USDA Help Desk for small meat plants; learning about lamb insurance
Washington Ag Today January 7, 2010 The USDA has a new resource available for operators of small and very small plants producing meat, poultry and processed egg products trying to meet federal food safety regulations. USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety, Jerold Mande talks about the new Small Plant Help Desk. Mande: “This will provide them an easy access phone number where there is somebody there everyday that they can call and ask their questions.” Mande says the Help Desk is part of the new Know Your Farmer Know Your Food initiative sponsored by USDA. Mande: “It tells the average consumer really where their food comes from and what do they know about it and encourages the use of locally produced food. Of course people expect that food to be just as safe as the food they get from larger establishments. And that is easy to do if people follow the rules and know what concerns to look out for when they are producing food.” That Help Desk phone number is 1-877-FSIShelp or email
Washington State University Extension has partnered with the Spokane Area Sheep Producers Association to help sheep producers learn about Livestock Risk Protection insurance now available for lambs in Washington. Mary Lou Casey from the USDA’s Risk Management Agency’s regional office will explain the insurance program at a meeting January 13th at 7:30 p.m. at the Spokane County, WSU Extension Center at North 222 Havana in Spokane. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
