results," which highlights that respondents gained knowledge on each of the seven modules presented in the curriculum, showing a large effect on knowledge gain. We coordinated and assessed regional FSOP projects, collected annual evaluation data for national results, and helped organize the annual FSOP project directors meeting. By facilitating connections and regular communication between regional and national awardees, we promoted the sharing of innovative ideas and best practices. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Please note: The information provided under this section are broad strokes, with more specific data provided by activity in later sections of this report. The Goal of the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety is to support programming that increases the fundamental understanding of educators, regulators, and researchers in the Northeast, based on science and risk, to prioritize the challenges seen on farms and in facilities, and take a consistent and collective approach to providing FSMA-related training, education, and technical assistance to address those priorities while informing future research needs. This collaborative effort ensures that all stakeholders work together, share resources, and leverage each other's expertise to build consensus and facilitate shared decision-making, ultimately fostering the adoption of practices aimed at reducing risk and enhancing food safety. 1. Sustain and Nurture Established Network Foundation and Successful Programming Over the past year, NECAFS continued to update and apply the Implementation Plan, Outreach, Recruitment and Training Plan, and Communication Plan. This included participating in 35 direct and indirect opportunites attended by over 500 participants. The NECAFS Annual Meeting, which hosted 160 participants, played a key role in facilitating direct engagement, sharing experiences, and resolving challenges among stakeholders. We had strong communication with network members through a monthly eNewsletter sent to 747 subscribers, with an open rate of 42%, social media where Twitter reached 397 users and Facebook reached 169 users, each through 228 social media engagements, and NECAFS websitestotaling 78,747 views, and engaged 22,343 users over the reporting period Through these activities, NECAFS successfully enhanced competence and confidence among participants, strengthened network connections, and effectively facilitated consensus driven decision making. 2. Build Research, Education and Regulator Continuous Improvement Framework NECAFS developed an integrated continuous improvement framework that established regular communication around research and education needs. This framework facilitated collaborative projects addressing common food safety concerns and challenges among states in the Northeast. On the produce side, feedback from stakeholders, including positive responses to the shared inspectional observational data and On-Farm Readiness Review data, indicated that these efforts led to enhanced collaboration and improved tailored actions based on specific food safety issues. For preventive controls, 42 needs assessment responses with analyzed and summarized in the publication titled "Understanding the Food Safety Needs of Small and Very Small Processors in the Northeast United States" 3. Develop and Deliver Educational Programs NECAFS connected regulatory development with science-based research and educational programs through cooperative activities between NECAFS partners, USDA, FDA, and state departments. These efforts resulted in the development and support of educational programs and resources consistent with FSMA guidelines. In addition to the NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting, NECAFS financially supported the development of 8 trainers and the delivery of 14 training courses of the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) curricula to growers across the Northeast region, spanning 6 states. Through this Training Support Stipend Program, financial support was provided to participants, increasing accessibility and participation in these critical training sessions. 4. National Engagement and Collaboration NECAFS led national coordination, communication, and assessment among regional projects, including FSOP. By collecting, organizing, and sharing food safety material through the Clearinghouse, NECAFS published site analytics to inform decision-making. The Clearinghouse saw 37,496 views and 15,839 users and 7 items submitted for peer review, highlighting substantial engagement with regional project materials. These efforts resulted in enhanced national coordination and communication, informed decision-making through data visualization and analytics, and broader dissemination and adoption of food safety materials. 5. Evaluate and Assess Progress and Impact NECAFS implemented an overall evaluation plan in accordance with the Logic Model Plan, measuring results, outcomes, and impacts of various activities. Comprehensive evaluation data and multiple impact narratives were collected and analyzed, providing a clear understanding of NECAFS's impact on the food safety community. Notably, 99% of respondents reported learning something new, with increased knowledge about partner efforts, others' perspectives, observational data, and continuing education. Specific ratings for NECAFS activities were high, with 51% rating regional communication as excellent and 57% rating capacity building and collaboration as excellent. These evaluations demonstrated the positive effects of NECAFS initiatives and justified future funding and support, leading to evidence-based improvements in programs and activities. 