The blueberry growers information portal (http://ncsu.edu/enterprises/blueberries/) , along with other growers information portals -- strawberry, blackberry/raspberry, tomato -- are part of the Plants for Human Health Institute website (http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu). You'll find the growers information portals in the Extension (N.C. MarketReady) section. The blueberry portal was supported by a grant from the N.C. Rural Center and the Agricultural Advancement Consortium.
The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, administered by N.C. MarketReady, is now accepting applications for the 2011 Equipment cost share funding cycle. This program is funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to support the development of North Carolina value-added agricultural operations. Please see the attached news release and two profiles of past NCVACS Equipment Award recipients and share with producers and processors in your areas who may be interested in applying.
Applications for NCVACS 2011 Equipment Cost Share are now available online at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/extension/cost-share. Applications are due by August 31, 2011. Guidelines and a list of frequently asked questions can be found on the website. Award recipients will be notified by October 1, 2011.
NCVACS is coordinated by N.C. MarketReady, the Cooperative Extension outreach of the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute, located at the N.C. Research Campus. Funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, the cost share program was launched in 2009 and has provided over $696,000 in direct cost share assistance to value-added producers and processors throughout North Carolina. Learn more at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu.
The fee for the training is only $15/person. Checks can be made payable to “NCCES”.
To Pre-Register or for more information please call 828.697.4891.
Tier 1 will address GAPs that are directly related to field production and harvest. The training will include an introduction to common food-borne pathogens and diseases as well as recognizing points of potential contamination, proper use of biosolids as a nutrient source, effective hand-washing procedures, packing facility cleanliness and verifying water quality for field application and postharvest handling.
Anyone involved in handling fresh produce, from farmers and field hands to packing house employees and truckers will benefit from the training by learning to identify and prevent contact between sources of contamination and fresh produce. Attending this training session will result in growers moving towards compliance of pending fresh produce safety legislation. Upon completion of the seven-hour training, attendees will receive a certificate of attendance that they can post at their tailgate market booth and their name will be posted on the N.C. MarketReady website (http://www.ncmarketready.org/), allowing end markets and consumers to find growers that have completed the training.
GAPs certification requires establishing a food safety plan and passing a third-party audit that assesses the strength of the food safety plan and ensures that it is properly implemented. Currently, GAPs certification is voluntary for North Carolina farmers, though new legislation is on the horizon.
Learn more at www.ncmarketready.org.
