When I signed up for the LaRue County Farmers Market this year I became aware of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. I took the required course through the LaRue County Extension Office that allows us to sell produce at the Farmers Market but I wanted to know more. One of the main reasons we started raising and growing our own food was to provide our family and community with safe, healthy and nutritious meat and produce. I was blessed to be able to take a distance learning Grower Safety Training Course through University of Kentucky's Department of Animal and Food Sciences and Cornell University. As it turns out we are too small to even be considered a "Very small Farm" ($25K-$250K in produce sales annually. Even though the FSMA is not manditory for us, I learned so much and am now confident that we will be able to provide our Family and community with safe nutritious produce. If is is manditory for us in the future we will already have the necessary practices in place.