6. Sustain Good Work To ensure sustainability, NECAFS sought future external funds and promoted sustainability through its developed network structure. These efforts resulted in the successful acquisition of external funds and continued high levels of network engagement. This approach enabled NECAFS to sustain and expand its programs and initiatives, enhancing the capacity for future educational and research projects and ensuring the long-term sustainability of its efforts. Key Outcomes Across All Objectives Change in Knowledge NECAFS has increased understanding among regulators, educators, and researchers. Programs and resources have provided new insights into food safety practices, methodologies, and approaches. Presenting region identified need enhanced their ability to provide accurate education, technical assistance, and compliance support. Impact: Improved understanding of food safety challenges and solutions among stakeholders has enabled more effective guidance and support. Enhanced skills and knowledge have allowed participants to make informed decisions and adopt best practices in their interactions with growers and processors. Change in Action Knowledge gained through NECAFS programs has led to changed behaviors. Respondents reported that NECAFS's work has directly impacted their professional activities. Participants reported that they intended to adopted new risk-based decision tools and integrated them into their food safety education strategies. Futhermore, educators have utilized other new resources and training materials to improve outreach and educational efforts.Impact: Educators feel more informed and better prepared which leads to more integrated and informed training opportunities for growers. Change in Condition NECAFS has significantly strengthened the regional food safety system's capacity. By creating a network of educators, regulators, and program staff, NECAFS has facilitated connection, trust, resource sharing, and regional coordination. Respondents value the networking and coordination, which have increased their understanding and preparedness in food safety. Participation allows them to learn how other states address similar issues, leading to consensus on practical applications. Impact: NECAFS's collaborative environment has enhanced collaboration and networking, improved understanding and adoption of best practices, and developed innovative solutions to food safety challenges. Increased access to resources, continuous professional development, and improved problem-solving capabilities have significantly strengthened the regional food safety system. By fostering a well-connected and informed network, NECAFS has ensured the ongoing effectiveness and relevance of its food safety initiatives across the Northeast region.
Publications
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Understanding the Food Safety Needs of Small and Very Small Processors in the Northeast United States: Food Safety Communicator and Regulator Perspectives. Food Protection Trends, Vol 44, No. 3, p. 160181
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience includes food safety educators, regulators, and technical service providers who support owners and operators of small and mid-sized produce farms, beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers in the Northeast region who are impacted by FSMA. Our target audience includes owners and operators of small and mid-sized produce farms, beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, small processors, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers in the Northeast region. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Objective #2 - Build Capacity, Competency and Collaboration Conference presentations and posters were presented at the following events: Webinar: International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Webinar titled: Work smarter, not harder - discussing the challenges and opportunities to improve support specific to small processors. Direct contacts: 46 direct contacts, 60-minute presentation, 46 contact hours Presentations: Western Center Annual Meeting, Southern Center Annual Meeting, North Central Annual Meeting, National FSOP project directors meeting, NASDA Produce Safety Consortium. Direct contacts: 334 contacts, 15-minute presentation, 83.5 hours. Posters: Food Safety Resource Toolkit poster presented at the FSOP Project Directors Meeting, Tampa, FL. Direct contacts: 30 contacts, 10 minutes, 5 hours NECAFS contributed to a poster, "Knowledge has increased but some concepts remain challenging: key learnings from the Western Region Food Safety Trainings" presented at the International Association for Food Protection Annual meeting. The poster combined regional training data with the Google analytics data from the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse to provide information on the current educational impact and key resource needs in the region. Direct contacts: 20 contacts, 10 minutes, 3.33 hours NECAFS Staff attended the following professional development opportunities International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) 2023 conference Produce Safety Alliance Advanced Trainer Training Food Safety Preventive Controls Annual Meeting National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Produce Safety Consortium Aquaponics Association Annual Meeting Usage of the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse is national and is being accessed and used by visitors throughout the nation. There are 883 resources published in the Clearinghouse (217 tagged as PCHF and 728 tagged as PSR) by 215 contributors. Indirect contacts: In the reporting period there have been 29,384 page views in 13,148 sessions @ 2.05 min with 8,092 outbound clicks, 449 contact hours by 8,884 unique users] National Water Testing Lab Map: NECAFS has continued to expand the national water testing lab map to include water testing labs across the United States. The goal of this map is to help produce growers locate a lab that is geographically close to their location and has the capability to perform at least one of these approved test methods. The map can be found at go.uvm.edu/waterlabmap. Indirect contacts: there are currently 607 labs listed on the map which has 9,615 views over the reporting period. Objective #3 - Development and Delivery of Educational Programming 2023 NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting, NECAFS held the 7th Annual Conference and Meeting in Hartford, CT on January 18 - 19, 2023. January 18th featured plenary session with state produce safety program updates, concurrent sessions with a Northeast Regulator and Program Staff meeting and a Food Safety Educator (produce safety and preventive controls) meeting. Following the formal program, participates joined a poster session and visited with presenters. January 19th morning and afternoon networking, welcome and plenary session with NECAFS activity updates and state educational