Regulations, Certification, and the Specialty Mushroom Industry: GAPs, FSMA, and Food Safety

January 26, 2022


Regulations, Certification, and the Specialty Mushroom Industry
GAPs, FSMA, and Food Safety in Mushroom Production: Webinar #1 

Join the Cornell Small Farms Program and CCE Harvest NY in an opportunity to learn how to navigate the various regulations and certifications in a specialty mushroom enterprise. The type, location, scale, and markets of a given farm all affect the programs that farmers are required or can choose to join.

Specialty mushrooms are defined by USDA as any species not belonging to the genus Agaricus (button, crimini, portabella). Examples of programs we will discuss in this two-part series include FSMA Produce Rule, GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices), New York Grown and Certified, Certified Naturally Grown, and Organic Certification. 

This session will cover how contamination is spread, provide an overview of microbial risk reduction, basic food safety practices, and clarify the differences between food safety audits vs. inspection. We will also hear directly from Smallhold, a NYC-based certified organic mushroom operation that uses a distributed farming network and local, urban farming hub to sell specialty mushrooms and is a participant in the GAPs certification program.

Speakers:
Yolanda Gonzalez, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Harvest NY
Robert Hadad, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program
Hannah Shufro, Smallhold 

This content will expand on resources already available in our Harvest to Market guide at CornellMushrooms.org. Both webinars will be recorded and posted for later viewing.

Registration is free for anyone interested in learning about these topics. 

Whole Farm Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (CAMP) Series

January 27 - February 17, 2026
Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Please join Ulster County CCE and CCE Harvest New York for a free four-part webinar and workshop series focused on building climate resilience on your farm. We will cover climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, learn how to access locally relevant historical climate data, and begin a climate adaptation plan or disaster preparedness plan for your farm.

By the end of the series, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to identify vulnerabilities in their operations, determine which strategies best address the issue, and secure funding to support project implementation. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) 2026

February 4, 2026
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
New York, NY

Join us for the 6th annual TUFFS! Every winter since 2021, the NYC urban farm community comes together for an afternoon of conversations and show-and-tell, an opportunity to see what other urban farmers have been working on, to ask questions, and to share what went well for you this year (and what didn't). It's also the biggest NYC CRAFT event of the year, a veritable who's-who of the city's urban farm scene, and a great place to connect with the only other people who really understand what it's like to farm in New York City.

This year's TUFFS is at Pace University, including a tour of the campus' farm project. 

Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)

February 22, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flushing, NY

Join us at Ridgewood Community Garden for a free, hands-on workshop with CCE Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman. Participants will learn about basic tree maintenance and pruning techniques. Proper winter care helps trees conserve energy, prevent damage from cold weather, and prepare for growth in the spring. 

NOTE: This event was postponed from January 25 to February 22 due to the weather.