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OMAFRA workshop opportunities

October 29, 2008  By OMAFRA


October 29, 2008, Guelph, Ont. –
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is offering
on-farm food safety workshop opportunities geared towards the
horticulture industry.

October 29, 2008, Guelph, Ont. – The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is offering on-farm food safety workshop opportunities geared towards the horticulture industry.

Any of the following workshop topics can be scheduled upon an individual operation’s request and can be tailored to any group size. To arrange for a group meeting or be placed on a waiting list for the next available workshop, farmers can call 1-866-641-3663 (FOOD) or advantage@ontario.ca.

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Workshop topics include:

  • Irrigation water (1 hour) – Do you wonder about the quality of your irrigation water and its potential effect on food safety? Do you want to know how to take a water sample from your pond? Where do you send your water sample and how do you interpret the results? This session will provide you with the do's and don'ts of taking a water sample, a list of labs that test water, a demonstration on how the water test is done, what the test results mean and some advice on how to protect your water source.
  • Post harvest water (1 hour) – Do you wash your produce with recycled water? This session will discuss the risks of using poor quality water, pros and cons of some commonly used sanitizers, factors that can alter the effectiveness of sanitizer and ways to monitor sanitizer levels.
  • Hygiene and Hand Washing (1 hour) – Do you have workers that need good hygiene and hand washing training? This session will provide you with tools and advice on how to teach your workers proper hygiene and hand washing.
  • Manures and Composts (1 hour) – Do you use manure, compost or compost teas? This session identifies the potential risks to ready to eat crops, issues with making compost, and the do's and don'ts on applying, handling and storing manure and/or compost.


If producers can’t find the workshop to suit their needs, they are invited to contact OMAFRA to find a solution that is right for them.


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