partner updates, and the remained of the day focused on workgroup meetings dedicated to the topics of produce safety and preventive controls. We worked collaboratively with our Northeast Produce Safety Regulator partners this year to co-host a One-Day Regulator Working Meeting on day 1 of the Annual Conference. The discussions from this working meeting directly informed the produce safety workgroup meetings during the Annual Conference and in conjunction provided information the network of on-farm inspectional observations seen during the 2022 inspection session. Direct contacts: 165 attendees, 2,640 contact hours. All conference materials from past Annual Meetings are posted on the NECAFS website at https://www.uvm.edu/extension/necafs/annual_meeting Preventive Controls Workgroup is a cohort of food safety communicators in the region, who formed in 2018 to coordinate and facilitate activities of NECAFS members in an effort to better leverage NECAFS' strategic objectives. Recognizing specific challenge areas that small and very small processors face, the Workingroup is organized into three subgroups: Resources, Awareness, and Evaluation. The Resources sub-group curates and develops educational tools, resources, and opportunities for small and very small processors. This was achieved by developing the Processor's Food Safety Toolkit (https://pchf.necafs.org/), a resource collection to help small and very small processors get started with PCHF and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). The Resources sub-group developed the Processor's Food Safety Toolkit by surveying over 200 existing food safety resources for content and quality to include in the website, designing a user-friendly interface that accommodates diverse information seeking behavior, and user testing the site with a cohort of small processors. Indirect contacts: The Processor's Food Safety Toolkit site launched in June, 2022 and in the last year has received 4,596 page views, across 1,943 sessions, with 2,078 clicks or downloads, for an average of 1:08 per, resulting in 35 contact hours by 1,226 users. The Awareness sub-group is tasked with building a food safety network to connect small and very small food processors with food safety communicators and resources that can help them implement food safety systems. To improve awareness of the PCHF Rule, the sub-group sought opportunities to inform the wider food safety community about the Processor's Food Safety Toolkit and user their reach to educate processors. The Awareness sub-group developed a social media toolkit to help stakeholders promote the Toolkit and partnered with the Association of Food and Drug Officials to develop a promotional video about the website. Members of the Awareness sub-group also delivered 8 presentations during this time to members of the food safety community who work directly with small and very small processors. Direct contacts: Awareness sub-group's activities have reached approximately 1,335 individuals reached through webinars (~655) and conference presentations (~680). Each event was 30 minutes for 667.5 contact hours. The Evaluation sub-group seeks to assess PCHF trainings and educational tools to ensure effective, accurate, actionable courses are being provided to small and very small processors. This information also broadly helps understand the growth and trajectory of preventive controls knowledge. The Evaluation sub-group developed a course evaluation tool to assess the regional impact of Preventive Controls for Human Foods (also called PCQI) training and identify additional technical support needs of small and very small processors. The regional evaluation tool includes both printed and online versions for accessibility. The Evaluation sub-group's regional evaluation tool has been accessed more than 175 times since it launched and is being used to develop a body of data to better understand regional needs. Objective #5 - Sustain Good Work Funded Proposals: NECAFS successfully received 1 grant totaling $367,785 titled: Improving The Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse Search and Content Display Functions To Enhance Access And Shared Knowledge Objective: This project leverages the NECAFS existing Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse and adds new and novel work to develop improved search and content display features designed to address current search function deficiencies identified through evaluation of Google Analytics user data. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have strengthened or Email eNewsletter distribution list for "push" communication. Subscription continues to grow on a regular basis with 744 total subscribers with an average open rate of 41% and click through rate of 20%. Importantly, this network is highly engaged as demonstrated through top-tier industry open and click rates. [2,728 unique opens and 20% click-through rate in the reporting period.] We have developed a robust social media plan that includes posting content on Facebook and Twitter at least 3 times per week. The content includes Clearinghouse Mondays (featuring a resource of the Clearinghouse), upcoming webinars and trainings, cross promoting state and federal partners upcoming events, and other relevant food safety information. Indirect contacts: Facebook had 207 published posts (an increase of 46.8% over the previous 12 month period), with 138 likes, and 1,117 views (an increase of 72.9% over the previous 12 months). Followers grew by 26 from 128 to 154. Indirect contacts: X (formerly known as Twitter) had approximately 210 tweets with 13,792 impressions, 147 clicks, 115 retweets, 262 likes, and 15 replies. We have further developed the NECAFS suit of websites which serves as a location for permanent posting of project related information including recordings of past webinars and other documents. We have further developed the NECAFS website which serves as a location for permanent posting of project related information including recordings of past webinars and other documents. Indirect contacts: For reporting period, there were 1,608 pageviews in 1,080 session with 3:02 minute average session duration, 54:36 contact hours by 674 users. The Produce Safety Handbook for Buyers website was expanded to include the North Central region's states. NECAFS and the North