Vegetable and Fruit Newsletter header
Updated: March 31, 2026

2026  |  Volume 17, Issue 2

Inside this issue:

It’s a Great Time to Review Food Safety Training

Carol Allen, Agent Associate in Food Safety

Poster urging frequent hand washing with images of handwashing steps. Text in Spanish and English highlights situations for washing hands.
Laminated “Please Wash Your Hands Often!” signs are available from MDA. (410)-841-5700. 

*Note article first appeared in the March 30, 2026 issue of the Food safety Newsletter for Maryland Farmers.* 

Seasonal workers have arrived and hopefully, producers will have had some time to hold a worker training on health and hygiene. With returning workers, this may be a simple reminder of basic produce safety practices, but with newer folks, it may be both necessary and timely.

Both Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) emphasize the importance of worker training. This training is twofold; worker health and hygiene and task-specific training. A producer is required to train workers in both areas.

We want to train our workers to practice simple, basic hygiene such as washing their hands, proper use of sanitary facilities, and keeping clothes and boots clean. A food safety culture is a subliminal awareness of how microbial contamination can be prevented in all aspects of farm work. Hand washing, wearing clean clothing, washing after certain animal related tasks, and other responsibilities will ensure only safe produce arrives to market. Now is when your SOPs (standard operating procedures) will really pay off. 

The Produce Safety Alliance has created a video on worker health and hygiene. You can access it on the Produce Safety Alliance YouTube Channel.  Videos cover basic health and hygiene as well as assuring the workers of their importance in producing high quality and safe produce. It is currently available in English, Spanish, Creole and Hmong. https://bit.ly/PSAHAHV

Once you have covered health and hygiene or any other training, make sure to record the event on a log. Record templets can be found on the UME website at https://psla.umd.edu/extension/produce-safety/. Your records are proof that you have fulfilled that responsibility.

Additional farm signs to reinforce some of these basics can be found on the UMD Food Safety website (https://psla.umd.edu/extension/produce-safety/order-signs-farm-food-safety).

The Produce TRAINer program wide range of engaging, multi-media worker food safety resources that are fun and educational. These aids would be another way to help develop that farm food safety culture. 
https://producetrainer-d.nmsu.edu/index.html

If you have any questions about Good Agricultural Practices, the Produce Safety Rule or writing an agricultural water assessment, or  if your group has interest in a GAP class or would like an on-farm training for employees, contact Carol llen, callen12@umd.edu, 240-994-5043.

Upcoming UME Events!

University of Delaware and University of Maryland Launch Free Virtual H-2A Farm Labor Seminar Series

The University of Maryland Extension (UME), the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC), and the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will host a free virtual seminar series titled “Exploring H-2A Farm Labor in the Mid-Atlantic Region.” The three-part series will take place from March 31 through April 21, 2026, and is designed to help agricultural employers better understand the complexities of the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. 

As labor challenges continue to impact agricultural operations across the region, the H-2A program has become an increasingly important option for securing seasonal workforce needs. This seminar series will provide participants with practical insights into the financial, legal, and regulatory considerations associated with the program.

“Producers are facing increasing pressure to secure reliable labor, and the H-2A program can be a valuable tool when used correctly,” said Paul Goeringer, Principal Faculty Specialist and Extension Legal Specialist with the University of Maryland. “This seminar series helps farmers understand not just the costs, but also the legal and compliance responsibilities that come with participating in the program.”

The virtual seminars will be held via Zoom from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the following dates:

  • March 31, 2026 — The Real Cost of H-2A Workers. 
    Speaker: Nate Bruce, University of Delaware
  • April 7, 2026 — Legal Aspects of the H-2A Process. 
    Speakers: Brandon Davis, Phelps Dunbar LLP; Paul Goeringer, University of Maryland
  • April 21, 2026 — State Department of Labor Considerations. 
    Speakers: Ross Weiner, Maryland Department of Labor; Ellen Romero, Delaware Department of Labor 

The seminar series is offered at no cost; however, advance registration is required. Participants can register online at https://go.umd.edu/H2AWebinars.

This program is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center through USDA-NIFA award no. 2024-70027-42540.

This collaborative effort reflects the ongoing commitment of University of Maryland Extension and University of Delaware Cooperative Extension to provide timely, research-based information to agricultural producers across the Mid-Atlantic region. This program is offered by land-grant institutions committed to equal opportunity and access. Individuals requiring accommodations should contact program organizers at least two weeks prior to the event.

*****************************************************************************************

Hiring and Retaining Farm Employees – What you Need to Know and Do

Are you trying to find, hire and keep great employees? Is it a bit confusing and time-consuming? Do you know where to start and who to involve? Are you worried about the legal considerations when having non-family members employed? This course will help you sort through all these questions and concerns. Navigating this process doesn’t have to be difficult as this course will share with you. Through the four modules of this course, you’ll get important information and resources you can adapt for your own operation. For more information, go to https://agrisk.umd.edu/grant-proposals/hiring-and-retaining-farm-employees

****************************************************************************

Vegetable & Fruit News Volume 17 Issue 2, March/April 2026 Downloadable PDF

Vegetable & Fruit News is a research-based publication for the commercial vegetable and fruit industry available electronically from April through October.  Published by the University of Maryland Extension Agriculture and Food Systems team.

Subscribe to Fruit and Vegetable News

EDITOR

Emily Zobel University of Maryland Extension Agent - Dorchester County
501 Court Lane, Room 208 
Cambridge, MD 21613 
Phone: (410) 410-228-8800 
Email: ezobel@umd.edu

Note: Registered Trade Mark® Products, Manufacturers, or Companies mentioned within this newsletter are not to be considered as sole endorsements. The information has been provided for educational purposes only.