DACF Home → Bureaus & Programs → Bureau of Agriculture → Quality Assurance & Regulations → Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) → Resource Library
Produce Safety Resource Library
This resource library is set up to give you access to tools we found to be useful for farms. You will find resources that relate to key topic areas of the Produce Safety Rule and on-farm food safety in lots of different ways from videos, to templates, to fact sheets, and more!
If you are not able to find a resource you're looking for, contact us and we can help you to find what you need.
Official FDA Documents for the Produce Safety Rule
- Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 112 - Full Text of the Produce Safety Rule
- Key Requirements of the Produce Safety Rule
- Draft Guidance for Industry
- “Rarely Consumed Raw” Produce Fact Sheet
- Flow Chart for Produce Safety Rule Coverage & Exemptions
- Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards For Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
- Bad Bug Book
DACF FSMA Presentations
- FSMA Facts: What You Need to Know About FSMA (PDF)
- FSMA Ask Me Anything: Produce Safety Rule Hot Topics and Questions (PDF)
- Straight Talk on FSMA Inspections: How They Work and What To Expect (PDF)
- Comparing FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule & USDA’s GAP Audits (PDF)
- Organics, Food Safety, & FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule (PDF)
- Produce Pathogens & Practical Concerns (Recorded YouTube video)
- Produce Pathogens & Practical Concerns (PDF of session slides)
- Pathogen Profile: Salmonella spp. (PDF)
- Pathogen Profile: E. coli O157:H7 (PDF)
- Pathogen Profile: Listeria monocytogenes (PDF)
Fact Sheets and Topic-Specific Resources
Worker Health, Hygiene, and Trainings
- Starting a Produce Safety Worker Training Program on Your Farm - University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Overview of Food Safety Training Requirements for Workers - Kansas State Extension
- DACF Graphic of Produce Safety Rule Times to Wash Hands (PDF)
- DACF Graphic of Communicable Health Conditions (PDF)
- When To Wash Your Hands - University of Vermont Extension
- Health & Hygiene Visual Poster (English & Spanish) (PDF) – Idaho Department of Agriculture
Animals
- Balancing Food Safety and Domesticated Animals on Produce Farms - Vermont Produce Program
- California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) Decision Tree: Evaluating Animal Activity (PDF)
- Animal Intrusion Visual Poster (English & Spanish) (PDF) – Idaho Department of Agriculture
- Risks Posed by Cats on Produce Farms (PDF) – Michigan State University
Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin
- FDA Fact Sheet: Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origins (English)
- FDA Fact Sheet: Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origins (Spanish)
- PSA Model Certificate of Conformance for 3rd Party Suppliers of BSAAO (DOCX)
Water
Note: Subpart E -- Agricultural Water is published in the Federal Register as part of the Produce Safety Rule. However, it is currently under review and compliance dates have been delayed. It is currently unenforceable while the enforcement discretion is in effect. The delayed compliance dates are below.
In the meantime, farmers should get to know the water quality profile of their agricultural water sources, and should start assessing their water distribution systems to make sure the system itself isn’t a potential source of contamination.
| COVERED FARM SIZE | VERY SMALL Produce Sales $25K-$250K |
SMALL FARMS Produce Sales $250K-$500K |
LARGE FARMS Produce Sales $500,001+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Subpart Requirements | Jan. 26, 2024 | Jan. 26, 2023 | Jan. 26, 2022 |
- FSMA Produce Safety Rule Water Requirements: Insights to Get You Organized - Produce Safety Alliance
- Water Analysis Methods in the Produce Safety Rule - Produce Safety Alliance
- Explanation of Geometric Means, Statistical Threshold Values, and Microbial Die-Off Rates - Produce Safety Alliance
- Surface Water Quality Profile Calculator (XLSX) - UC Davis
- Ground Water Quality Profile Calculator (XLSX) - UC Davis
- How to Wash Produce Using a Peracetic Acid Solution (PDF) - Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Your Sanitizing Guide for Washing Produce (PDF) – Missouri Department of Agriculture
- Agricultural Water Sampling: Introduction and Best Practices – LSU & Southern Center to Enhance Food Safety
Buildings, Equipment, & Sanitation
- Equipment and Buildings Visual Poster (English & Spanish) (PDF) – Idaho Department of Agriculture
- Introduction to Selecting an EPA Approved Sanitizer – Produce Safety Alliance
- Sanitizers Labeled for Produce (XLS) – Produce Safety Alliance
- Video Tutorial to Use “Sanitizers Labeled for Produce” Spreadsheet – Produce Safety Alliance
- Cleaning vs. Sanitizing – Produce Safety Alliance
- Maine Board of Pesticides Control
- A Guide to Cleaning, Sanitizing, & Disinfecting for Produce Farms – UVM Ag Engineering
- Simple DIY Outside Air Exchange – UVM Ag Engineering
- DIY Auto-Fill Humidifier – UVM Ag Engineering
- Cooler Construction Options – Walls and Panels – UVM Ag Engineering
- Drains for Produce Farms - UVM Ag Engineering
- Spring Cleaning – Farm Cooler Checklist - UVM Ag Engineering