Central Regional Center collaborated to add their 12 states and their corresponding information to the handbook site. The official launch of the new site is scheduled for December 1st. Indirect contacts: There were 1,620 page views, across 729 session with an average engagement time of 1:13 minutes, 14 contact hours by 449 users. The Extension Legal Services Initiative website that houses legal educational factsheets developed in partnership with Vermont Law School was maintained. Indirect contacts: There were 3,635 page views, across 774 session with an average engagement time of 1:17 minutes, 71 contact hours by 673 users. NECAFS YouTube Channel hosts all of NECAFS recorded webinars and past Annual Conference and Meeting recorded content. The YouTube Channel serves to make videos available after the event for later streaming. Indirect contacts: There were 11 new subscribers, 524 views of recorded content for a total of 65.4 hours of watch time. The Processors' Food Safety Toolkit: Indirect contacts: 4,596 views by 1,226 users, with an average engagement time of 1:08, for a total of 35 contact hours. Usage of the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse is national and is being accessed and used by visitors throughout the nation. Indirect contacts: There are 883 resources published in the Clearinghouse (217 tagged as PCHF and 728 tagged as PSR) by 215 contributors. In the reporting period there have been 29,384 page views in 13,148 sessions @ 2:05 min with 8,092 outbound clicks, 449 contact hours by 8,884 unique users. National Water Testing Lab Map: The map can be found at go.uvm.edu/waterlabmap. Indirect contacts:There are currently 607 labs listed on the map which has 35,108 (9,615 over the reporting period) views. 2023 NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting, held virtually in January 2023 provided our network with the opportunity to collaborate and identify areas of action for the next year. We worked collaboratively with our Northeast Produce Safety Regulator partners this year to co-host a One-Day Regulator Working Meeting on day one of the Annual Conference. Direct contacts: 165 attendees, 2,640 contact hours. Indirect Contact Event Number of Contacts Contact Hours (where measured) NECAFS Monthly Newsletter 2,728 Newsletter Open NECAFS Website 674 Views NECAFS YourTube Channel 524 Views 65.4 hours National Water Lab Map 9,615 Views TSSP 71 attendees at funded clases 568 hours Clearinghouse 8,884 views 449 hours Buyer's Handbook 449 views 14 hours ELSI 673 views 71 hours Processors' Toolkit 4,597 views 35 hours Facebook 1,117 views X (formerly known as Twitter) 13,792 impressions Total: 42,142 indirect contacts 1,202 hours Direct Contacts Number of Events Number of Contacts Length of Events Contact Hours PCHF Awareness 8 1,335 30 minutes 667.5 hours IAFP Webinar 1 46 60 minutes 60 hours FSOP Poster session 1 30 10 minutes 5 hours IAFP Poster session 1 20 10 minutes 3.33 hours Conference Presentations 5 334 15 minutes 83.5 hours NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting 1 165 16 Hours 2,640 hours Total: 17 1,930 3,459 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Communication NECAFS has made good progress with regular and structured forms of communication via reintroducing a monthly newsletter. All annual meeting attendees are automatically added to the newsletter list to ensure everyone receives the communications. Through this newsletter we strive to keep the network apprised of new material coming out, alert them to upcoming webinars and trainings, highlight a few resources from the Clearinghouse, and update them on relevant information from federal partners. NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting The structure of the Annual Conference and Meeting remains successful. However, turnover is constant which results in a need to always go back to the basics to keep everyone on the same page. Attendees like breakout group activities and benefit greatly from the networking and perspective sharing they offer. One need described is the network's interest in more discussion that focuses on operationalizing the rule. Attendees specifically asked for facilitation that allows for continuing education type environment with more hands-on activities, discussion of research that informs practices, and more scenario-based discussions/breakouts. Evaluation The ongoing analysis of the national evaluation looking at the practices, barriers, and costs to produce safety implementation will be the focus. It is anticipated that several publications will result from that work, including a practices and barriers paper, and a costs and market access paper. The survey collected information from both US growers and international growers. The topics listed above will be covered for US and international growers. NECAFS will also finalize its contributions to the national pre-and post-test results publication that is being prepared in coordination with the other regional centers. Preventive Controls Workgroup Awareness activities will continue through the next reporting period. This includes both raising awareness of the PCHF rule among small and very small processors, as well as raising the awareness of educators and regulators of the existence of the Processors' Food Safety Toolkit. Furthermore, this group is looking to expand its membership to include PCHF educators from other regions. Collectively, they will work to identify and develop needed processor on-ramping educational content, a primary need identified in the recently completed needs assessment.