PROJECT SUMMARY Instructions: The summary is limited to 250 words. The names and affiliated organizations of all Project Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PI) should be listed in addition to the title of the project. The summary should be a self-contained, specific description of the activity to be undertaken and should focus on: overall project goal(s) and supporting objectives; plans to accomplish project goal(s); and relevance of the project to the goals of the program. The importance of a concise, informative Project Summary cannot be overemphasized. Title: Local Food Safety Collaborative PD: Wancko, Patricia "Tricia" Institution: National Farmers Union Foundation CO-PD: PD/PI 2 Name (Last, First, MI) Institution: CO-PD: PD/PI 3 Name (Last, First, MI) Institution: CO-PD: PD/PI 4 Name (Last, First, MI) Institution: CO-PD: PD/PI 5 Name (Last, First, MI) Institution: CO-PD: PD/PI 6 Name (Last, First, MI) Institution: CO-PD: PD/PI 7 Name (Last, First, MI) Institution: National Farmers Union Foundation's (NFUF) project, the Local Food Safety Collaborative (LFSC), is dedicated to helping local farmers and processors advance their food safety knowledge and capacity in order to increase compliance, enhance the economic viability of their operations, and enable them to continue providing consumers with safe, healthy local food. Building on previous work, LFSC will help local food producer audiences interpret, understand, and implement Federal food safety regulations and guidance and address challenges to the implementation of food safety best practices in their operations. Project approach will encompasses education and training as well as direct assistance that is scale and culturally appropriate; a particular emphasis will be placed on providing opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and experiential education. LFSC will work with project partners and producers themselves to identify needs and develop resources with an emphasis on creating materials in a variety of media formats that mitigate cultural and learning barriers to knowledge acquisition and practice. LFSC will continue to collaborate with community-based organizations with established relationships of trust as well as an understanding of the target audience in their respective communities. Project methods include: Collaboration – Facilitate collaboration among relevant community-based farm and food organizations, academic, and regulatory stakeholders. Outreach – Conduct outreach to target audience producers to facilitate awareness of food safety compliance, promote educational opportunities, and disseminate food safety resources. Education and Training – Deliver food safety education and training that meets target audience producers where they are. Resource Development – Develop food safety resources tailored to the needs of the target audience that reduce barriers to learning and reflect their operations. Technical Assistance – Provide individualized training and support to target a...