- Finish Surfaces for Produce and Food Areas - UVM Ag Engineering
- Floor Design for Vegetable Wash, Pack and Storage Areas - UVM Ag Engineering
- Improving Handwashing Stations - UVM Ag Engineering
- Hygienic and Sanitary Design for Produce Farms - UVM Ag Engineering
Records
- Records & Documentation Requirements Handout (PDF) - DACF
- Explanation of Required Records for the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule - University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Overview of Records Required by the Produce Safety Rule (with Records templates) (PDF) - Produce Safety Alliance
- Guide and Templates for Produce Safety Rule Records (PDF) - Missouri Department of Agriculture
- Qualified Exemption Annual Review & Verification Worksheet – Fillable Template - New Hampshire Department of Agriculture
Qualified Exemption
- Qualified Exemption Explainer (PDF) - DACF
- Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule Exemptions - University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Qualified Exemption Annual Review & Verification Worksheet – Fillable Template - New Hampshire Dept of Agriculture
Inspections
Wild Blueberries in Maine
- Food Safety Best Management Practices for Wild Blueberry Producers in Maine - University of Maine Cooperative Extension
General Food Safety Resources
- FDA Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards For Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
- Pathogen Profile: Salmonella spp. (PDF)
- Pathogen Profile: E. coli O157:H7 (PDF)
- Pathogen Profile: Listeria monocytogenes (PDF)
- DACF Handout on Creating a Food Safety Culture (PDF)
- DACF Handout on Lean Manufacturing Principles (PDF)
- FDA Bad Bug Book
- Produce Safety Alliance - Food Safety Plan Resources
- FamilyFarmed & University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety, Postharvest Handling, Packing and Selling Produce:
Forms, Templates & Signs
- DACF Resources
- PSA - Records Required by the Produce Safety Rule (PDF)
- PSA - Records Required by the Produce Safety Rule (Word)
- New Hampshire Dept of Ag - Qualified Exemption Annual Review & Verification Worksheet – Fillable Template (PDF)
- Missouri Dept of Ag - Guide and Templates for Produce Safety Rule Records (PDF)
- PSA - Model Certificate of Conformance for 3rd Party Suppliers of BSAAO (DOCX)
- University of Vermont Extension - When To Wash Your Hands
- North Carolina Ag - Please Wash Your Hands!
Helpful Websites
- Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership - Provides technical advising to for manufacturing/processing equipment.
- Regional Centers for Food Safety Training, Outreach, and Technical Assistance
- Food Safety Resource Clearinghouse
- Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) - A cooperative alliance between Cornell University, the FDA, and USDA dedicated to solid, fact-checked, useful Produce Safety Rule resources.
- Map for determining distance for QEU - Creates a 275-mile radius from your address to help you determine whether customers meet geographic requirements of Qualified End Users.
- Map of Water Labs - Locations of water labs in Maine that perform the required tests needed to comply with water testing requirements in the Produce Safety Rule. This is not an exhaustive list; there may be additional labs using approved test methods.
- UVM Extension Ag Engineering - Food safety topics like salad spinners, post-harvest handling, food safety materials, and backflow prevention devices.
- National Young Farmers Coalition - Provides many resources for food safety topics in their online resource library. Case studies of individual farms, training opportunities, and business services they offer.
- UMaine Extension - Food safety plan and record templates, resources, signs.
- UMaine Extension Food Safety
- UMaine Extension Jumpstart to Farm Food Safety with Extension
- UMaine Food Safety Videos
Videos
- Food Safety Infrastructure Videos and Plans - Global Growers Infrastructure
- Pest Management Video - Iowa Department of Agriculture
- Infiltration Video - Iowa Department of Agriculture
- Water Testing Video - Iowa Department of Agriculture
- Agricultural Water Sampling: Introduction and Best Practices – LSU & Southern Center to Enhance Food Safety
- Selecting Cleaners and Sanitizers for Farm Surfaces – Produce Safety Colorado
Capacity Building
- University of Maine offers Beginning Farmer training course that helps new farmers learn about business planning, regulations, and resources: So, You Want to Farm in Maine?
- Maine Farmland Trust offers two tracks for farmers growing for wholesale channels that goes over business financials, identifying customers and doing market research, and running profitability audits. Class participants receive hours of free technical assistance, can get a seed grant and/or apply for large business grants after successfully completing the programs:
- FarmSmart offers ag business training for mid-stage farms (at least 2 yrs experience) who are ready to dig into their business plans, bookkeeping, marketing, team management, and financials:
- MOFGA offers individual farm and growth support to advanced beginning farmers (5-9 years experience):
- The Beginning Farmer Resource Network offers many kinds of farm support, including tools for communication, relationship care, stress management, balancing farm and family: