For those interested in the dynamic world of fresh produce safety and fruits and vegetables, Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. of Coral Gables, FL has voluntarily recalled nearly 5,000 cases of cantaloupe (read the company's News Release). The cantaloupe is believed to be linked to 12 cases of Salmonella. The cantaloupes were available from March 10-21 at warehouse clubs in Alaska, Colorado, California, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington and were grown in Guatemala.
To read more about the recall, visit Food Safety News for the article Cantaloupes Linked to 12 Salmonella Illnesses.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Seven Reasons Why Extension is Needed Today
The Southeast Farm Press published the article Seven Reasons Why Extension is Needed Today last week. This article, written by Jim Langcuster from Auburn University, makes some great points and emphasizes why I love my line of work.
Here is the list of the Seven Reasons (for complete article click here):
Here is the list of the Seven Reasons (for complete article click here):
- We are sustainers
- We are catalysts
- We are an agency of empowerment
- We are human infrastructure
- We are contextualizers
- We are synergists
- We are collaborators
"The good news is that we {extension} still possess something that search engines and other online applications lack: the ability to provide our audiences knowledge within deep, enriched learning contexts. We help our diverse audiences not only understand knowledge within a wider learning context but, even more important, how to use it to enhance their lives in lasting, meaningful ways."
Please read this article. If you agree and would like to see Cooperative Extension continue to thrive in the future, don't hesitate to let your local politician know.
Thank you for being supportive of my extension program.
Thank you for being supportive of my extension program.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Scale Calibration, Asheville March 9 & 16
When: March 9 & 16 from 9 am-noon
Where: Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 94 Coxe Ave. Asheville, NC 28801 (map and directions)
If you use a scale at your farm or tailgate market, it needs to be calibrated by the NCDA for Legal Trade.
This is a great and free opportunity to get your scale calibrated before the selling season.
Contact Melinda Roberts for more details, 828.255.5522, melinda_roberts@ncsu.edu
Where: Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 94 Coxe Ave. Asheville, NC 28801 (map and directions)
If you use a scale at your farm or tailgate market, it needs to be calibrated by the NCDA for Legal Trade.
This is a great and free opportunity to get your scale calibrated before the selling season.
Contact Melinda Roberts for more details, 828.255.5522, melinda_roberts@ncsu.edu
Blueberry Workshop: Bryson City March 8
What: "How to Establish and Maintain a Blueberry Planting" seminar
When: March 8, 2011. 10:30 am-2:30 pm
Where: Swain County Cooperative Extension, 60 Almond School Dr. Bryson City, NC 28713 (map and directions)
How Much: $10 payable at the door (includes lunch)
Other Details:
Bill Cline NCSU Blueberry Specialist will cover:
- Site selection and preparation
- Blueberry fertility needs
- Pests and their control
- Choosing the right cultivars
- Harvesting
This March 8 class will cover all aspects of blueberry production and will include a "hands on" pruning demonstration at a nearby site. For demonstration purposes, we ask that you bring your own pruners and/or loppers.
More Information: Contact Christie Bredenkamp at 828-488-3848 or by e-mail: christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu
When: March 8, 2011. 10:30 am-2:30 pm
Where: Swain County Cooperative Extension, 60 Almond School Dr. Bryson City, NC 28713 (map and directions)
How Much: $10 payable at the door (includes lunch)
Other Details:
Bill Cline NCSU Blueberry Specialist will cover:
- Site selection and preparation
- Blueberry fertility needs
- Pests and their control
- Choosing the right cultivars
- Harvesting
This March 8 class will cover all aspects of blueberry production and will include a "hands on" pruning demonstration at a nearby site. For demonstration purposes, we ask that you bring your own pruners and/or loppers.
More Information: Contact Christie Bredenkamp at 828-488-3848 or by e-mail: christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Study Vindicates Tomatoes in 2008 Salmonella Outbreak
From the United Fresh Produce Association
For more information, visit http://www.unitedfresh.org/ or call 202-303-3400
In a study released in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided detailed evidence linking a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008 to jalapeño and serrano peppers, and explained how tomatoes were mistakenly implicated in the early stages of the investigation.
United Fresh Produce Association President and CEO Tom Stenzel provides the following statement on the study:
“Members of the produce industry and consumers alike should be both relieved and encouraged to see this information confirming the source of the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008. The study in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine underscores the fact that temporal associations based on memories of what someone has eaten weeks earlier can be useful, but not definitive, in these investigations.
