Released April 23, 2009
BROOKINGS, S.D. -- A South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service course on local foods is becoming something of a global success.
SDSU Extension Food Safety Specialist Joan Hegerfeld-Baker said not only are residents of other states asking for the training, so are individuals in India, southeast Asia, and Canada. The training became available only in March.
Anyone interested in learning more about safely growing, producing and harvesting fruits and vegetables and organizing local farmers markets can benefit from the information, SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist Rhoda Burrows said. The training combines information about food safety and marketing strategies.
The training is available online at no cost to South Dakotans who register at a South Dakota State University Web site, http://extfcs.sdstate.edu/foodsafetysite/onLineTraining/. South Dakotans can also get the materials in CD-ROM format at no cost from local county Extension offices.
Because of the overwhelming response, SDSU is only registering South Dakotans to take the online course. However, individuals outside of South Dakota can obtain the materials for a $10 shipping and handling fee by sending a request by e-mail to Deborah.Bortnem@sdstate.edu.
Karla Trautman, an SDSU Extension specialist for leadership development and civic engagement, said one advantage of the training is that it brings together materials in two key areas that can help communities and entrepreneurs launch projects such as farmers markets.
“This training material melds the food safety component to the organizational component of creating a farmers market. You find work by other experts across the country who have done one or the other, but this material integrates the two components together in one thought process,” Trautman said.
This program was originally developed through a USDA Integrated Food Safety Grant.
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http://agbionews.sdstate.edu/story.cfm?id=4700
Contacts: Joan Hegerfeld-Baker, (605) 688-6233
Lance Nixon, (605) 688-4653, Lance.Nixon@sdstate.edu
