Produce Safety Cost-Share

This cost share has closed

Welcome! Practical Farmers of Iowa is offering a cost-share program for those seeking to make on-farm food safety improvements.

To qualify:

You must be a specialty crop producer in Iowa
You must have a training certificate from a PSA Grower Training course on the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PFI will verify with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)

If accepted, you agree to:

Complete your qualifying purchase by May 1, 2023
Provide verification of purchase (receipt)
Complete a cost-share program survey prior to reimbursement

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This cost share has closed.

Questions?

Contact our senior horticulture education coordinator, Jacqueline Venner Senske, by emailing jacqueline.venner.senske@practicalfarmers.org or by calling the office at (515) 232-5661.

Full List of Program Requirements

Cost-Share Reimbursement Amount

Cost-shares are available for $1,500 or $2,000. The level of cost-share is based on the cost of the intended purchase. See the table below.

Purchase Amount	Reimbursement Amount
< $1,600	N/A
$1,600	$1,500
$2,000+	$2,200

Examples of eligible food safety improvements include, but are not limited to:

Third-party GAP certification*
Water testing expenses*
Installation of CoolBot systems
Upgrades to food contact surfaces in your pack shed
Handwashing stations
Harvest totes that can be easily cleaned and sanitized
Portable toilet rental
Expenses related to enclosing your packing area
Fencing or netting to exclude wildlife
Produce washing equipment
Sanitizers, applicators and test strips
Reusable distribution containers (insulated bags, totes, coolers, etc.)

*These items are also eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program, but cannot be reimbursed by both programs.

Items not allowed:

Single-use packaging, such as clamshells, wax boxes or paper bags
Disposable items, such as gloves, paper towels, etc.

Funding for the Produce Safety Cost-Share was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant funding. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.