FIRST YEAR OF INSPECTIONS ON PRODUCE FARMS COVERED BY THE PRODUCE SAFETY RULE (PSR) HIGHLIGHTED THAT FARMS FALL SHORT OF REGULATORS' EXPECTATIONS FOR POSTHARVEST AND HARVEST SANITATION PRACTICES. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT FARMS WILL HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE CLEANING AND SANITIZING PRACTICES (CSPS) FOR VARIOUS SURFACE TYPES ENCOUNTERED IN PRODUCE SETTINGS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A LACK OF TRAINING ON HOW TO CORRECTLY IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE CSPS AND DOCUMENT THEM AS PART OF VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES, EXACERBATED BY A LACK OF METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF CSPS ON DIVERSE FOOD CONTACT SURFACES (FCSS) IN PRODUCE FARM SETTINGS. TO PROVIDE PRODUCE INDUSTRY WITH DATA ON BEST CSPS TO MEET PSR REQUIREMENTS, THIS PROJECT WILL: (I) ENGAGE WITH PRODUCE INDUSTRY TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE DIVERSITY OF FCSS IN THEIR OPERATIONS AND CHARACTERIZE CSPS; (II) QUANTIFY THE "REAL-WORLD" ORGANIC AND MICROBIAL LOADS OF FCSS BEFORE AND AFTER CLEANING AND SANITIZING ON PRODUCE FARMS; (III) EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF CSPS FOR CHALLENGING SURFACES (E.G., FOAM, BRUSHES), AND OPTIMIZE THESE PROCEDURES FOR EACH SURFACE TYPE; AND (IV) TRAIN PRODUCE GROWERS TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE CSPS AND VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE PROCEDURES THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAMS. THROUGH COORDINATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION EFFORTS, PLANNED ACTIVITIES WILL UTILIZE APPLIED SCIENCE AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES TO HELP PRODUCE INDUSTRY BETTER IMPLEMENT CLEANING AND SANITIZING PROGRAMS TO MITIGATE MICROBIAL RISKS AND ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE WITH PSR.