June 5 kicked off a two-day conference where experts in various fields from plant science to microbiology detailed the research being done in eradicating the occurrence of human pathogens in crop production through breeding.
The recent flooding in Nebraska left owners John Carrol and Chad Wegener rushing to save the livestock on their 40-acre goat farm.
Hours logged instructing first responders has confirmed for Tracey Stevens the practical application of implementing emergency preparedness training. Her standard classroom opening remark now takes on a deeply personal meaning, “Mother Nature never sleeps.”
WIFSS is serving the needs of the farming community by helping meet FSMA training requirements and is offering a series of 20 Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Courses on behalf of the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA). The training courses run through June 2019 and are offered in English and Spanish.
Great concerns are present for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), as well as catastrophic natural disasters. Tracey Stevens led the Moorefield courses which allowed for broad discussions, information sharing, strategic planning and simulation planning with table top exercises and group discussions. The regional conference was an opportunity for statewide leadership to meet and discuss the agriculture and food animal planning for the state and individual jurisdictions.
As wildfire season rages along the west coast, wrecking havoc on rural communities from California to Washington state, there is no better time to learn how to prepare, manage, and plan for disasters. In an ongoing partnership with RDPC and The Department of Homeland Security, WIFSS trained a diverse group of professionals on creating a thorough disaster preparedness and response plan.
Finding real world solutions to issues facing Sweden and the U.S. from threats of agroterrorism is the driving force behind the WIFSS-Sweden partnership. A three-member delegation of Swedish government officials met with WIFSS personnel in April as part of an ongoing collaboration to better understand the dangers and vulnerability of antagonistic threats to food and agriculture.
Management level class provides emergency planners and rapid response teams with the background information needed to participate in the development of disaster response plans that could be included within the existing operational area.
Discussions in Tallahassee MGT 448 class centered on the nation’s largest evacuation in history that took place in Florida in 2017, including first-hand human and animal rescue experiences during hurricanes in Florida and Puerto Rico.
An intentional release, or natural occurrence of diseases associated with pathogens, or biological and chemical toxins, can adversely impact the safety and security of plant and animal foods. WIFSS partners with multiple academic institutions and government agencies to address the safety and security of food for people and animals.