Path A - Advancing Iowa's Efforts in Continuing to Attain High Rates of Compliance with the FDA's Produce Safety Rule through Education, Outreach & Technical Assistance to Iowa Growers

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Iowa (IA) Path A: Project Summary/Abstract Advancing Iowa's Efforts in Continuing to Attain High Rates of Compliance with the FDA's Produce Safety Rule through Education, Outreach & Technical Assistance to Iowa Growers In March 2021 the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) was made aware of the FDA FOA# PAR-21-174. Continuing and strengthening work conducted under PAR-16-167, IDALS convened its Produce Safety Rule steering committee and began development of a five-year project plant to advance compliance with the FDA’s Produce Safety Rule with Iowa’s fruit and vegetable growers. As with PAR-16-137, the state will continue to conduct program objectives aligned with outreach, education, and technical assistance as well as farm inventory development as outlined in Path A of PAR-21-174. With support of its partners, the Iowa Department of Agricultural and Land Stewardship’s new five-year program will align with the four objectives as outlined in the program announcement for Path A. While the program will continue the overall goal to enhance production of safe produce, the program will advance this aim by using and amending a living project plan as well as a written assessment of Iowa’s produce farms to be submitted at the end of Year 1. The living project plan has been initiated and is submitted in its first iteration with this funding opportunity submission by IDALS. These documents will capture the program’s administrative capacities, provisions for educational opportunities, outreach strategies, technical assistance offerings, and the management of the state’s farm inventory. A further emphasis will be on the continuance of a building strong partnerships with the sub- awardee, Produce Safety Rule colleagues at other state programs, FDA personnel, and NASDA – as well as state stakeholders via a proposed Produce Safety Stakeholder Advisory Board. Farm inventory verification and updating is emphasized along with outreach, training, and technical support strategies.