Selling The Vegetables From Your Garden?
Recent Legislation Has Changed In Texas
In recent years, many of the public are growing different types of food for consumption by supplying local farm stands, churches for distribution, and even some farm stores. Did you realize legislation has changed here in Texas about growing food for public consumption in 2018? This year the Texas Department of Agriculture will be holding safety meetings statewide to help educate those of you growing food for public distribution whatever the location is. The recent press release given on April 9, 2018 comes ahead of spring planting, and harvest and has need of your feedback in the North Texas Area.
While you may not feel that your small amount of produce grown in small quantities is of general concern, safety conditions are important for both the commercial and weekend suppliers here in Texas. It is the hope of the TDA to educate and help all who are interested in meeting all new Federal mandates delivered to the State of Texas. Click here to find out more.
Here is the most recent notification: Texas Department of Agriculture to hold produce safety meetings statewide (4/9/2018)
(AUSTIN) — The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) today announced it will hold a series of community meetings across the state to collect input on implementing the new federal law to promote the safety of fruits and vegetables grown across the country. The meetings will serve as a forum to gather public input as TDA develops the rules to administer this comprehensive new federal mandate.
“We want to hear from our ag producers,” Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. “This is a substantial new federal effort, and the Texas Department of Agriculture wants to make sure we work hand-in-hand with our farmers to implement the rules consistently and efficiently. I’ll be at several of the meetings personally to join the conversation and hear any concerns from our ag producers.”
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), specifically the Produce Rule, establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. This is the first time such standards have been implemented. The purpose of FSMA is to shift food safety regulations from a system that focuses on responding to contamination to one that focuses on preventing contamination. FSMA was enacted on Jan. 4, 2011, and it authorizes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take a preventive approach to food safety. TDA is the state agency responsible for implementing the corresponding produce safety program in Texas.
In hosting the meetings in seven locations across the state, TDA wants to give producers an opportunity to discuss the development of the administrative rules as they pertain to farm verification, inspection and enforcement.
The closest meeting for our North Texas Region for the Produce Safety Administrative Rule development meetings is listed below. In order to make sure we have accurate seating, please RSVP to
Fort Worth - Hampton Inn (West I-H 30)
Hampton Inn West I-H 30
2700 Green Oaks Road
Fort Worth, TX 76116
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