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective #1 - Sustain and Nurture Network Foundation NECAFS Newsletter: the January 2023 NECAFS program evaluation results identified a need to improve communication to the region throughout the year, described by one respondent that "I feel like I'm still struggling to stay engaged with the materials, resources, and initiatives NECAFS develops in between annual meetings. More structured and regular communication and/or training opportunities for us as regulators and educators would be great." To address this need, NECAFS focused on improving and increasing Newsletter communications to the region. A survey was distributed to subscribers that asked 1.) how often they wanted to receive a newsletter, 2.) what content they want covered in the newsletter, 3.) how many pieces and detail of content (i.e., length of newsletter), 4.)how the subscribers use the content. Based on the responses, NECAFS now send a consistently structured monthly newsletter, with brief summary information on following content topics: 1.) NECAFS Info Bites, 2.) Federal Partner Updates, 3.) Upcoming Events and Trainings, 4.) Job Openings, and 5.) Clearinghouse Resource Report. Indirect contacts: Beginning in April, 2023 the new monthly NECAFS newsletter was launched. Since then, 6 newsletters have been sent to 6,656 subscribers, with a 41% open rate (2,728 subscribers opened newsletter), and a 20% click rate. Engagement rates are 15% higher than industry average. Objective #4 - Evaluate and Assess Progress and Impact PSA Pre and Post Test Evaluation: NECAFS, along with the other regional centers, is engaged in collecting pre and post test information related to the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training course. NECAFS is gathering this information through our Training Support Stipend Program. The individual is also given the excel sheet with the analysis so they can see what the individual knowledge change was. 3 courses used the Pre and Post Test with a mean pre test score of 14.4 and a mean post test score of 20.8. NECAFS Programming Evaluation: Formal evaluation of NECAFS programming effectiveness began in January of 2018 and has continued annually, which allows NECAFS to assess impact and growth overtime. At the 2023 in-person Annual Conference and Meeting in Hartford, CT, attendees at the NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting overwhelmingly reported that they learned something new (99%), most notably about individual needs of food safety community members. By learning more about these individual needs, attendees described that they feel better prepared and more informed about food safety. This new knowledge allows attendees to "better serve the farmers in [their] state" since they now have more information give producers and "new ways to approach trainings."Attendees (100%) stated that they met someone new at the Annual Conference and Meeting and reported that this new relationship provides for enhanced networking and communication. To help facilitate networking and connection the agenda was built with several networking opportunities (welcome reception, long breaks across both days, and a poster session) as well as several breakout group discussions. It is noteworthy that several attendees described how their networking experience offered opportunity to gain and learn from others' perspectives. Furthermore, they explained how this perspective allowed them to identify innovative solutions and that the Conference framework "models a collaborative, open source, constructive process." When asked to describe key challenges in the region, attendees reported a need for topic tailored material as their leading concern. This includes not only food safety topic-based content such as cleaning and sanitizing and worker training, but it also includes hands-on experiential learning for educators and regulators. Attendees also described a need to shift messaging away from inspection as the motivating factor to adopt practices and move toward the importance of producing safe food and establishing a food safety culture. Overall, when asked if NECAFS has helped improve food safety training, education, and outreach, 96% of attendees said yes and explained that this was accomplished through networking and communication with other stakeholders with increased fundamental knowledge resulting from NECAFS intentional approach to focus on specific topics for greater discussion. Respondents stated that they are "learning more about food safety" and that "subjects are moved forward" with "access to depth and breadth of info and knowledge." When asked about specific NECAFS activities, (where 5 = excellent), 54% rated regional communication as a 5 and 37% as a 4. Attendees rated building regional capacity, competence, and collaboration as a 5 (51%) or a 4 (41%). And attendees rated developing and delivering educational programs as a 5 (60%) or a 4 (29%). All three areas are up from 2021 ratings. While these areas improved there is still a need for more communication throughout the year as described by one respondent "I feel like I'm still struggling to stay engaged with the materials, resources, and initiatives NECAFS develops in between annual meetings. More structured and regular communication and/or training opportunities for us as regulators and educators would be great." Development of Produce Safety Long-term Look Back Survey: The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) and the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) are planning to conduct a long-term look back survey of individuals that have completed the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course. USDA ERS has provided advice and consultation on the survey development to better integrate our work with the past assessment of economic costs that have been done. We are entering a phase of implementation of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) which follows early educational and technical assistance efforts during which inspections are highlighting specific needs on farms. Our experience indicates that growers are motivated to make behavioral changes, but often lack confidence, specific knowledge, and capital resources to best implement appropriate changes. A Qualtrics survey was released in April, 2023 with the intent of capturing: behavior change, confidence in implementation strategies, costs of implementation and continuing needs. The survey closed in August 2023 with 1,314 responses (both partial and complete). Analysis is currently underway looking at practices and barriers to adoption, as well as, costs of implementation (anticipated versus actual) and income realized from maintained or expanded market access as a result of implementing practices.