PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University will offer a free workshop on good agricultural and food safety practices for direct marketers of food and agricultural products on Tuesday, Feb. 3, in Wenatchee.
“The objective of the workshop is to increase the understanding of critical food safety issues by people who sell agricultural products at roadside stands and farmers markets,” said Richard Dougherty, WSU food science specialist.
Good agricultural practices, known as GAPs,are on-the-farm practices that affect safety of raw products intended to be sold without further processing, Dougherty said. GAPs include practices that address water quality, worker sanitation and proper use of animal manures.
The workshop is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the large conference room at the WSU Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, 1100 N. Western Ave.
Additional workshops will be held Feb. 4, Mount Vernon; Feb. 5, Renton; Feb. 6, Bremerton; and Feb. 9, Puyallup.
Contact Dougherty at (509) 335-0972 or dougherty@wsu.edu for more information on the program. Contact Extension Meeting Management and Program Support at (509) 335-2811or emmps@wsu.edu for information on arrangements.
The workshop is sponsored by the Small Farm Direct Marketing Program of the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
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