Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training
who should attend
The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training is for fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.'
Contact Us
Safe Produce Indiana
adeering@purdue.edu
jsmonroe@purdue.edu
tgary@purdue.edu
745 Agriculture Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
upcoming Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower trainings
REMOTE Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training - Tuesday, November 4, 2025 - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time - Will be held remotely via Zoom. Participants are required to have access to an internet connection, speakers, a microphone, and a webcam. - Registration Deadline: October 27, 2025
upcoming Produce Safety workshops
Cleaning and Sanitizing Workshop - December 9, 2025 - Vincennes Agricultural Center - Vincennes, IN
Keeping produce safe and meeting buyers and regulatory expectations starts with strong cleaning and sanitation practices. To help growers and farm workers strengthen these skills, we invite you to join Purdue Extension’s Safe Produce Indiana team on December 9 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM ET at the Purdue Extension Food Safety Training Hub at the Vincennes Agricultural Center for a free, hands-on Cleaning and Sanitation Workshop. Attendees will learn from Purdue Extension experts about:
- Cleaning and Sanitizing Basics: Wash/pack area practices, sanitizer dilution, and using a Dosatron.
- Regulatory Requirements: Understanding cleaning and sanitation rules for produce safety.
- SSOPs and Recordkeeping: Writing Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures and maintaining records for third-party audits preparation.
- Water Sample Collection: Hands-on activity to properly collect and handle a water sample
- ATP Meter Activity: Using an ATP meter to test cleaning and sanitation efficacy in real time.
Don’t miss this chance to gain practical, farm-ready skills that strengthen food safety programs and prepare for audits. Registration is required for this event.
Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM-5:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Purdue Extension Food Safety Training Hub, Vincennes Agricultural Center, 4207 Purdue Rd, Vincennes, IN 47591
Workshop flyerProduce Safety Training Opportunities
what to expect at the training
The trainers will spend approximately seven hours of instruction time covering content contained in these seven modules:
- Introduction to Produce Safety
- Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
- Soil Amendments
- Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use
- Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water)
- Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
- How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan
Upcoming in-person PSA Grower Trainings
There are no public PSA Grower Trainings currently scheduled. Please check back later in the fall for a list of upcoming trainings scheduled for winter 2025-2026.
what to expect at the training
The trainers will spend approximately seven hours of instruction time covering content contained in these seven modules:
- Introduction to Produce Safety
- Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
- Soil Amendments
- Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use
- Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water)
- Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
- How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan
Remote PSA Grower Training Requirements
All participants will need to have accessed an internet connection, speakers and a microphone, and a webcam or HD webcam. Please note that because this course is not provided "in person," a course monitor has been appointed to verify participant engagement and attendance via video for this entire course. Per the requirements of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, course participants are only eligible to receive the PSA/AFDO Certificate of Course Completion if their presence during all PSA modules can be confirmed by the course monitor. The certificate of course completion will be issued later when proof of attendance has been verified, and all paperwork has been reviewed.
Upcoming Remote PSA Grower Trainings
REMOTE Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training - Tuesday, November 4, 2025 - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time - Will be held remotely via Zoom. Participants are required to have access to an internet connection, speakers, a microphone, and a webcam. - Cost: $70 for Indiana participants, $175 for out-of-state participants - Registration Deadline: October 27, 2025
Growers can schedule a private training at a location and time convenient for them. Privately scheduled trainings allow our trainers to focus on topics that directly impact the attendees’ farm operations. Participants will receive a training manual and Certificate of Course Attendance. Costing information is available upon request.
Our team will bring training materials, manuals, a projector to display training slides, and a projector screen. We ask that the host provides the following:
- 5 or more participants
- A training space large enough for our team to deliver the training material to all participants
- Any tables or chairs needed for the participants
- A power source to plug in a projector
If you have questions, or if you wish to schedule a private training session, please contact us.
This 4-hour course will provide updates for growers who have previously taken the PSA Grower Training Course, as well as review those topics that are critical to produce food safety. Recordkeeping strategies will also be presented. Refresher courses are free but registration is required. The only requirement is you MUST have taken the complete 8-hour PSA Grower Training.
There are no refresher courses scheduled at this time. However, you may contact Tari Gary by emailing tgary@purdue.edu if you are interested in hosting a private refresher course.
This 2-hour program is a basic introduction to produce food safety. Growers will learn the major areas where contamination of produce by a human pathogen may occur, and methods of managing contamination risk. This course is designed for growers who would like a basic introduction to produce food safety. Training is free but registration is required.
There are Food Safety Basics courses scheduled at this time. However, you may contact Tari Gary by emailing tgary@purdue.edu if you are interested in hosting a private Food Safety Basics course.
Fruit and vegetable growers are continually assessing their operations to determine where they can limit risk and increase productivity. As a result, many have expressed interest in learning more about how on-farm preharvest water treatment systems work and how they may fit within their current setup. Come for a day-long course with Safe Produce Indiana and Purdue Extension to learn about different approaches to treating water on-farm; how to implement these systems to meet requirements of the Produce Safety Rule;
and how to verify that the system is operating as intended.
Agenda
9:00-9:15 Welcome and Introductions
9:15-10:00 Module 1: Ag Water Treatment & FSMA
10:00-11:00 Module 2: Ag Water Treatment Tools
11:00-12:00 Developing On-farm Ag Water Treatment Programs
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:30 Implementing Ag Water Treatment on the Farm
Upcoming Courses:
There are no trainings scheduled at this time. We will post trainings as they are scheduled. Please check back soon!