This collaborative education and training project will meet increasing needs among northern new england small-scale farmers, food businesses, agricultural producers, and a growing number of food…

The University of Maine System received a $399,999 Project Grant from the National Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition under the Food Safety Outreach Program (CFDA 10.328) to develop and deliver on-demand, self-paced food safety education resources for small-scale farmers, food businesses, and agricultural producers across Northern New England. The project, which runs from September 15, 2025 through September 14, 2028, will create digital food safety learning modules delivered as micro-credentials through the University of Maine's Recipe to Market (RTM) digital badge system. The initiative addresses critical gaps in affordable, accessible food safety educational resources and testing services for rural small-business operators and food incubator hubs seeking flexible learning alternatives.

The project builds upon University of Maine Cooperative Extension's existing regional partnerships and will expand institutional capacity through development of RTM Food Safety Digital Badges and enhanced food testing laboratory services—Northern New England's only nonprofit food testing facility. Key project partners include UNH Extension, the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety, state regulatory agencies in Maine and New Hampshire, food industry associations, distance learning specialists, and small business owners. The program supports the Food Safety Outreach Program's priorities and USDA strategic goals while enabling Extension to increase food safety outreach, education, and technical services for small-scale food business operators.

This collaborative education and training project will meet increasing needs among northern new england small-scale farmers, food businesses, agricultural producers, and a growing number of food incubator hubs with on-demand, self-paced food safety education. IT addresses a shortage of affordable educational resources in conjunction with testing options, a backlog of food entrepreneurs seeking resources, and a rising interest in flexible, on-demand learning tools that meet rural resident needs. Key project objectives are to develop and offer on-demand, effective food safety courses and to build extension's capacity to increase food safety outreach, education, and technical services for small-scale food businesses. The project supports fsop priorities and USDA strategic goals #2, #4, and 5. IT builds upon university of maine (UMAINE) cooperative extension's regional partnerships and programs, expanding the popular recipe to market program (RTM) to greatly enhance access to food safety resources, primarily targeting new and small-scale producers. Food safety learning modules will be developed, tested, and launched as RTM food safety digital badges via the UMAINE system micro-credential program. Project partners include UNH extension, the northeast center to advance food safety, state regulatory agencies in maine and NH, food industry associations, distance learning specialists, food incubator hubs, agricultural specialists, and small business owners. We anticipate an expanded, low-barrier educational program will increase the demand for reputable and reliable food safety testing services already in high demand. Therefore, this project additionally builds the capacity of UMAINE cooperative extension's food safety testing services laboratory, northern's new england's only nonprofit food testing facility.