News & Updates
ANNOUNCEMENT: SAVE THE DATES, November 16-17, 2023
Produce Safety Alliance Remote Grower Training Course in Spanish. For more details on this training course, click here (flyer in English) or click here (flyer in Spanish).
You can find the direct registration page here: https://cals.cornell.edu/produce-safety-alliance/remote-grower-training-november-16-17-2023.
FDA issues reminder of end of intended enforcement discretion period for harvest and post-harvest agricultural water
The FDA released a
fact sheet and constituent update to remind produce stakeholders of the upcoming end of the intended enforcement discretion period for the harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements in the Produce Safety Rule for covered produce other than sprouts. For large covered farms, this period will end on January 26, 2023.
Learn more.
Free classes and trainings on well water
The University of Illinois Urbana is providing free classes and trainings on well water. To learn more about these opportunities, visit
privatewellclass.org.
DATCP announces plans for Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program
DATCP has signed a cooperative agreement with USDA to create the Wisconsin Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program. This program aims to strengthen local and regional food systems; support underserved, small Wisconsin farmers; and distribute fresh, nutritious foods to underserved communities.
Learn more.
Take the 2023 Produce Questionnaire and Registry
Through a cooperative agreement with the FDA, DATCP's Produce Safety Regulatory Program, or Safe Wisconsin Produce (SWP), has a primary goal of educating and promoting implementation of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) to diverse members of the Wisconsin agriculture community.
SWP has spent more than five years understanding the agricultural layout across the state and assessing the needs of produce growers, including education and technical support. SWP – along with partner organizations like Wisconsin Farmers Union and Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services – will continue to ensure the safe production of fresh fruit and vegetables by providing growers and buyers access to the resources they need. SWP also is responsible for enforcing the PSR through documented inspections, often occurring after formal training and On-Farm Readiness Reviews.
To provide these service to Wisconsin growers, the SWP team comprises individuals with strong backgrounds in agriculture and food, and a passion for the industry.
Meet the Team
Krystal Martin
Environment Health
Services Supervisor-Produce | Krystal's history of produce safety began shortly after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a degree in environmental science. She spent more than a half-decade working on organic produce farms, ranging from CSA to wholesale to retail/market-based. She experienced the joys and hardships of farming firsthand – seeding, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, washing and packing. She observed losses due to disease, above average yields, and everything in between.
In 2016, Krystal transitioned to food safety. She worked as a manufactured foods sanitaria n, strengthening
her understanding of food safety factors while learning the “whys" behind regulation. In May 2021, Krystal transitioned to her current role where she oversees the work being done by the produce team in the field and behind the scenes. She is committed to aiding in the forward movement of Safe Wisconsin Produce so that it can continue to be a resource for years to come. If you can't find her at work or in her garden, she is likely chasing her toddler, swimming in the lake, with her head in a book, or covered in flour as she whips up a comfy fall recipe.
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Joanna
Kahvedjian
Program and Policy Analyst | Joanna's position comes with a lot of variety, including: Developing and providing progress reports to leadership, analyzing processes and creating standard operating procedures, coordinating communications between DATCP and the Produce Safety Advisory Council, and maintaining the statewide farm inventory. This work involves close collaborations with other states, federal agencies and various partners. It also requires a constant focus on program efficiency and educating growers to make sure they are following sound safety practices to keep Wisconsin's fresh fruits and vegetables healthy and wholesome.
Before joining DATCP, Joanna earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and built a wide range of experiences. Her professional career began in Jerusalem in the nonprofit sector in education. This is where she first tasted fresh figs, which have remained her favorite over the years. From there, she moved to a suburb of Washington, D.C., where she began organic food gardening, beekeeping and urban growing. She also co-owned and operated a wood-fired pizza business. In Madison, Joanna continues to grow fruits and vegetables and care for chickens, always pleasantly surprised at their productivity despite the short season. She also enjoys the outdoors, being active, and connecting with people.
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Jill Cholewa
Produce Outreach Specialist
| Jill's passion for nutrition and education began at a young age. With a background in dairy farming, she has been obsessed with where our food comes from, how it's grown, and always seeks to learn ways improve food safety and the quality of food. Her role involves identifying and implementing appropriate outreach strategies and methods to educate Wisconsin produce growers, businesses and consumers. Jill has more than 10 years of experience in community outreach and education, and she has a talent for bridging people and places, and in developing partnerships.
Jill is excited to join the SWP team and to again work within the agriculture industry. Outside of work, she is an adventurous traveler, avid hiker and spends her available free time entertaining her "fur kids."
Jill earned a Ph. D. from the University of Kentucky, where she also received a bachelor's degree in human nutrition and food science |