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:This project outlines a plan to continue the current work of NECAFS with the addition of new activities based on stakeholder feedback and the evolving needs of our target audience. The long-term goal of NECAFS is to provide a sustainable, comprehensive food safety training, education, and technical assistance program that assists small- and mid-sized food producers and processors with FSMA compliance. Our overall objective is to sustain and nurture our established network foundation that supports a national food safety system to increase the understanding and adoption of established food safety standards, guidance, and protocols for those affected by FSMA. Our target audience includes educators, regulators, and technical service providers across the Northeast region who work with owners and operators of small and mid-sized produce farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers in the Northeast region. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Objective #2 - Build Capacity, Competency and Collaboration The Training Stipend Support Program (TSSP) was launched in 2016 offering $2,000 of reimbursement funding for educators in the region to become trained as a lead instructor for PSA, SPROUT and/or the FSPCA curricula. Due to travel restrictions caused by COVID, the TSSP was not used heavily during the project period. NECAFS supported 3 trainers through this program [3 Virtual PSA TTT]. The TSSP was expanded in 2018 to offer $2,000 of reimbursement funding to support the delivery of educational programming for PSA, SPROUT and/or the FSPCA curricula. Again, due to COVID and travel restrictions, the TSSP for educational programming was not used heavily during the project period. [3 remote educational programs were supported with 43 total direct contacts]. Conference presentations and posters were presented at the following events: Round Table: International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Symposium titled: Mixed Methods Approaches to Investigating Microbial Produce Safety Hazards and Mitigation in Hydroponic and Aquaponic Operations [60 direct contacts, 90-minute presentation, 90 contact hours] Round Table proposal titled: Work smarter, not harder - discussing the challenges and opportunities to improve support specific to small processors was submitted for consideration to the 2023 IAFP conference Presentations: Western Center Annual Meeting, Southern Center Annual Meeting, North Central Annual Meeting, National FSOP project directors meeting, NASDA Produce Safety Consortium [334 contacts] Posters: NASDA Produce Safety Consortium, NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting [75 contacts] NECAFS Staff attended the following professional development opportunities International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) 2022 conference University of New Hampshire's 28-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge University of Vermont's Facilitative Leadership Course Usage of the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse is national and is being accessed and used by visitors throughout the nation. [There are 767 resources published in the Clearinghouse (190 tagged as PCHF and 625 tagged as PSR) by 190 contributors] [In the reporting period there have been 23,552 page views in 11,040 sessions @ 1.54 min with 8,856 outbound clicks, 283 contact hours by 7,482 unique users] Peer Review Process on the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse, a curated source for resources related to the Produce Safety Rule and the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule was expanded during the project period to include a Peer Review of Add-on Content Process. To ensure the quality and scientific and regulatory accuracy of add-on materials, the Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety (WRCEFS) developed the add-on content peer review process which was piloted and launched in 2020. In 2022, that process was expanded to accept short course content. Two short courses when through the pilot process where the courses went through quality check by the WRCES editorial team. Once cleared, peer reviewers are assigned and NECAFS links the resource to the reviewers Clearinghouse dashboard. Following review, if fully approved, WRCES approves the resource which automatically uploads onto the Clearinghouse with the peer review designation and date of approval. [15 resources have been reviewed and approved through the peer review process, 1 short course has been reviewed and approved through the short course peer review pilot process]. National Water Testing Lab Map: NECAFS has continued to expand the national water testing lab map to include water testing labs across the United States. The goal of this map is to help produce growers locate a lab that is geographically close to their location and has the capability to perform at least one of these approved test methods. All the information included in this map has been confirmed by the lab so a grower can be confident that the lab can perform the test needed AND that the lab has received information about the testing methods required under the Produce Safety Rule. The map can be found at go.uvm.edu/waterlabmap. [There are currently 607 labs listed on the map which has 25,472 views]. Objective #3 - Development and Delivery of Educational Programming 2022 NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting, held virtually in February 2022 provided our network with the opportunity to collaborate and identify areas of action for the next year. We worked collaboratively with our Northeast Produce Safety Regulator partners this year to co-host a One-Day Regulator Working Meeting the day prior to the Annual Conference. The discussions from this working meeting directly informed the produce safety workgroup meetings during the Annual Conference and in conjunction provided information the network of on-farm inspectional observations seen during the 2021 inspection session. The common issues identified by inspectors were discussed in depth during the two-day Annual Conference during the produce safety workgroup meeting. This workgroup heard from a panel of regional inspectors on the topic of worker training. The panel discussed how worker training issues are seen on farms and approaches in educational that will help growers improve worker training. Additionally, the workgroup heard a presentation from Donald Schaffner and Ben Chapman on conducting a risk assessment. The workgroup then hosted breakout sessions that applies the risk assessment process to various dropped produce example