ESTABLISHING A FOOD SAFETY MODEL FARM AS A TRAINING CENTER TO ADVANCE FOOD SAFETY FOR HMONG FARMERS IN MISSOURI

The long-term goal of this community outreach project is to establish a produce safety model farm serving as a training center to advance food safety for Hmong farmers in Missouri.Objectives:Objective (1): To assess and evaluate the specific needs for establishing a model produce farm for food safety training guided by FSMA for Hmong farmers in southwest Missouri;Objective (2): To develop and establish a model produce safety farm to advance food safety among Hmong farmers;Objective (3): To develop and evaluate produce safety workshops guided by FSMA using this food safety model farm as a training center for Hmong produce farmers, especially for produce safety demonstration and hands-on practices purposes. We will evaluate if the developed food safety workshops using this model farm is transferable to other Hmong produce farms with similar characteristics across the U.S. Effectiveness of the program will be evaluated based on focus groups and surveys conducted post-implementation.Objective (4): To provide one-on-one consultations and other assistance (e.g., developing food safety plans and mini-section training videos on food safety practices) for 6 pre-recruited Hmong farmers in southwest Missouri.