Produce Bites

This podcast episode features Erin Lizotte, Integrated Pest Management Educator with MSU Extension, and Phil Tocco, Preharvest and Postharvest Food Safety Educator with MSU Extension. They discuss the best ways to manage wildlife on the farm. Additional Resources: Wildlife Management Resources Do I Need a Permit to Control Wildlife on my Farm? Preharvest Wildlife Scouting Interactive Video Funding...

This episode features Erin Caudell, a farmer in Flint Michigan and owner of a grocery store known as The Local Grocer, and Micah Hutchinson, a Produce Safety Technician with the Genesee Conservation District. They discuss both the benefits and challenges that are unique to urban agriculture, along with how produce safety may differ on urban farms.  Funding for this podcast was made possible i...

In this episode, you’ll hear from Jordan DeVries, a Produce Safety Technician with the Newaygo Conservation District, Marissa Schuh, with Michigan State University Extension, and Don Stoeckel, with the Produce Safety Alliance at Cornell University. They discuss the produce safety risks you should consider when it comes to water, along with what is required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule regarding...

Environmental Monitoring is the process of testing surfaces inside a pack house or post-harvest area. In this episode, Scott Wall with New Age Laboratories and Jordan DeVries, a Produce Safety Technician with Newaygo Conservation District, discuss why you may want to implement an environmental monitoring program on your farm.  Funding for this podcast was made possible in part by the Food and...

The Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team consists of the Michigan Conservation District Produce Safety Technicians, Michigan State University Extension, and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). In this episode, you’ll hear from Michelle Jacokes, a Produce Safety Technician with the Manistee Conservation District, Mariel Borgman, an MSU Extension Educator, and Heather B...

This episode features Kristin Esch, a produce safety specialist with the state of Michigan, and Brad Morgan, president and CEO of Morgan Composting. They discuss the best ways to treat, handle, and store compost or manure with regards to produce safety. Funding for this podcast was made possible in part by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in the posted...

In this episode, you'll hear from Jordan DeVries, a Produce Safety Technician with Newaygo Conservation District, Ben Phillips, an MSU Extension Educator in the east central part of Michigan, and Beth Van Dyk, the food safety manager for Van Dyk farms. They discuss the romaine lettuce outbreaks from 2018 and 2019, and Beth speaks up about how these outbreaks have affected leafy greens growers in M...

This episode features Emily Hale, a Produce Safety Technician with the Blue Water Conservation District, and Chris Callahan, who runs the Agricultural Engineering Program within University of Vermont Extension. They discuss the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, along with where and how often these activities should occur on the farm.  Additional Resources: A Guide to...

In this episode, Phil Tocco from Michigan State University Extension talks with Shane Mart, Director of Compliance at H&A Farms in Mt. Dora, Florida. With all the uncertainty in our current world and with Michigan U-pick seasons coming up soon, this episode gives you some insights from a grower who has been through a U-pick season already.  Funding for this podcast was made possible in pa...

This episode features Marissa Schuh, a vegetable production educator with MSU Extension, and Mike Snarski, manager of Summit Laboratory out of Grand Rapids, MI. They clarify what exactly is required by the Food Safety Modernization Act in terms of water testing, and they discuss how growers can communicate with a lab in order to get what they need. For help finding a water testing lab in your area...