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The Ohio Specialty Crop Food Safety Initiative is sponsoring its second food safety workshop Nov. 20 in Columbus. The workshop will help fruit and vegetable producers, packers and shippers manage liability in the rare instance when prevention methods fail.

While the initiative stresses prevention of microbiological contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables, it is best to be prepared should such contamination occur, according to a coordinator of the event.

Mary Donnell, OSU Extension agent at the Agricultural Business Enhancement Center (ABEC) and workshop coordinator, said topics will include developing crisis management plans, understanding how to work with media, building a food recall system and exploring options in product liability insurance.

"Our first food safety workshop with the Ohio Specialty Crop Food Safety Initiative last March covered good agricultural practices that lead to even safer food," she said. "This second (workshop) is a direct result of growers’ requests after that first workshop."

The featured presenter is Gil Meyer, director of issues and program management for DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition, where one of his roles is serving as crisis coordinator. Meyer also serves on the executive committee of the International Food Information Council, a leading organization of the food industry and conducts workshops on crisis management.

"We’re going to discuss real world issues," said John Wargowsky, executive director of Mid American Ag and Hort Services (MAAHS), a co-coordinator of the event. "We know prevention to food-borne illness is the key, but we’re also realistic enough to know that sometimes, things can go wrong, and we need to be prepared to contain the impact when those things happen."

He continued: "It’s a pure business decision to reduce your risk. Some produce buyers require that their suppliers have a recall system and crisis management plan in place, and I think it increases consumer confidence to know we’re able to quickly address issues should something happen."

Participants will "take home a good understanding of how to create a food recall system," Donnell said. "They’ll understand their options in product liability insurance and how to make good business decisions on the type of insurance to carry on the farm. They’ll understand working with the media both in difficult times and also in good times. And then, obviously, we’ll go over how to create a crisis management plan, and help them be prepared in case prevention fails."

Both Donnell and Wargowsky will be presenters at the workshop. Additional presenters are Paul Panico, chief of the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) division of food safety; Martha Filipic, communications and technology technical editor for OSU Extension; Shari Plimpton, program manager of industry outreach for the Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT); and Scott Bell and Christal Leggett with Farmland Insurance-Nationwide Agribusiness companies.

The workshop fee of $40 includes a continental breakfast, lunch, workshop notebook and certificate of attendance. Attendance is limited to 100. Growers, packers and shippers from Ohio and other states, as well as professionals working with fruit and vegetable growers, packers and shippers are encouraged to register. Workshop registration deadline is Nov. 10. Complete workshop information is available by calling 614-246-8289, by e-mailing maahs@ofbf.org or by visiting the MAAHS Web site at www.midamservices.org and clicking on "Projects."

"There are a whole lot of people working together to make this workshop happen," Wargowsky said. The initiative is cooperatively managed by the OSU Extension ABEC, MAAHS and CIFT and is financed in part through a grant from ODA, the State of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Agriculture under provisions of the Specialty Crop Grant.