RI Department of Health Application for Cooperative Agreement to Enhance Produce Safety FOA: RFA-PAR-16-137 Rhode Island's Plan to Implement the Produce Safety Rule Project Summary/Abstract The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) proposes to implement the Produce Safety Rule. A five (5) year strategic plan has been developed to design a produce safety inspection program. In Year 1, regulatory authority will be established. RI will adopt the Produce Safety Rule in its entirety. A farm inventory will be built to capture information regarding farm location, commodities, sales and other data elements. A partnership with the University of Rhode Island (URI) will be in place and funding provided to deliver outreach and education to the farms. URI is in a key position to do this work since they have been providing GAP training and have a strong relationship with the farming community. The Division of Agriculture within the Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM/Div of Ag) will also be a part of this project since they are familiar with the farms and have a history of conducting GAP audits. Regulator training will begin as soon as it is available to RI. Inspectors and produce program administrators will complete all training which we hope will start as soon as Year 1. If FDA training is not offered initially, webinars and other training opportunities will be pursued during the first year. URI staff and those involved at RIDEM/Div of Ag will be invited to any training that is appropriate for their role. Resources will be allocated for extensive outreach and education throughout the program but especially in Years 1 and 2. The plan for the Produce Safety Rule Implementation will be rolled out so farms can get into full compliance prior to the start of regulatory inspections. On farm readiness reviews will take place, especially during Years 2 and 3. Compliance will be assessed and when gaps are identified, education and training will be provided so farms can meet the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule. During Year 2, the RIDOH will begin the farm inspection program starting with firms in good compliance when assessed during the readiness review. The inspection program will include compliance and enforcement activities and continue into Year 5 and beyond. Throughout the five year grant cycle, RI will work with federal partners and those in other states to enhance the national produce safety effort. This will include attending the National Consortium, participating in and hosting regional meetings, and sharing all data, information, and best practices. This funding opportunity will allow RI to build its foundation including regulations, policies, procedures, trained regulatory staff, and an educated farm community. A sustainability plan will be in place to continue the produce safety program in RI well beyond the five years.