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<p>Objective 1. Develop a cadre of PSA (Produce Safety Alliance) and FSPCA (Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance) certified trainers within the US Western Region who are focused on supporting the food production and processing industry. </p><p>Objective 2. Develop and deliver region and stakeholder specific education, training curricula, and technical assistance programs by leveraging existing training and curricular development efforts with organizations such as NGO's, CBO's, Extension, food hubs, and food cooperatives. This will include a special focus on small farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, and small fruit and vegetable growers and processors. </p><p>Objective 3. Evaluate the impacts of education, training and technical assistance programs. </p>
The project will establish a Western Regional Food Safety Center at Oregon State University. The geographical area that the Western Center oversees consists of 13 states and 2 territories, and it encompasses more than half the land mass of the U.S. with over 50% of the specialty crop market value. Four Land-Grant Universities will serve as coordinating hubs for four sub-regions within the Western Center: - - Southwest sub-region - University of California, Davis- Northwest sub-region - University of Idaho- Mountain sub-region - Colorado State University- Pacific sub-region - University of Hawaii, Manoa activities in the Western Region will be focused on developing trainers to deliver certified Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) and Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance (FSPCA) training workshops. The workshops will direct toward operators of small and medium-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, small food processors, and small fruit and vegetables merchant wholesalers affected by FSMA associated rules. Partnerships have been established with Land- Grant universities, stakeholder groups including state and local regulators, and community-based and non-governmental organizations. These partnerships will be leveraged to maximize training effectiveness and delivery opportunities. While the short-term goal is to establish an effective train-the-trainer program across the states in cooperation with the national center and other regional centers, the long-term goal is to improve food safety through training of a wide array of stakeholders across the western region of the U.S.