Blog posts by Meaghan Donovan
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, August 1, 2022
Food Safety Webinar Series for Organic Processors
This spring, the CCOF Foundation wrapped up our nine-part food safety for organic processors webinar series. The series started off with a review of the different Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls Rule compliance categories, then walked through the requirements for each category. In response to community feedback, we also included webinars that dove into the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and reviewed cottage food laws in California and Washington state.
If you didn’t catch all of the live broadcasts, check out the webinar…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, July 18, 2022
Join the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) for a workshop that reviews what it takes to be a USDA-certified organic farmer. The two-part hybrid workshop includes both an online session and an in-person farm tour with a mock organic inspection.
On July 28 at 7 p.m. Central Time, join NCAT staff for an online session that will introduce participants to organic regulations.
Then, on August 5, attend an in-person farm tour at Alchemy Farms and Plants in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama. Through a mock inspection, participants will learn firsthand what steps a producer needs to take…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, June 13, 2022
This event has been postponed. The new date will be announced when available.
Join the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in Brookhaven, Mississippi, on June 17 for an in-person workshop that reviews what it takes to be a USDA-certified organic farmer.
The workshop, taking place both in the classroom and out in the field, will introduce participants to organic regulations. Come learn the basics of organic regulations, then see what they look like on a working organic farm!
Workshop participants will tour CCOF-certified Ole Brook Organic Farm with an organic inspector and…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, April 25, 2022
Join the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in Florida on May 13 for a workshop that reviews what it takes to be a USDA-certified organic farmer.
The two-part workshop will start with a classroom session introducing participants to organic regulations from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Lecanto, Florida. Then, in the afternoon, tour Danley Family Farm, a livestock operation in Floral City, Florida, where participants will walk the farm with an organic inspector and learn firsthand about the organic inspection process. Through a “mock inspection,” participants will learn what steps the…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, April 11, 2022
Nearly every state in the United States has a cottage food law that allows for the sale of low-risk foods produced in a home kitchen. However, these laws vary widely between states. Differences include types of products that can be made and sold, annual sales limits, and how or where the food can be sold. Join us for a webinar on April 27 that will cover the specifics of the cottage food laws in California and Washington states. Dr. Erin DiCaprio from the University of California, Davis and Dr. Stephanie Smith from Washington State University will review details on cottage food registration,…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Are you an organic processor who’s confused about what types of food safety preventative controls you need to implement in your operation? If so, you're in the right place. Join us on March 8, the new date for our Hazard Analysis Webinar for Organic Food Processors. During the webinar, we will walk through the process of hazard analysis, which is the first step to implementing preventative controls.
Conducting a hazard analysis is a systematic approach to determine what types of preventative controls need to be implemented to ensure the production of safe food. The process for conducting a…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, January 31, 2022
Join the CCOF Foundation and our partners for a two-part webinar series that reviews the fundamentals of on-farm food safety for small and very small organic produce farms, as well as discusses the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule compliance requirements for small farms.
Not sure what the federal FSMA means for your small organic produce farm? You are in the right place! In our two-part webinar series, Dr. Stephane Smith from Washington State University will highlight the fundamentals of produce safety for small and very small organic growers. You’ll gain tips on how…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Tuesday, January 18, 2022
The broadcast date of this webinar has changed to March 8, 2022, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Are you an organic processor confused about what food safety preventive controls you need to implement in your operation? If so, you're in the right place. Join us on March 8 for the fifth webinar in our Food Safety for Organic Processors series. During the webinar, we will walk through the process of hazard analysis, which is the first step to implementing preventative controls.
Hazard analysis is a systematic approach to determine what preventive controls need to be implemented to ensure the…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Tuesday, December 7, 2021
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) for all food processors regardless of their compliance status. Following good food safety practices also gives you and your customers confidence in the safety of your food products. Join us for the fourth webinar in our FSMA 101 for Organic Processors series for an overview of cGMPs for organic processors.
In this webinar, we will go through the basics of cGMPs requirements and recordkeeping. Learn about food safety requirements for buildings, equipment, and personnel, among others. Topics include…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, November 8, 2021
As we wrap up our first “Radio Organic” podcast series, we would love to hear your ideas for future broadcasts. What topics would you like us to explore in future episodes?
Series One Recap
In our first series, we looked at direct marketing strategies for farms that sell directly to consumers.
In episode one, we heard from Joe Schirmer of Dirty Girl Produce on he how completely transformed the way he manages his farm’s sales and invoicing systems.
In episode two, we learned about all things mushroom from Far West Fungi, as well as how the company leverages their direct marketing…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Does your business fall into the fully covered category of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule? If so, join the CCOF Foundation in November for the third webinar in our FSMA 101 for Organic Processors series, where we will go over the requirements for a fully covered facility, review required training, and walk through the process for registering with FDA.
Your food business must fully comply with the FSMA Preventive Controls Rule if
- your business conducts activities that are not considered “low risk” processing to meet the farm mixed-type…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, October 11, 2021
The CCOF Foundation is pleased to partner with Community Alliance with Family Farmers and “The Farmers Beet” to launch our new podcast “Radio Organic: Sound Bites from the Organic Community.”
In our four-part pilot series, we’ll chat briefly each week with long-time organic farmers about marketing techniques that have helped them run successful, resilient organic businesses. As a part of each interview, we ask our guest farmers what recommendations they have for newer farmers on managing resilient organic farms, as well as advice for farmers switching from wholesale to direct-to-consumer…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, October 4, 2021
The CCOF Foundation is pleased to partner with Community Alliance with Family Farmers and “The Farmers Beet” to launch our new podcast “Radio Organic: Sound Bites from the Organic Community.”
In our four-part pilot series, we’ll chat briefly each week with long-time organic farmers about marketing techniques that have helped them run successful, resilient organic businesses. As a part of each interview, we ask our guest farmers what recommendations they have for newer farmers on managing resilient organic farms.
In our third episode we spoke with Patricia Rodriguez of Rodriguez Farms on…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Monday, September 13, 2021
The CCOF Foundation is pleased to partner with Community Alliance with Family Farmers and “The Farmers Beet” to launch our new podcast “Radio Organic: Sound Bites from the Organic Community.”
In our four-part pilot series, we’ll chat briefly each week with long-time organic farmers about marketing techniques that have helped them run successful, resilient organic businesses. As a part of each interview, we ask our guest farmers what recommendations they have for newer farmers on managing resilient organic farms.
In our second episode we chatted with John and Kyle Garrone of Far West Fungi…
Written by Meaghan Donovan on Tuesday, September 7, 2021
The CCOF Foundation is pleased to partner with Community Alliance with Family Farmers and “The Farmers Beet” to launch our new podcast “Radio Organic: Sound Bites from the Organic Community.”
In our four-part pilot series, we’ll chat briefly each week with long-time organic farmers about marketing techniques that have helped them run successful, resilient organic businesses. As a part of each interview, we ask our guest farmers what recommendations they have for newer farmers on managing resilient organic farms.
In our premier episode we chatted with Joe Schirmer of Dirty Girl Produce about…