How FSMA Qualified Exempt and Not Covered Produce Growers are Filling Learning Gaps Using Innovative Education Program Delivery Methods

May 29, 2026 (2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Eastern Time)

Webinar Description

Produce growers exempt from the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule operate with reduced regulatory burden; however, this exemption removes structured pathways for implementation, creating variability in how critical food safety practices are interpreted and applied. In the absence of standardized guidance, growers often rely on informal knowledge or trial-and-error approaches, leading to confusion and inconsistent adoption of practices such as cleaning, sanitation, and postharvest handling. This webinar explores this regulatory gap through a complementary approach that integrates the West Virginia University-developed Willing–Ready–Able (WRA) framework with the UNH Extension Jumpstart to Produce Safety Program. The WRA framework was developed to characterize differences in grower readiness, recognizing that producers are not starting from the same level of engagement. In parallel, Jumpstart provides practical, on-farm support—including risk assessments, one-on-one technical assistance, food safety plan development, and farmer-led microlearning resources—to help growers implement produce safety practices. Together, these approaches address both the “why” and the “how” of food safety adoption. WRA functions as a diagnostic tool to inform when and how support should be delivered, while Jumpstart delivers the tools, guidance, and follow-up needed for implementation. This integrated model improves training efficiency, reduces reliance on trial-and-error, and supports adoption of practices that enhance produce safety. The session examines economic impacts of the regulatory gap and how targeted education improves efficiency and market readiness, informed by Extension and grower perspectives.

Objective 1 (WHY – Regulatory Gap)

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to identify at least 2 challenges that Qualified Exempt (QE) and Not Covered (NC) growers face related to accessing produce safety information, education, or training that may limit their ability to access and apply the resources they need to incorporate best produce safety practices on their farm.

Objective 2 (WHY THIS APPROACH – Willing-Ready-Able Role)

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to explain how the Willing-Ready-Able (WRA) framework identifies differences in grower readiness and informs targeted outreach strategies, using a scenario-based example:

Objective 3 (HOW – Jumpstart Program)

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to state two ways they can use Jumpstart microlearning videos to educate QE and NC growers on low-barrier strategies to improve produce safety on their farms.

Objective 4 (HOW – Integration)

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to match a grower scenario to an appropriate support strategy by applying WRA classification and identifying a corresponding Jumpstart resource, as evaluated through an interactive example.

Objective 5 (VALUE – Economic Impact)

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to list at least two economic or operational benefits of targeted produce safety support, including reduced time burden, improved efficiency, or increased market readiness.