“It’s clear from the study that many sick individuals recalled eating a salsa product, but failed to recognize the peppers that were contained as an ingredient. By prematurely jumping to the conclusion that tomatoes were causing the outbreak, officials may have unwittingly allowed the outbreak to continue.
“We credit the CDC and Food and Drug Administration now for reporting these findings, as an important lesson to be learned in outbreak investigations.
“The fresh produce industry is 100 percent committed to doing all we can to prevent any contamination of any commodity from ever occurring. But these are natural products grown outside in nature, often eaten without cooking. In the rare case in which a problem does occur, we stand ready to work with local, state and federal officials to bring the most rapid identification, traceback and removal of a product from the marketplace.
“We are committed to bringing our very best scientific knowledge and detailed understanding of growing areas, production processes and distribution to help government officials quickly identify and remove the real cause of any problem.”
Thu, 2011-02-24 07:26
For more information, visit http://www.unitedfresh.org/ or call 202-303-3400
In a study released in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided detailed evidence linking a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008 to jalapeño and serrano peppers, and explained how tomatoes were mistakenly implicated in the early stages of the investigation.
United Fresh Produce Association President and CEO Tom Stenzel provides the following statement on the study:
“Members of the produce industry and consumers alike should be both relieved and encouraged to see this information confirming the source of the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008. The study in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine underscores the fact that temporal associations based on memories of what someone has eaten weeks earlier can be useful, but not definitive, in these investigations.
“It’s clear from the study that many sick individuals recalled eating a salsa product, but failed to recognize the peppers that were contained as an ingredient. By prematurely jumping to the conclusion that tomatoes were causing the outbreak, officials may have unwittingly allowed the outbreak to continue.
“We credit the CDC and Food and Drug Administration now for reporting these findings, as an important lesson to be learned in outbreak investigations.
“The fresh produce industry is 100 percent committed to doing all we can to prevent any contamination of any commodity from ever occurring. But these are natural products grown outside in nature, often eaten without cooking. In the rare case in which a problem does occur, we stand ready to work with local, state and federal officials to bring the most rapid identification, traceback and removal of a product from the marketplace.
“We are committed to bringing our very best scientific knowledge and detailed understanding of growing areas, production processes and distribution to help government officials quickly identify and remove the real cause of any problem.”
Thu, 2011-02-24 07:26
Friday, February 18, 2011
Fresh Produce Safety - Tier 1 Training
We will be holding a Fresh Produce Safety Training at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center.
The seven hour training will be broken up into 3 sessions on Mondays February 28, March 7 and March 14. The sessions will be from 1-3:30 pm.
The seven hour training will be broken up into 3 sessions on Mondays February 28, March 7 and March 14. The sessions will be from 1-3:30 pm.
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.
Berry Alerts for Strawberry Growers
As some of you might know, Dr. Barclay Poling, professor and strawberry extension specialist in the Horticultural Science Department at NCSU retired at the end of 2010. Dr. Poling is known for his great extension work, including his berry management emails that helped to answer questions and give weather alerts.
In his retirement, Dr. Poling is continuing with the updates, which are very helpful for strawberry producers. If you would like to subscribe to the new Berry Alerts, please see the message below from Dr. Poling.
In his retirement, Dr. Poling is continuing with the updates, which are very helpful for strawberry producers. If you would like to subscribe to the new Berry Alerts, please see the message below from Dr. Poling.
"Dear Growers, Agents and NCDA & CS Agronomists,
As was announced in the NC Strawberry Grower newsletter (January/February 2011 Vol. 18, No. 1, p 2), there is now a new advisory called 'berry alert' that is available through the StrawberryWeather.com website. This advisory is free.
TO SUBSCRIBE TO BERRY ALERT:
Step 1. go to: www.StrawberryWeather.com
Step 2. on the home page click on 'Berry Alerts - FREE' tab
Step 3. in the gray panel box you will need to provide some brief information about yourself and your operation (agents and agronomists can simply answer the name of location question by typing in their county name or a region of the state). You will also be given the option to subscribe to daily weather forecasts. The berry alerts do not follow a fixed schedule, though there will be an advisory sent out at noon tomorrow. The weather forecasts are sent out daily.
The first Berry Alert was actually sent out on Saturday, Feb. 12th, and so far everything seems to be working well. I heard from several strawberry growers today who said they had no problem in subscribing. If you encounter a problem, you can reach me at this email address: strawberrydoc@gmail.com
I will not be sending out any further berry mg's this strawberry season, so please be sure to get subscribed to Berry Alert in the near future!"
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