"Bacteria cannot walk, but they can swim." In this episode, we dive into the science behind washing produce and its impact on both produce safety and product quality.

Originally recorded March 2025

The Benefits and Risks to Washing Your Produce (Repost)

In this episode, we’re joined by Annalisa Hultberg, a Food Safety Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota Extension, and Ariel Pressman, Principal Consultant with Whole Farm Strategies. Together, they share practical tips for building a low-cost packshed. From structures and flooring to essential equipment, they break down how growers can create an efficient wash/pack space without sacrificing functionality or food safety.

Additional Resources:

University of Minnesota Food Safety Factsheets [https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/food-safety-fact-sheets/home]

University of Vermont Post-Harvest Resources [https://blog.uvm.edu/cwcallah/post-harvest/]

Building a Low Cost Packshed

This episode features Nick Panicola, a Produce Safety Technician for the Grand Traverse Conservation District, and Dr. Kevin Tarwa, a recent University of Maryland doctoral graduate. They discuss Dr. Tarwa’s research on harvested rainwater and what it means for produce safety.

Rainwater Catchment & Produce Safety

Cleaning & Sanitizing Blueberry Harvesters

This episode features Carrie Fitzpatrick, a Food Safety Consultant through Wilbur-Ellis, and Morgan Anderson, a Produce Safety Technician with the Ottawa Conservation District. Together, they break down what regenerative agriculture really means, address common misconceptions about balancing regenerative practices with food safety, and compare PRIMUS and GAP audit expectations with the requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.

Additional Resources:

Regenerative Agriculture & Compliance Table [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LQNA_KrjcUgDeyHEh-IkOUxWmd4OWUp6hfqVzTW3kEA/edit?usp=sharing]



Regenerative Agriculture & Food Safety

This podcast episode features Allissa Conley, a Produce Safety Technician with the Newaygo Conservation District, and Tess Van Gorder, the Conservation & Regulatory Relations Specialist with Michigan Farm Bureau. Tess goes over what Michigan growers need to know when it comes to wastewater discharge and the groundwater discharge permit process. 

Groundwater Discharge Permits

In this episode, Produce Safety Technicians Micah Hutchison and Landen Tetil discuss how to find a balance between eco-friendly practices and produce safety on the farm. 

Supplemental Resources:

Factors to Consider When Purchasing Used Produce Equipment [https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/factors_to_consider_when_purchasing_used_produce_processing_equipment] (Article)

Building a Low-Cost Wash Pack [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exchzTY173k] (Video)

Eco-Friendly, Affordable, and Food Safe: Finding a Balance

Beginning farmer educators and partners from across Michigan have come together to author a beginning farmer curriculum, rooted in participatory action learning, to offer a solid foundation for beginning farmer training programs. In this episode, Mariel Borgman and Kathy Sample talk through their contributions to the curriculum and how these modules can support effective learning and engagement for beginning farmers. 

Beginning Farmer Curriculum and Resources:

beginningfarmercurriculum.org  [https://www.beginningfarmercurriculum.org/]

Beginning Farmer Workshops:

Kalamazoo Valley Community College will be hosting a series of free workshops for beginning farmers for an opportunity to learn farming skills and provide feedback on the new curriculum modules. A produce safety-specific workshop [https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/produce-safety-workshop-for-beginning-farmers] will be held on May 29. 

All workshop dates and topics are listed below. Click a link below to register. 

 * May 22 - Urban Agriculture and Policy [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHpMBMdz4dLfpaELDn5rk_EyrcJFJkc-b1pFOgrR-Cti0k7A/viewform]
 * May 29 - Produce Safety [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHpMBMdz4dLfpaELDn5rk_EyrcJFJkc-b1pFOgrR-Cti0k7A/viewform]
 * June 5 - Soil Health [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHpMBMdz4dLfpaELDn5rk_EyrcJFJkc-b1pFOgrR-Cti0k7A/viewform]
 * June 12 - Integrated Pest Management [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHpMBMdz4dLfpaELDn5rk_EyrcJFJkc-b1pFOgrR-Cti0k7A/viewform]
 * June 19 - Pollinators [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHpMBMdz4dLfpaELDn5rk_EyrcJFJkc-b1pFOgrR-Cti0k7A/viewform]
 * June 26 - Farm Financial Management [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHpMBMdz4dLfpaELDn5rk_EyrcJFJkc-b1pFOgrR-Cti0k7A/viewform]

Train-The-Trainer Workshops:

A series of train-the-trainer workshops [https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/free-trainings-for-educators-working-with-beginning-farmers-offered-this-spring-and-summer] have been planned in 2025 for beginning farmer educators to receive an introduction to the curricula and teaching techniques. Click a link below to register!

 * June 3 – Grand Rapids, register here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpLxmeCgnpULKLFtHBIIH17D-DK-Q1w2pq7DT7niSc0DKJdg/viewform]
 * June 6 – Flint, register here [https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/beginning-farmers-train-the-trainer-workshop-june-6]
 * June 10 – Online, register here [https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/beginning-farmers-train-the-trainer-workshop-june-10-virtual]
 * June 17 – Chatham, register here [https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/beginning-farmers-train-the-trainer-workshop-june]

Beginning Farmer Curriculum

This episode features Phil Tocco, an MSU Extension Educator for on-farm produce safety, and Claire Murphy, an assistant professor and extension specialist in produce safety at Washington State University. Claire discusses their research on the safety of postharvest water, including how they’re sampling for sanitizer levels and the presence of bacteria. Together, Phil and Claire share best practices that growers and packhouses can consider implementing based on preliminary findings, particularly around monitoring and maintaining postharvest water quality.

Managing Postharvest Water in a Packhouse

This episode features Phil Tocco, an MSU Extension Produce Safety Educator, and Michelle Danyluk, a professor and extension specialist in microbiological food safety at the University of Florida. Michelle shares what her and her colleagues have learned from their research on cleaning and sanitizing leafy greens harvesters, and offers practical advice for how growers can keep their equipment clean. 

Cleaning & Sanitizing Harvest Aids

Alison Work (@alisonkwork) · Zencastr

Alison Work (@alisonkwork)

Produce Bites features MSU Extension Educators, Michigan Produce Safety Technicians, fruit and vegetable growers, and others in the industry to talk about anything and everything related to produce safety. Join us as we discuss how growers are implementing food safety on their farm, challenges relating to food safety, and clarification on certain aspects of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.