SULLIVAN COUNTY FOOD SAFETY OUTREACH PROGRAM

The goals and objectives of the Catskills Food Safety Outreach Program are to:Increase the food safety knowledge and training for small and medium sized agricultural producers in Sullivan and Delaware Counties, NY and Wayne County, PA by 60%, while decreasing the number of foodborne illnesses.Increase access to food safety educational resources for small and medium sized farms by developing an educational outreach program through social media, flyers, fact sheets, newsletter articles and one on one CCESC technical assistance, targeting socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers.Develop 10 food safety workshops by building capacity of CCESC staff and expanding existing food safety efforts.Host 3 Producer Safety Alliance Grower Trainings over 2 years.Provide training to CCEDC and PSEWC program staff on Food Safety so they can assist with providing resources for Delaware County and Wayne County producers.Schedule individual farm visits by CCESC to asses and provide food safety tech. assistance.Increase the number of producers with Food Safety Plans and GAP Audits in Sullivan and Delaware Counties, NY and Wayne County, PA.Assess pre-project the number of producers with Food Safety Plans and GAP audits with assistance from partners.Schedule individual farm visits by CCESC to assess and provide food safety technical assistance.20 farms will become Produce Safety Rule (PSR) recordkeeping compliant, of which 5 will be socially disadvantaged farms.3 producers will have received GAP audits.Increase the number of producers in Sullivan and Delaware Counties that are NYS Grown and Certified and have the ability to sell to the Catskills Food Hub, the Farm to Food Bank program and the Sullivan Fresh program.Work with partners to implement Food Safety Educational Outreach Plan (from Obj. #1).Host 2 NYS Grown and Certified informational workshopsHost food safety workshops (as part of Objective #1)3 producers will become NYS Grown and CertifiedIncrease the number of producers selling to the Hub and Sullivan Fresh by 20%Increase access to safe and nutritious food for low income communities and decrease foodborne illnesses.The Hub will increase the number of small and medium sized producers with Food Safety Plans or GAP audits by 20%, which in turn will increase access to safe and nutritious foods for low income communities through distribution programs such as Farm to School and the Sullivan Fresh Mobile Market and Community Cupboard program.Sullivan Fresh Market on the Move (Mobile Farmers Market) and the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard will increase purchases from the Hub from small and medium sized farms with Food Safety plans or GAP audits by 20%.Provide safe food handling demonstrations at the mobile farmers market stops to 400 low income consumers through CCESC certified ServeSafe staff.