New website provides farm food safety news and resources

The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) has completely revised its website to provide easier access to a wealth of news, information and resources concerning leafy greens food safety and this important program created in 2007.

The opening page of the new website takes users quickly to the most important news item of the moment, highlights the organization’s current Twitter post and is followed immediately by two of the most-visited sections of the website: the LGMA’s mandatory Food Safety Practices and the list of Certified LGMA Members.

Scrolling down, users can read the LGMA’s recent blog posts, which provide regular commentary on the organization’s activities and important topics on produce food safety. To encourage readership, all blog posts can be shared directly from the website to a users’ Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts.

The blog section is followed by graphic links to three key topic areas: 1.) a special section designed to provide updates and background on the Food Safety Modernization Act and its impact on the leafy greens community; 2.) information on the LGMA’s comprehensive training program known as LGMA Tech; and 3.) a section with resources for LGMA members including meeting notices and downloads for a number of important documents. As with the previous site, the new website offers complete copies of the LGMA audit checklist for both announced and unannounced audits. 

The home page of the site is rounded out by direct links to a series of videos designed to quickly educate the public about the organization, its mandatory government audit system; the impact of food safety practices on the environment and an overview of the California leafy greens industry and how product is grown.

The website is easily accessible on your desktop, tablet or cell phone.

“This new site has so much information and makes it all incredibly easy to access and share,” said Phil Adrian of Coastline Family Farms and chairman of the LGMA’s Communications Committee. “We’re really encouraging people to visit the site, particularly those of us in the industry who have a role in spreading the word about this very successful program and its value to consumers, retail and foodservice operators and our own leafy greens producers.”

Also available on the site are direct links to the LGMA social media channels so people can follow the program and its activities on-line. Users can also sign up to receive a newsletter which is targeted to specific audiences so that e-mail updates can be tailored to subscribers’ primary interest areas.

“The site is very much constructed with the end-user in mind,” said April Ward, LGMA Communications Director. “We have special sections for members, retail and foodservice operations, media and health/wellness professionals. This allows us to provide these audiences with easier access to the information they are likely to be most interested in. It is really a very well organized site. We hope people use it, enjoy it and share it with others. We’re hoping it becomes the go-to resource for information on leafy greens food safety.”

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