Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Training Program

Sponsored by: UMass Extension and the MA Dept of Agricultural Resources

UMass Extension, the UMass Department of Nutrition, and the MA Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) are pleased to present a Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Training Program for growers and other fresh produce handlers.

At the training, you will learn more about:

• the costs and impact of diseases and outbreaks caused by food-borne pathogens
• strategies for controlling potential microbial food safety hazards before planting and throughout all phases of production – planting, production, harvesting and postharvest handling
• changes to the USDA GAP Program to reflect the Harmonized Audit
• the Third Party Audit process
• the MA Commonwealth Quality Program
• The status of FDA draft regulations to implement the Food Modernization  Act of 2010

You will also:

• receive a manual filled with GAP resources
• receive a memory stick loaded with the GAP Manual and templates needed to maintain records to verify USDA GAP that can be customized for your farm

At the end of the session, you will receive a certificate of participation and one pesticide credit for participating through UMass Extension.

The key presenter for the training is Richard Bonanno, Ph.D., Extension Educator with UMass Extension.  Registration cost is $50.00 for the first person, and additional employees are $10.00.  Additional employees’ cost includes the presentation, pesticide credit, and refreshments, but not the GAP manual or memory stick.  Space is limited. Registration deadline:  April 11, 2013.  Please make your checks payable to University of Massachusetts.  Note that we cannot accept cash or credit card payments.  Please send check along with registration information given below to:

Doreen York
Agriculture & Landscape Program
210 Bowditch Hall
201 Natural Resources Rd.
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003

If you have questions, please contact Doreen at 413-545-2254
or email at dyork@umext.umass.edu. 

Registration deadline:  April 11, 2013

Name:          ______________________________       Farm/Organization___________________________

Address: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­     ____________________________________________________

Phone:         ____________________________________________________

Email:          ____________________________________________________

Amount:       ____________________________________________________