On-Farm Food Safety Study Looking for Volunteers

A University of California-Davis research team is enrolling organic and conventional farms to participate in a research opportunity for small to medium size farms. The researchers are looking for volunteers to participate in the study to identify on-farm food safety practices that are specific to the unique conditions and needs of small to medium size farms, including operations that integrate livestock and fresh produce production systems. The long-term goal of the study is to develop innovative, cost-effective, scale-size appropriate food safety metrics and recommendations for risk reduction for farms producing fresh produce and animal products. Fecal-borne pathogens can be spread to fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables through animal intrusions, or indirectly through contaminated water, or soil.

Project leaders, Dr. Michele Jay-Russell, Program Manager at the Western Center for Food Safety and liaison to WIFSS, and Dr. Alda Pires, Urban Agriculture and Food Safety Extension Specialist in the School of Veterinary Medicine, encourage farms with livestock and fresh produce production to volunteer. Dr. Pires (530-754-9855 or apires@ucdavis.edu), primary contact for the study, welcomes inquiries.

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