An online summit for farmers market managers & farmers market food vendors/producers covering food safety requirements in Virginia

During this annual Food Safety Summit, the Virginia Farmers Market Association (VAFMA) brings together representatives from VDACS, VDH, VA ABC, and VCE to walk you through the requirements and answer your questions. These sessions are recorded and shared with registrants. Participants are able to receive a certificate of participation.

Certificates:

• Proof of Participation Certificates are available to people who attended the live session and have been distributed via email. Contact us if you have not received your certificate for 2025.

• Did you miss the live webinar of the Food Safety Summit and need a certificate?

  Watch the recordings, pass a short quiz, and the certificate will be emailed to you. It’s all available on Farmers Market University! Click the button below to get started.

2025 Summit Recordings and Resources

VAFMA recommends that all farmers market managers & farmers market food vendors/producers view the April 28th session & any sessions relevant to their markets/businesses/products.

Day 1: April 28, 2025 Recording (recommended for all to watch):

• Market Food Safety slides – Virginia Department of Health – Whitney Wright, VDH
• Market Food Safety slides – Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services – Pam Miles, Rashelly Bland & Karen Bergin, VDACS
• Produce Safety slides – Erik Bungo & Kristina Banks, VDACS
• Weights & Measures slides – Gary Milton, VDACS

Day 2: April 29, 2025 Recording

• CBD/Hemp slides – Nikeya Thomas, VDACS
• Pet Food and Treats slides – Caroline Wilkinson, VDACS
• Dairy slides – Hunter Moyer, VDACS
• Meat and Poultry slides – Susan Miller, VDACS

Day 3: April 30, 2025 Recording

• Nursery Inspection and License Program for selling plants slides – David Guanine, VDACS
• Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles slides – F. Troy Bower, Assistant Chief Fire Marshall
• Alcoholic Beverages slides – Virginia ABC – Marc Haalman
• Food Safety Resources slides & Resource Links – Lester Schonberger and Melissa Wright, Virginia Cooperative Extension

Q&As

• 2025 Coming Soon! This 2024 Q&A document provides comprehensive answers from VDH, VDACS, VCE and other authorities to questions regarding best practices, regulations, and guidelines for ensuring food safety at Virginia farmers markets.

Funding for this publication was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant 21FMPPVA1084. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

Funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA NIFA award number: Grants 12843216) is acknowledged.