Apply for your audit now to receive up to 75% of the cost of the food safety inspection

Time is running out. The Illinois Department of Agriculture Food Safety Grant that assists farmers with a cost-share for GAPs audits will terminate in September 2014. There are still funds available for cost-sharing your audit expenses. Many of you have gone through Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training, and are awaiting to hear how the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will impact farms, especially the smaller ones. The implementation is supposed to be next year, and this cost-share benefit will not be available. We encourage you to apply to be audited this summer, and then request the cost-share from University of Illinois. Open this link for the application form: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/downloads/50983.pdf. If you know you will be seeking a cost-share please contact your Local food systems and small farm educator now.