Regulatory Resources
Regulatory resources
Food Safety
Title What is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)? What is the Produce Rule?
Source: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
Last updated:
Description: These complementary resources provide an overview of the Food Safety Modernization act, the first overhaul of food safety practices from farm to fork since 1938. An embedded resource provides an overview of the specific food safety requirements for operations that grow, harvest, and handle fresh produce that may be consumed raw. This resource provides some historical context and reasoning for these significant updates.
FSMA link: https://sustainableagriculture.net/fsma/overview-and-background/
Produce rule link: https://sustainableagriculture.net/fsma/overview-and-background/
Title Small Farm Food Safety
Source: University of California, Davis and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Last updated:
Description: The Small Farm Food Safety website has a wide range of resources on food safety from farm to fork with a focus on topics such as general farm food safety, work health, soil amendments, wildlife and domestic animals, agricultural water, and postharvest. While relevant for many farming operations, this resource has a specific focus on food safety considerations for the unique context of small-scale farming operations. These resources are available in multiple languages.
Link: https://ucsmallfarmfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/english
Title Food Safety Plan Template
Source: CA Alliance with Family Farmers
Last updated:
Description: This resource provides a range of templates and guides to completing a food safety plan for a farming operation (multiple languages available). In addition, this resource includes other templates for food safety recordkeeping such as a wide range of logs (e.g. sanitization, harvest, recall, etc.). There is a free webinar that walks through creating a food safety plan that complements the templates available through this resource.
FSMA link: https://caff.org/organic-certification/food-safety-plan-templates/
Title FSMA Inspection Case Study: New Natives Farm
Source: CA Alliance with Family Farmers
Last updated: 2022
Description: Farming operations must go through a farm inspection if they meet the eligibility requirements outlined by FSMA. This resource provides a useful case study of the inspection process performed on a small, diversified farm. In addition to providing an overview of the inspection process, this resource provides some question topics that may be asked by the food safety inspector.
FSMA link: https://caff.org/organic-certification/food-safety-plan-templates/
Title Produce Safety Alliance
Source: Cornell University, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and USDA
Last updated: As recently as 2024, resource dependent
Description: The Produce Safety Alliance provides fundamental, science-based farm food safety resources and trainings for all interested in the safety of fresh produce. There is a wide range of resources to both learn about aspects of on-farm food safety as well as useful educational tools for TA providers to utilize in their work (See Resources -> Trainer resources). There are trainings available through their train-the-trainer program as well as a directory of contacts across the state that have completed the training course.
FSMA link: https://caff.org/organic-certification/food-safety-plan-templates/
Groundwater
Title Groundwater Basics
Source: CA State Water Boards
Last updated: 2018
Description: This resource provides a basic overview of groundwater including what it is, where it comes from, potential threats to groundwater, and why it’s critical to protect it. In addition to useful pictorial diagrams, the resources utilizes important terminology related to groundwater and summarizes the hydrological cycles that influence groundwater in California.
link: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/groundwater/gw_basics.html
Title Implementing California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014
Source: UC ANR
Last updated: 2016
Description: This webinar organized by UC Cooperative Extension Specialist, Thomas Harter, goes over the status of groundwater in California preceding the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Additional time is spent providing an overview of how SGMA planned to be implemented across California. This resource is useful historical contexts from the time of SGMA passage and initial implementation.
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuUqLj-rmtY
Title The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
Source: Community Water Center
Last updated: 2016
Description: A brief overview of SGMA available in both English and Spanish. This summary provides information on the basics of SGMA as well as how SGMA may affect an individual at a local level. The resource could be useful for both TA providers as well as any stakeholders they work with who are unfamiliar with SGAMA.
Title Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
Source: CA Department of Water Resources
Last updated:
Description: This landing page for the CA DWR is a useful resource that includes information on best management practices, brochures on a SGMA overview available in multiple languages, tools to learn more about current groundwater status, and points of contact at the State. In addition, the newsletter sign up is available on this webpage to stay informed about SGMA and groundwater sustainability in California.
link: https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Groundwater-Management/SGMA-Groundwater-Management
Title SGMA and Underrepresented Farmers: Impact of Groundwater Sustainability Plans on Underrepresented Farmers
Source: Clean Water Action, UC ANR, CAFF, CivicWell, and Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability
Last updated: 2022
Description: This report provides an overview of the impacts of SGMA and Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) on underrepresented farmers across California. It documents on-the-ground perspectives and concerns expressed by farmers that were not included in the development and implementation of GSPs. The report ends with recommendations for how to address the widespread challenges experienced by farmers not represented in Groundwater Sustainability initiatives.
link: https://civicwell.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SGMA-Small-Farmers-Report-0522.pdf
Title Cover Cropping in the SGMA Era: A Comprehensive Overview of Water Impacts, Policy Implications, and Recommendations for California’s Water Managers
Source: CA Resource Conservation District, CDFA, UC ANR, USDA, Sustainable Conservation
Last updated: 2024
Description: This resource provides answers to critical concerns around how SGMA impacts cover cropping adoption and use across California. A review of literature covers the impacts of cover cropping on water cycles and interviews with experts explore how SGMA accounts of cover cropping in water budgets. The report ends with reflections on how we can ensure sustainable practices like cover cropping remain advantageous and viable to farmers while meeting large-scale groundwater conservation goals.
link: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/efasap/docs/2024/Sustainable_Conservation-Cover-Crop-SGMA-Report.pdf
Title Groundwater Glossary
Source: Community Water Center
Last updated:
Description: A glossary of important and relevant terms to groundwater topics. This comprehensive tool can be used as reference to define key terms when assisting with groundwater-related topics.
link: https://drinkingwatertool.communitywatercenter.org/glossary/