School Garden Food Safety

Recorded on March 8, 2022

Students who grow food in a school garden should have the opportunity to eat and celebrate the end results of their labor, but many schools and cafeterias have questions around garden food safety. What are best practices around garden food safety that can minimize risks associated with serving food from school gardens?

This workshop explores garden food safety and reviews materials that Massachusetts Farm to School and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) created establishing a standard framework and assessment for maintaining food safety in the school garden aligned with MDAR’s Commonwealth Quality Program for farms.

Presenters: Dinah Mack (Education Program Specialist, Mass. Farm to School) Chetna Naimi (Partnership Director & Farm to School Program Coordinator, Codman Academy) Eric Stenfors (Food & Drug Inspector, Produce Safety Division, MDAR).

Resources

School Garden Food Safety Manual

Webinar Slide Deck

Webinar Recording