scenarios. The preventive controls workgroup met concurrently and discussed project updates relating to the Resource, Evaluation, and Awareness work completed during the project period. [278 attendees, 2,919 contact hours]. All conference materials from past Annual Meetings are posted on the NECAFS website at https://www.uvm.edu/extension/necafs/annual_meeting Objective #5 - Sustain Good Work Funded Proposals: NECAFS successfully received 2 grants and is the sub-awardee on another with University of Massachusetts this year. One for $400,00, another for $550,000, and the sub-award of $19,017. The titles and objective of these awards are: Utilizing On-farm Inspectional and Educational Observations when Developing a Tailored Approach to Regional Produce Safety Education - Develop educational material based on priority inspectional and educational observations across the Northeast region. Understanding and Addressing Needs for On-Farm Produce Safety Education in Hydroponics and Aquaponics - Develop educational resources and provide educational opportunities for those involved in aquaponic and hydroponic production Engaging Qualified-Exempt SMPs to Comply with FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food - Understand the information seeking pathway behavior of small and very small processors and extend awareness and outreach through newly discovered pathways How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? A dedicated NECAFS email LISTSERV was established for "pull" communication by stakeholders [143 total subscribers, 14,400 emails exchanged from project start]. We have strengthened or Email eNewsletter distribution list for "push" communication. Subscription continues to grow on a regular basis with 102 new contacts in reporting period. Circulation has grown to 679 total subscribers with an average open rate of 41% and click through rate of 8%. Importantly, this network is highly engaged as demonstrated through top-tier industry open and click rates (above 30% open rate is considered "top-tier" across all industries. [6,656 cumulative contacts via eNewsletter with 2,352 unique opens and 591 click-throughs in the reporting period.] We have further developed the NECAFS suit of websites which serves as a location for permanent posting of project related information including recordings of past webinars and other documents. Extension Legal Services Initiative: [1,541 views by 567 users, with an average engagement time of 1:02, and 313 downloads for a total of 5.8 contact hours] Processors' Food Safety Toolkit: [1,702 views by 341 users, with an average engagement time of 1:36, and 89 downloads for a total of 12 contact hours] Usage of the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse is national and is being accessed and used by visitors throughout the nation. [There are 767 resources published in the Clearinghouse (190 tagged as PCHF and 625 tagged as PSR) by 190 contributors] [In the reporting period there have been 23,552 page views in 11,040 sessions @ 1.54 min with 8,856 outbound clicks, 283 contact hours by 7,482 unique users] National Water Testing Lab Map: The map can be found at go.uvm.edu/waterlabmap. [There are currently 607 labs listed on the map which has 25,472 views]. 2022 NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting, held virtually in February 2022 provided our network with the opportunity to collaborate and identify areas of action for the next year. We worked collaboratively with our Northeast Produce Safety Regulator partners this year to co-host a One-Day Regulator Working Meeting the day prior to the Annual Conference. [278 attendees, 2,919 contact hours]. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continued promotion of the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse Continued support of add-on/supplemental and short course peer review process, in partnership with the Western Regional Center, administered through the Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse Conduct national long-term look back survey of produce growers jointly with PSA Support cohort of trainers through PSA, FSPCA and SPROUT training via the Training Support Stipend Program (TSSP) including evaluation of the program Support delivery of PSA, FSPCA and SROUT educational programming via the TSSP including evaluation of the programming After two years of hosting the Annual Meeting virtually, we see that respondents are able to spend time networking and communicating but that without the in-person time, these networking times are not developing into collaborative projects. Take time to build these collaborative relationships again between network memebers. Continue to explore opportunities to sustain funding for NECAFS Plan and host NECAFS Annual Conference and Meeting in-person in Hartfor, CT, January 17-19, 2023 Continue to support Workgroup activities as needed with staff and additional resources
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective #1 - Sustain and Nurture Network Foundation The basic communications infrastructure developed in year one has been further developed throughout this grant. A dedicated NECAFS email LISTSERV was established for "pull" communication by stakeholders [143 total subscribers, 14,400 emails exchanged from project start]. We have strengthened our Email eNewsletter distribution list for "push" communication. Subscription continues to grow on a regular basis with 102 new contacts in reporting period. Circulation has grown to 679 total subscribers with an average open rate of 41% and click through rate of 8%. Importantly, this network is highly engaged as demonstrated through top-tier industry open and click rates (above 30% open rate is considered "top-tier" across all industries. [6,656 cumulative contacts via eNewsletter with 2,204 unique opens and 444 click-throughs in the reporting period.] We have further developed the NECAFS website which serves as a location for permanent posting of project related information including recordings of past webinars and other documents. [For reporting period, there were 1,608 pageviews in 1,080 session with 3:02 minute average session duration, 54:36 contact hours by 674 users.] The project execution has been managed with Project Team Meetings that are held regularly monthly via teleconference with a standing agenda for project review