Training Workshops Offered for On-Farm Poultry and Rabbit Processing Certification

ANNAPOLIS, MD – To help farmers meet growing consumer demand for local meats, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will conduct training workshops in Annapolis and Prince Frederick for on-farm poultry and rabbit slaughter and processing. This workshop is part of a voluntary certification program to assist small poultry and rabbit operations to meet the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s approved source requirements to sell poultry and/or rabbit (off-farm) at farmers’ markets or to restaurants and retailers in Maryland. Both workshops will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with check-in starting at 8:30 a.m. The training fee is $25 which includes lunch and materials, and pre-registration is required. The workshops will be offered:

• March 31 at the MDA, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis
• April 11 at the Calvert County Economic Development Building, 205 Main Street, Prince Frederick.

Download a copy of the registration form. Space is limited, so register early.

Workshop participants will learn to recognize diseases of public health concern, take basic biosecurity measures, write and implement basic Standard Sanitary Operating Procedures, develop Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plans, and properly dispose of offal and waste water. To become certified for off-farm sales, producers must:

• Complete the training;
• Pass a brief test at the training;
• Submit an application for certification along with a $75 annual fee; and
• Be inspected by MDA at least once a year to verify that producers are following food safety requirements.

For more information, contact Sherry Weygant at 410-841-5769 or email: sherry.weygant@maryland.gov. To learn more about Maryland’s Poultry and Rabbit Program, visit here. 

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