Report says 1,000 Kentucky producers have completed produce safety program.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 8, 2008
For more information contact:Ted Sloan
(502) 564-4696

FRANKFORT, Ky. — More than 1,000 Kentucky food producers have completed training for best practices for growing, transporting and handling produce to minimize the risk of food contamination, a Kentucky Department of Agriculture report says.

More than 710 farmers’ market vendors also have completed training for a state protocol to offer samples at farmers’ markets, according to the 2008 Annual Farmers’ Market Report.

“Kentucky producers are dedicated to providing clean, wholesome food,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “This tremendous level of participation in these food safety training programs should ensure farmers’ market customers that they can serve Kentucky Proud foods to their families with confidence.”

The Good Agricultural Practices program was launched last year by the agriculture department, the state Department for Public Health and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. The sampling protocol was developed through a partnership of the KDA and the DPH.

The farmers’ market report said vendors recorded estimated sales of $8 million in 2007 in spite of a late freeze and severe drought. The number of markets in Kentucky has increased from 96 in 2004 to 120 in 2008, the report said, but the number of vendors declined from 2,015 in 2007 to 1,951 this year.

The report said few Kentucky farmers’ markets are set up to accept credit/debit and EBT (food stamp) cards. The Kentucky Farmers’ Market Association has been awarded a $63,010 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the economic feasibility of using EBT and credit/debit technology at rural farmers’ markets and the economic impact of the sampling protocol.

The KDA’s Farmers’ Market Program provides technical assistance for Kentucky farmers’ markets and offers Kentucky Proud promotional items at cost. The program worked with DPH and KFMA to publish the 2008-2009 Kentucky Farmers’ Market Manual, a comprehensive collection of valuable information for farmers’ market managers and vendors. The program also maintains a directory of farmers’ markets.

To read the report, go to www.kyagr.com, click on Programs, and click on Farmers’ Markets. To find out more about the Good Agricultural Practices program, go to www.kyagr.com, click on Programs and click on (GAP) Good Agricultural Practices. For more information about the state protocol for offering samples at farmers’ markets, go to the farmers’ market page and click on the link to New Sampling Information.