and specific discussion about near term activities and action items. [12 coordinating calls with 60 cumulative project management hours]. National engagement has taken the form of collaboration with the other Regional Centers (RC's), the Tribal Foods Initiative, the Local Foods Initiative, the FSPCA, the PSA, the Lead Regional Coordination Center (LRCC) and our federal sponsor partners (FDA / USDA NIFA) through regular teleconferences that provide an opportunity for brief updates among the coordinating partners. [12 LRCC coordinating calls and 4 FSMA Collaborative Forum coordinating calls]. Work groups are formalized with articulated goals and objectives and designated leadership. Below is an update on each workgroup: Preventive Controls Work Group: The Processor's Food Safety Toolkit https://pchf.necafs.org/ was launched in 2022. The work group developed an outreach strategy and 16-month plan beginning in September, 2021 to raise awareness of the PFST website including identifying and connecting to a relevant network, developing targeted promotional materials, and leveraging connections to increase awareness. Implementation of this plan included the following activities [2 conferences, 300 indirect contacts]: Attended the Fancy Food Show's 2022 event in NYC to meet with small and very small food producers, gather information about their food safety strategies, and hand out informational postcards detailing the new PFST website. Attended the Commonwealth Kitchen's 2022 event in Boston to meet with small and very small food producers, gather information about their food safety strategies, and hand out informational postcards detailing the new PFST website. Objective #4 - Evaluate and Assess Progress and Impact PSA Pre and Post Test Evaluation: NECAFS, along with the other regional centers, is engaged in collecting pre and post test information related to the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training course. NECAFS is gathering this information through our Training Support Stipend Program. The individual is also given the excel sheet with the analysis so they can see what the individual knowledge change was. [2 courses used the Pre and Post Test with a mean pre test score of 16.5 and a mean post test score of 20.8] NECAFS Programming Evaluation: Formal evaluation of NECAFS programming effectiveness began in January of 2018 and has continued annually, which allows NECAFS to assess impact and growth overtime. At the 2022 virtual Annual Conference and Meeting, attendees overwhelmingly reported that they learned something new (97%), most notably about individual needs of food safety community members. By learning more about these individual needs, attendees described that they would take a new approach in educational or evaluation. This new knowledge "Informs future project planning and provides guidance to project partners on needs/approaches" allowing attendees to provide more informed trainings and an ability to develop new projects based on need. Attendees (91%) stated that they met someone new at the Annual Conference and Meeting and reported that this new relationship provides for enhanced networking and communication. It is noteworthy that 91% of attendees met someone new since the meeting was held virtually. To help facilitate networking and connection the agenda was built with several morning networking opportunities as well as several breakout group discussions. In the past when we met in-person, attendees indicated that collaborative conversation began at the meeting with follow-up planned. However, in the virtual space respondents did not create such collaborative relationships and reported that the new relationship made them aware of "a new resource" and that they "gained a new perspective." When asked to describe key challenges in the region, attendees reported a need for topic specific outreach and education as their leading concern. The leading topic areas include cleaning and sanitizing, and worker training issues seen on farms. Overall, when asked if NECAFS has helped improve food safety training, education, and outreach, 94% of attendees said yes and explained that this was accomplished through networking and communication with other stakeholders with increased fundamental knowledge resulting from NECAFS intentional approach to focus on specific topics for greater discussion. Respondents stated that they are "learning more about food safety" and that "subjects are moved forward" with "access to depth and breath of info and knowledge." When asked about specific NECAFS activities, (where 5 = excellent), 81% rated regional communication as 4 (22%) or 5 (59%), 96% rated building regional capacity, competence, and collaboration as 4 (35%) or 5 (61%), and 91% rated developing and delivering educational programs as 4 (26%) or 5 (65%). All three areas are up from 2021 ratings. While these areas improved there is still a need for more communication throughout the year as described by one respondent "I feel like I'm still struggling to stay engaged with the materials, resources, and initiatives NECAFS develops in between annual meetings. More structured and regular communication and/or training opportunities for us as regulators and educators would be great." Development of Produce Safety Long-term Look Back Survey: The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) and the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) are planning to conduct a long-term look back survey of individuals that have completed the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course. USDA ERS has provided advice and consultation on the survey development to better integrate our work with the past assessment of economic costs that have been done. The intent of this survey is to capture: behavior change, confidence in implementation strategies, costs of implementation and continuing needs. This work could incorporate and leverage earlier work done by USDA ERS related to economic costs. This new work would also explore the educational and technical support needs of growers to facilitate necessary behavior changes.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Mixed Methods Approaches to Investigating Microbial Produce Safety Hazards and Mitigation in Hydroponic and Aquaponic Operations
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